A fabulous dip in the park

Not been on the site for a while or even wildlife watching much. I barely took a bird photo since the beginning of Sept. However, a few days ago, I was in one of the local parks and spotted a Dipper on the river. Naturally, I couldn't get anywhere near enough to get a photo, so I thought I'd try the next park along. I had just decided the Dippers weren't going to show here either, when one did pop in.

The background sort of looks toxic (as well as the fact it's standing on a tyre) but it's just reflections of the sun through leaves. It wasn't amazingly close, but not bad ... until it disappeared again after just a short while. I tried following it downstream only to end up with us both back in the exactly spots. Different angle - different green!

This time it looked it would stay. It actually coughed up a pellet on the tyre - I don't think I've seen that before. I even managed a snap when it flew closer (the light wasn't good enough for a faster shutter speed).

It landed behind a rock and hid there for about five minutes. So close but out of sight! Eventually I thought it must gone away without me seeing it. Just as I was about to give up, it went across to the other bank and started hunting again - much better for photos.

I've never really got what I call good shots of one in the water before, so it was good to get this one going about its business, especially as the river was giving colourful reflections rather than being washed out white water.

Surely, it's not heading into the sunshine? I don't know when I last saw a Dipper in bright sunshine!!!

No! But it did fly over to my side of the river and slightly upstream. I decided to try and circle around and get ahead of it. It was risky, but the Dipper turned out to be completely unconcerned by my movements. It even started preening.

This is about as close as I'd ever got ...

and it seemed content to continue as if I wasn't there

It kept coming towards me until it was level, giving me some fabulous views. Finally, it arrived in the sun and I was even happy to settle for a back shot with all that detail and colour

But it was as obliging as I could wish for

As you're taking the photos, you're thinking "go on, get on the rock, get on the rock." Sure enough ...

I couldn't believe it was this close and doing what I wanted!

I thought it was just going to continue past me, but it actually turned towards me and came even closer!

It's not often you get photoshoots as good as this and I was just enjoying the moment.

The water looks like coloured glass and I love the drip on the end of its tail

It was ridiculously close by now and I was having trouble keeping it in frame ... but that's the best sort of problem to have 

To give an indication, this shot is uncropped and it only just fits in frame - it's really too close, but it's so nice when it happens you can't complain

It moved on shortly after posing for this one, but it had given me a truly memorable photo shoot, so I thought I'd dedicate the entire thread to such a diva (or diver or dipper!). Not bad for a trip to the municipal park, either.