Yesterday I went to Dovedale, walked up to Milldale and beyond up the River Dove. Although busy at Dovedale, the further you walk from the stepping stones, the quieter it becomes and the advantage of visiting somewhere like this is that the birds are used to visitors, allowing you better views than you may get from a more secluded spot. You are virtually guarenteed dippers on one particular stretch of the the river and I saw a pair, but did not manage to get a good photograph as I was hand holding my 70-200mm lens with the converter and the images were just too blurred.
Further up the river, beyond Milldale it was very peaceful and I sat by the river, using my camera bag to rest on, as I spotted a beautiful grey wagtail alighting on a rock in the middle of the river. I edged slowly closer and was pleased to get a couple of shots…. this was my favourite.
Further up, there was a grey heron hunting along the bank. He was on the opposite side, but unpeturbed by me edging up with my camera on the tripod. He was in prime condition and spent a lot of time watching the water from the bank. I was able to take a few shots, as well some video clips.
