A white-throated dipper on the river near Ham Mill

Helena met A. for a walk around the Heavens, Nether Lypiatt and down in the valley. I decided to head out for my own wander, not being as capable of long walks.

I went to the canal near Thrupp and watched many walkers on the towpath, including Helena and A. eventually. I enjoyed myself and took a lot of watery images with two swans featuring regularly.

I walked west towards town as far as Ham Mill lock and then decided to dive into the thick and muddy undergrowth beside the adjacent River Frome running in parallel just thirty yards away. I stopped at odd moments wondering what I might see. The last time I was there at the same spot an otter swam down stream and as it passed me it stopped and eye-balled me for about thirty seconds before slowly swimming on untroubled.

No such luck today, until I looked back behind a big thicket of brambles which shielded the path from the river for about ten yards. Then I spotted this white-throated dipper perched waiting to feed. As I changed my position I saw it dive under water. When it surfaced it saw me and flew away! But I was happy having managed to grab this rather dark image under the canopy of trees.