An old poem today inspired by one of my favourite birds, Dippers. There’s something utterly captivating about the way they dip-dip at the riverside, but don’t be fooled by this behaviour as they’re one of the few birds who can dive underwater to hunt in fast-flowing rivers. They’re exceptional wild swimmers and can also grip slippery rocks to wade beneath tumbling water when hunting. I haven’t seen any this year so far but I think that’s just because we haven’t been hiking our usual haunts, perhaps it‘s in autumn that I might see them more along the rivers, once the rivers have filled again after a dry summer. Travelling is making me realise the sort of sights I‘ve taken for granted when we were stationary. The Cymraeg name for Dippers is, Bronwen y dŵr: Bronwen of the water. The name Bronwen means ‘white breast’ and the dippers are white throated. It’s a much more poetic name than the English don’t you think? I hope we come across some this autumn in Spain.
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