14/08/2026
The 4:30am alarm was a bit of a struggle this morning, but it was more than worth it. By 5:40am I was standing in the Water of Leith, in my waders, as the sun rose, and what a spectacular sunrise it was. A stunning sky and a wonderful way to start the day.
While I was changing the SD cards in a couple of my cameras, I spotted a dipper upstream. I quietly made my way to a rock by the riverbank and sat out of sight, hoping it might come a bit closer.
It never did, but after about four or five minutes I heard an otter cub calling. I turned around to find a mum and her cub making their way upstream, only about 20 feet behind me.
As they dived underwater, I slowly raised my camera, hid my face completely and then stayed as still as I could. The little cub swam around me before rejoining its mum and the two of them continued feeding before heading upstream.
Just a few minutes later it was all over. It wasn't until then that I realised it had started raining—and not just a shower, but absolutely torrential rain!
I arrived home 45 minutes later completely soaked, but after an encounter like that, I certainly wasn't complaining. Here are a few shots from this morning's encounter.
