After a few seconds the female left the boulder to perch on the waterfall opposite.
The male flew up river and she followed on. The time was exactly 13.37, is it a coincidence that this is the same time that they were at the nest yesterday? As the afternoon developed I was expected them to return but no, just like the day before the stayed away from the nest area for the entire afternoon. So I am suspecting a pattern of behaviour here. While they were away, I quicklty checked the nest for an egg........ still not laid yet. I discovered that there are two cavities to the nest. The lower nest cavity goes deep inside the ball of of tightly woven moss and roots but just above this entrance, there is the opening to another cavity which is more of a loose hole and packed loosely with dry sphagnum moss. I have read that this is used by the none "sitting" bird, the male, while the female is incubating for example.
During the afternoon watch, I witnessed a female Sparrowhawk on two occasions. The first time it swooped in to make a kill but was unsuccessful. The second time, the bird of prey flashed past me just inches above the water and close to the bank. Could this be why the Dippers were keeping well clear of the nest site? They would present a very good target if they were caught off guard. A female Sparrowhawk consumes between 50-70 grams each day. A male Dipper weighs on average, 64 grams, a perfect size meal for a Sparrowhawk and definitely on the menu. The Dippers have every reason to be wary. Later on as I was walking back I found both birds just standing in shallow water about 300 yards from the nest area. It is the first time that I have seen this behaviour. Usually they are feeding or preening. This quiet behaviour seemed unusual and would point to a state of nervousness because of the presence of the bird of prey.