Dippers

Only a Dipper Cinclus cinclus could fancy a plunge in a cold stream in these freezing conditions. The weather has been quite wintry in the last week or so, with strong and cold northeasterly winds (locally known as burja/bora). The first snow has fallen over most of Slovenia and it still persists on the higher altitudes. Also some parts of the higher Karst are still white at the moment.
Today I was in Postojna where I visited the Karst Museum (which I strongly recommend) and on the river Unica I saw 3 showy Dippers. As usual quite funny-looking and full of character as they dive and try to fight the current. On this link a (bad quality) video, filmed from inside the car, in which you can hear Status Quo playing on the radio!
Other notable observations that enlivened my week included the first two Slavonian Grebes Podiceps auritus and Black-throated Divers Gavia arctica of the winter (on the sea near Monfalcone, north-east Italy), a passage Redwing Turdus iliacus on the Karst and a distant howl from a Golden Jackal Canis aureus on the Italy/Slovenia border near Gorizia/Gorica. My first jackal actually.