American Dippers forage in fast moving streams – rapids. How do they do that? Are there suction grips on their feet that can hold onto slippery rocks where you or I would slip and fall into the water? I photographed these dippers in the Yellowstone River on a sunny October afternoon.
From a recent camping trip.
This was a fun find! Normally, I hear Wilson’s Snipes from far above, winnowing in the Spring to attract a mate. I saw this bird from quite a distance with its bright white belly and I managed to creep in closer for a better view. The closer I got, the more it hunkered down and then when I backed away, it began to stand tall again. These images are all cropped and from a 600 mm lens.
I was camped next to a glacier-fed river last week and one morning got to watch an American Dipper (formerly known as a Water Ouzel) forage in the clear cold water.
Lots of ducks, some shorebirds and a Virginia Rail with babies.
