Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Dipper

A friend had very generously invited me to go along with him yesterday, exploring the area south of the city, in the Porcupine Hills, Foothills and Nanton area. The weather was incredible and the scenery breath-taking! Everything from flat grassland, to rolling hills and the Foothills, to the mountains. There were occasionally small patches of open water and we were lucky enough to see four American Dippers at various places. A small bird seen from a long distance = a heavily cropped photo that is STILL distant : ) The American Dipper is uncommon to common year-round in Alberta. The Dipper's stout body, strong claws and thick feathers enable it to survive in frigid weather.

This little guy (or gal) has been causing quite a stir, as it's always a treat to see an American Dipper here. Seen down at Votier's Flats, Fish Creek Park, on 22 November 2012. They are such fun birds to watch, as they do quick little knee bends and also walk under water to feed : ) "A chunky bird of western streams, the American Dipper is North America's only truly aquatic songbird. It catches all of its food underwater in swiftly flowing streams by swimming and walking on the stream bottom." From Cornell Labs' "All About Birds" website. "This species, like other dippers, is equipped with an extra eyelid called a "nictitating membrane" that allows it to see underwater, and scales that close its nostrils when submerged. Dippers also produce more oil than most birds, which may help keep them warmer when seeking food underwater. It is usually a permanent resident, moving slightly south or to lower elevations if necessary to find food or unfrozen water. The presence of this indicator species shows good water quality; it has vanished from some locations due to pollution or increased silt load in streams." From Wikipedia. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Dipper/id en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Dipper