Dipper

[Lee French]

At the Ashland Creek reservoir today. Was not a banded bird.

[Lee French]

There again this morning. Singing nicely.

[Lee French]

This bird was there again this morning and seems to like hunting the calm water of the reservoir. I saw it catch a tiny fish and proceed to thrash it mightily against the surface before swallowing it. A couple years ago Sammie Peat posted a photo of a Dipper with a fish that was much bigger game than the one I saw. Question for the group: Is Dippers catching fish a common occurrence that you have observed?

Thanks,

Lee 

[Jeffrey Tufts]

Birds of the World (Cornell Lab) reports that for American Dipper, the main foods taken are "mostly aquatic stream insects and insect larvae; sometimes other invertebrates, small fish, fish eggs, and flying insects."

I've seen Dippers with small fish in Ashland Creek, but aquatic insects have been the more common food types.  

Jeff Tufts

Medford