here be Dippers
The Black Hills and Spearfish Creek are just about the easternmost point that the American Dipper (formerly know as the water ouzel) ranges. It is a rare treat when one appears in front of you doing his namesake "dipper" dance. I have borrowed the image below from the South Dakota GFP website, as our modest little dipper chose to dance and bathe under the willows in the top left of the picture above. He didn't give us the same lovely pose that Doug Backlund caught.A second bird literally flew under my feet as I stood on the cross creek bridge to take the downstream photo. They are known to nest in this area, possibly under this bridge. Dippers make you think of a sort of over-sized underwater wren who doesn't seem to mind water that feels like it is coming directly off some glacier. It was bone-numbingly cold even at the beginning of July.
The Black Hills and Spearfish Creek are just about the easternmost point that the American Dipper (formerly know as the water ouzel) ranges. It is a rare treat when one appears in front of you doing his namesake "dipper" dance. I have borrowed the image below from the South Dakota GFP website, as our modest little dipper chose to dance and bathe under the willows in the top left of the picture above. He didn't give us the same lovely pose that Doug Backlund caught.
3 comments:
What a beautiful bird! I would love to see him dipping and dancing around the water. That creek is stunning!
It's really neat to read your version of your visit to Spearfish Canyon...if I've see a dipper, I wasn't aware of it but then I'm new to bird photography and have so much to learn. Nice photo of the creek!
Sandcastle Momma,I could not believe how cold the water was! I am sure it would rob you of all the breath in your body if you jumped in. My daughter got a quick video clip even, maybe I can get her to post it for me.
Thanks for comments.
J'ellen, the 3 times that I have seen the dipper in the canyon have been right up by Roughlock. 2X right near the bridge by the falls and the other in the willows just upstream of the beaver meadow.
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