Canon City Riverwalk 11-3-05

I briefly birded the Canon City Riverwalk on 11-3-05 in an area that is somewhat sheltered from the strong winds that hit the front range of Colorado. Though winds were up to 80 mph in some areas, they weren't nearly that bad in Canon City. But the winds did keep many birds down but produced this nice sunset photo.

I was able to refind the Bushtit flock I found the day before, though they were staying close to the ground in the same rabbittbrush patch they were in.

About a half mile down the trail I heard some melodious singing--found it coming from an American Dipper that was perched on a rock in the Arkansas River. This is likely one of the dippers that I heard singing last week. The second dipper was several hundred yards upstream. Was this singing intended for the second dipper, a possible mate? Could the other dipper hear this singing at this distance through all the sounds of the water rushing downstream? Per Hugh Kingery in Birds of North American Online, "Song used in fall and winter to establish winter territory. . . ."