Courtship behavior by American Dipper today

Today I heard an American Dipper singing in the late afternoon (instead of dusk) and saw it briefly on a structure near the river. After I finished walking with my dogs, I stopped by that location again. This time, now dusk, I heard a dipper singing off and on for at least 5 minutes though I couldn't locate it.

Then an American Dipper flew up river with a second bird chasing behind it. As I watched them on the other shore, one bird engaged in courtship displays. This bird crouched down and fluttered its wings like a fledgling begging for food. I didn't see the other bird, presumably a male, feed her as is described about "courtship feeding" in Birds of North America (BNA)online but I may have missed it. And, of course, it was too dark to get any photos. This photo is one I took upriver in April, 2006.


Nest building could be begin soon. Spring is right around the corner for this early breeding species.
SeEtta