American Dipper flying up inside the nest

In the top two pics the American Dipper parent is flying up toward the entrance to its nest. As the parent approached the nest I could hear the nestlings calling inside the nest. In the bottom pic the dipper is partially inside the nest. Sometimes the parent would feed the nestlings while hovering briefly with it's head inside the nest while other times it would go completely inside of the nest.
SeEtta

American Dipper and nest

I was amazed to find that the American Dipper nest under the Texas Creek bridge over the Arkansas River (at the entrance to the Texas Creek BLM Rec Site) was occupied. I had found this nest earlier this spring before the early and extended run-off made it difficult for American Dippers to feed (all the boulders they usually perch on were underwater and the river was running very fast with no shallow water in this area). Additionally this nest was quite low and I thought it might be inundated (bottom pic shows nest location). Most of the dipper nests I have seen were near the top of the bridge supports, usually right under the bottom of the bridge. I watched as a parent flew to the bridge support and looked towards the nest as shown in the top pic. The entrance for dipper nests is at the side but in this case the nest overlaps the entrance so the birds have to fly down below the nest then fly up into them for entry.
I'll post more pics of the dipper flying up into the nest in next post. SeEtta

Nesting American Dippers

Yesterday I checked some areas in Western Fremont County where I have been monitoring breeding American Dippers. Though the Colorado Breeding Bird Atlas, which was published in 1998, didn't find occupied nests until May I believe they nest earlier than that--at least along the Arkansas River west of Canon City.

My first stop was the Texas Creek bridge. I found a pair of American Dippers that sang some and clearly (by the amount of droppings on the rocks by the bridge) had been spending a lot of time near that bridge. Though I couldn't locate a nest under it, it is quite possible there is one being built there as it is impossible to see under most of this bridge.

I drove further upstream and checked the Valle Bridge. That is where I found the nest and the American Dipper in these photos. It appears complete though I wouldn't venture to say if there was any further interior work remaining.

SeEtta

Better photo of American Dipper

That photo of the American Dipper I took yesterday that I uploaded last night was pretty grainy. Partially that is due to low light as the bird was in the shadows but also because I just got Adobe Photoshop Elements yesterday and I am still learning how to edit with it.

I was back at my friend's place today and the dippers were quite active. I took this photo of an American Dipper, though actually a little further away than yesterday's, today's had better light. But be sure to double-click the photo to enlarge the bird for better viewing.

I watched a female (smaller than male) engage in courtship behavior--crouching down and fluttering her wings like a fledgling. Though I watched carefully for several minutes, I never saw the male feed her as I have read occurs with this behavior. Then I saw a third dipper, presumably an interloper trying to steal the female away. The first male then engaged in chasing the second male down the river. The female remained where she had been for about 5 minutes until a male came back to her.

SeEtta

American Dippers-harbingers of spring

The American Dippers are singing more and now throughout the day--spring can only be on the way. At my friend's place, I watched a pair chase each other up and down the Arkansas River. I was able to get this photo which shows it's white eyelids that are apparent when it blinks. It is amazing how they are able to fly within inches of each other without colliding. My friend said he heard them singing throughout the day today. I wonder if today's temp's that got to 65 F influenced them.

In addition to their frequent singing and their unique rattle-like call, they made a "beep"-like call several times as they engaged in chasing. These behaviors reinforce the pair bond and define their territory.

Nest building could begin at any time as the earliest record for this in the Colorado Breeding Bird Atlas is Feb 21.
SeEtta

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

Singing/chasing American Dippers again

This evening I was again at my friends place adjacent to the Arkansas River around dusk. First I heard a little American Dipper singing. Then I heard the call and saw 2 dippers chasing each other around the river.

My friend, though not a birder, knows what dippers look and sound like. He told me that he heard them and saw them in a chase flight, coming quite close to him, one morning before dawn when the temps were below zero. These birds are unusual in being up before dawn and staying out until dark.




The bird in this photo is the same dipper in yesterday's post, even has a worm-like object in its bill. However, this post shows a little of the nictitating membrane (the white on the top of its eye) that can cover the eye to protect it while diving under the water.

SeEtta

Singing American Dippers

I'm still pretty limited in my birding forays as my knee, which is getting better, is still swollen and sore. I looked unsuccessfully for the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker at Lakeview Cemetery and then went to the Abbey to look for the Red-naped Sapsucker. I ran into a birder from Colo Springs who had also not found the Lakeview bird. She and I looked unsuccessfully for the Abbey Red-naped. I am still leaving the Centennial Park Yellow-bellied Sapsucker alone as it had become so distressed the last time I was there, but the other birder had seen this bird this morning and she remarked that it was unusually shy. Unfortunately, as there are fewer pine trees in that location, it is the easiest sapsucker to find that sapsucker and most birders have been pursuing it.

This evening at dusk I enjoyed a chase by 3 American Dippers along the Arkansas River just east of Canon City. As has been my experience, American Dippers tend to get invigorated at dawn and dusk, engaging in chasing each other or even just flying around sometimes near humans. They also sing during these times, a real respite in Colorado wintertime. They are among the few bird species that sing in winter (though Birds of North Americasays they sing only sporadically in mid-winter, I hear them more frequently) here and they sing as sweet as songbirds.

It is unusual in my experience to have 3 birds in one location. Often a pair will maintain a winter territory on streams that do not freeze, like the Arkansas River her, but otherwise these birds are solitary. So I not sure if the third bird is an interloper or possibly an adult child of the other two. The chasing behavior of American Dippers can be either antagonistic to chase off a competitor or it can be part of courtship displays.

It was too dark to get a photo of the birds tonight, though I tried. I took this photo of an American Dipper last summer. This bird has a wormlike object in it's bill which can be seen clearly by double-clicking on the photo.
SeEtta