American Dipper (Cinclus mexicanus) in a creek near Cape Perpetua, Oregon, on 29 October 2022.
We had fun watching this dipper while it foraged for invertebrates, both in and above the creek. It would often fly-catch — swooping up to snatch flying insects, perhaps caddisflies:
It was so fun to see how at home the dipper was along the creek — perched on rocks in riffles, walking along submerged logs, swimming, and diving below the surface, flying upstream and over cascading falls.
The American Dipper - one of my top-five all-time most favorite birds. When I lived in Bishop in the eastern high Sierra, right on Bishop Creek, there was a Dipper that lived in that part of the creek, and it provided endless fun for me. I miss that so much, and seeing these photos today brought me joy.
ReplyDeleteThank you!!
PS - I've just sent you an email with a question.
With its large size and orange abdomen, the insect could be an October caddis.
ReplyDeleteHi!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments!
I thought October Caddisfly (Dicosmoecus gilvipes) was a possibility, but I wasn't 100% sure how to identify them from the photos. Thanks for the suggestion!