American Dipper at Work (6x)

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Archive 2009 · American Dipper at Work (6x)

trailhiker
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p.1 #1 · American Dipper at Work (6x)

As my hikes/backpacks tend to take me along mountain streams I've had opportunities to watch American Dippers in action, but only once have I come close to capturing their technique photographically. This sequence was taken in Sept 2008 along Big Pine Creek in California's eastern Sierra Nevada using the 40D/100-400 IS on a BushHawk mount. Due to the fading light and the Dipper's quickness I had to use ISOs 1250 and 1600 and an aperture of f5.6. I used a bit of noise removal in Paint Shop Pro X2, but the pics were much cleaner than I expected. C and C welcome.

1
Still somewhat dry --

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2
About to take the plunge --

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3
Braving the torrent --

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4
You can see its nictitating (thanks to TIM KUHN for the typo correction

) membrane as it plunges in the water --

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5
In a somewhat calmer spot --

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6
And after all that effort, what does it end up with? A single red ant --

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It hardly seemed worth it.
Fascinating to watch, though...

Steve

Edited on Nov 05, 2009 at 02:01 PM · View previous versions

Nov 05, 2009 at 04:29 AM

elbmuh
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p.1 #2 · American Dipper at Work (6x)

Very nice series of a bird I've never seen or heard of before. Great stuff!

Jason-

Nov 05, 2009 at 04:31 AM

Lil Judd
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p.1 #3 · American Dipper at Work (6x)

What a cute little bird Steve,

I especially like the first two & the last.

Lil

Nov 05, 2009 at 04:32 AM

B Benson
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p.1 #4 · American Dipper at Work (6x)

Interesting captures, well done, bruce

Nov 05, 2009 at 04:35 AM

trailhiker
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p.1 #5 · American Dipper at Work (6x)

elbmuh wrote:
Very nice series of a bird I've never seen or heard of before. Great stuff!

Jason-

It's an amazing little bird, Jason. You'd think that a creek as swift-flowing as this one was would knock this lightweight fellow downstream, but there he was going against the current. You'd think there would be easier ways to find food.

Thanks,
Steve

Nov 05, 2009 at 04:43 AM

trailhiker
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p.1 #6 · American Dipper at Work (6x)

Lil Judd wrote:
What a cute little bird Steve,

I especially like the first two & the last.

Lil

Hi Lil,

It's just a fairly nondescript little gray bird (nothing like the Mandarins

) but it sure has adapted itself to its environment. Not that easy to photograph, though. I saw one again this September and the pics are all OOF.

Best Wishes,
Steve

Nov 05, 2009 at 04:46 AM

trailhiker
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p.1 #7 · American Dipper at Work (6x)

B Benson wrote:
Interesting captures, well done, bruce

Thanks for the look and comment, Bruce.

Steve

Nov 05, 2009 at 04:49 AM

tfoltz
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p.1 #8 · American Dipper at Work (6x)

Steve,
Congratulations on a fine series, Awesome

Tim

Nov 05, 2009 at 04:58 AM

Rob Tillyer
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p.1 #9 · American Dipper at Work (6x)

Wonderful series Steve. #4 is a fantastic catch. I love watching these guys but they do like the dark places to do their work.

WTG

Rob

Nov 05, 2009 at 04:59 AM

Tim Kuhn
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p.1 #10 · American Dipper at Work (6x)

I love watching these guys but they do like the dark places to do their work. +1

I have watched these guys but never in enough light to photograph them as well as you have Steve, well done!

One minor correction, it is a nictitating membrane.

Tim

Nov 05, 2009 at 05:04 AM

thunderbird
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p.1 #11 · American Dipper at Work (6x)

Steve,
Interesting to see exemplary behavioral shots of this rarely seen bird (at least in our local area). I saw some of them about 200 ft inside the gate across the bridge from Glacier Lodge.

Andy

Nov 05, 2009 at 05:32 AM

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p.1 #12 · American Dipper at Work (6x)

nice work steve. these little guys are super fast!

- hung

Nov 05, 2009 at 05:40 AM

lbuscher
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p.1 #13 · American Dipper at Work (6x)

Nice Steve and a new one for me. Also maybe to the bird one red ant was better than no red ant. Amazing what birds and animals will eat and I can't even have a beer. BUMMER

Lou

Nov 05, 2009 at 02:17 PM

Karl Witt
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p.1 #14 · American Dipper at Work (6x)

I remember this bird! They must have some pretty strong grippers to hold onto that slippery bottom in the current. Infomative series Steve, nice 'skinny-dippin-bird'

Thanks for sharing what seems to be a rarely photographed bird.

Karl

Nov 05, 2009 at 03:16 PM

fwyflyr
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p.1 #15 · American Dipper at Work (6x)

Steve -
Thanks for bringing to my attention a new species. When I was up at Zion in September, I watched a bird engaged in the same behavior for a very long time, but didn't know what kind of bird it was.
- Ken

Nov 05, 2009 at 03:18 PM

jkermani
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p.1 #16 · American Dipper at Work (6x)

They really do dip! How cute they are and fine captures.

Jeanette

Nov 05, 2009 at 03:58 PM

Ed Robertson
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p.1 #17 · American Dipper at Work (6x)

Great Job

Very Nice . Ed

Nov 05, 2009 at 04:00 PM

GAREN
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p.1 #18 · American Dipper at Work (6x)

Very nicely documented series

well done Steve

Garen

Nov 05, 2009 at 04:00 PM

Nello Milanese
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p.1 #19 · American Dipper at Work (6x)

That was awesome to watch Steve! hard to understand why they go through so much trouble getting their food!

Nov 05, 2009 at 05:19 PM

thehotel
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p.1 #20 · American Dipper at Work (6x)

Nice job on a very tuff to get subject.

Wacky roger
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Nov 05, 2009 at 05:27 PM

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