Bird of the day

[shewhomust]

In the Guardian's Country Diary, Susue White watches the dippers:

As a child, I first saw a dipper walking underwater below Jedburgh Abbey. Through the clarity of the Jed, I marvelled as it picked food from the gravel bed; mayfly nymphs, caddisfly larvae and tiny fish such as minnows are in its diet.

Birds that walk under water. I am impressed.

Comments

[sartorias]

How cool is that?

[shewhomust]

It is rather special, isn't it?

[asakiyume]

Wonderful. Now I want to see a picture.

[shewhomust]

Looking at the photos in the article, I suspect no photo will be as clear as the picture in my head!

[shewhomust]

Me too! But looking at the photo in the article of a dipper just breaking the surface (which I can't really make out at all), I suspect the pictures in my head are clearer!

[asakiyume]

Just now I found this YouTube video, which is quite charming. (I still enjoy the image in my head, though, too.)

[shewhomust]

That's a sweet video: but that bird is definitely swimming, rather than walking underwater. On the other hand, it's not exactly the same bird: you'd call our dipper a 'white throated dipper' (I'm not convinced that the throat is any lighter, but the body plumage is darker, so more contrast) ... Perhaps I am just clinging to my illusions!

[asakiyume]

No, I think you're absolutely right!

I guess we need to get out into the wilds and see one in the flesh.