Dippers

This most aquatic of song birds hunts by dipping its head while wading, by swimming and even by walking on the creek bottom. Its favourite food is aquatic insects, larva, small fish and fish eggs which it finds in the shallows.

One of my bird books assures me that the “American Dipper is found only along fast flowing rocky streams.” Certainly, it is found in places such as Kokanee Creek. Yet, I often see one bobbing and dipping for food quite a few kilometers along the lake shore in thoroughly placid waters. Possibly, the dippers around here just neglected to read the manual before venturing forth.

While there are five species of dippers found worldwide, only the American Dipper is found in North America and it is confined to the western cadillera. Suffice to note, it is found in the major creeks around Kootenay Lake.

The American Dipper frequents the fast flowing creeks along the lakeshore where it captures invertebrates and small fish.

The American Dipper obtains its name from one of its hunting styles, that of dipping its head under the water while wading.

This dipper was scouring in the shallows of the Lake a couple of kilometers along the shoreline from the closest fast stream.

Information from Wikipedia: American Dipper.