American Dipper

On 17 November 2020, Erika and I found ourselves where Percival Creek enters Capitol Lake. The lake is shaped like an 8. We were surprised that, since our last visit, the bottom half of the 8 was drained. All that remained were extensive mud flats and the Deschutes River flowing towards the intact northern part of the lake. We suspect the lake is drained in an effort to eradicate introduced New Zealand Mud Snails, which do not do well in the near-freezing weather we expect in the next couple of days.

Searching the mudflats, Erika asked, “What is that small black bird that just landed on the mud?” “Shorebirds should be mostly white,” she continued, “I think that is an American Dipper!” The problem is that dippers are almost always found in rushing mountain rapids. The bird took flight again, and to our surprise, the dipper flew near us and landed under a bridge at the mouth of Percival Creek. We easily confirmed Erika’s identification. 

Dippers apparently nest nearby along the Deschutes River along Tumwater Falls, about a mile or so from where we stood—Dippers depend on rushing streams for nesting. Our observation is our first away from the falls. In the Birds of the World, Kingery and Wilson (2020) write that dippers do occasionally frequent lakes and seashores. Dippers eat aquatic invertebrates, small fish, and roe.