Hi Dave,
Gee. I thought you knew all about that dipper location. Ken Knittle, who lives very near there told me about that site a couple of years ago, and it's as close to a sure bet as you can get for dipper in winter. Later in the year, further up Wallace Creek is good (on the way to Wallace Falls). Another good spot is along Olney Creek, just west of there. Kellogg Lake Rd. crosses Olney Creek several times as it climbs up towards Spada Reservoir. A pair nested under one of the bridges here a couple of years ago, maybe even last year. The old hatchery at Fortson Mill is also good for dipper in winter, or at least early winter when salmon are spawning, so I suspect that any good salmon stream or hatchery would be great dipper habitat.
By the way, Monday I spied a spotted sandpiper at Priest Point. I bet this is the same bird that was there last February.
Greg

>>> "David Beaudette" <drtbrdr at earthlink.net> 02/06/01 07:25PM >>>
Snohomish County, 6 February 2001

Greetings,
Today I visited the Wallace Creek Hatchery, a facility of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The hatchery is on the north side of US 2, between Startup and Gold Bar. At milepost 27 take the short road to the hatchery. Hours: 8 - 5. Dennis Duffy told me that a dipper[s] might be easy to find there.

I had the dipper immediately upon arrival. The bird was along the channel [Wallace Creek] only about a hundred feet from the parking lot. Dippers often allow a fairly close approach but this bird was very unwary and tame....presents an opportunity for photography or a close-up study of a dipper.

The report I filed yesterday about the white-throated sparrows had a slight error. I should have said: the birds were seen between the 1/2 mile and 1 mile posts along the Langus Riverfront Trail. One of these days I'll learn to read my own notes!

Good birding,
David Beaudette