Hi All,

On the Preston/Fall City route of the ELWAS CBC today, we came across a very cooperative AMERICAN DIPPER on Tokul Creek. This site often has a Dipper, but I wasn't holding out a lot of hope today because the fishermen were out in droves. However, after parking and walking to the bridge below the fish hatchery and looking downstream, there sat the bird right out in the open on a rock in the stream. It proceeded to feed (gorge is more like it) on salmon or steelhead eggs that were apparently quite plentiful in the stream. Talk about having things made in the food department - this guy would come up with an egg virtually every dive, wolf it down and start the cycle over again. We had some curious fishermen asking what we were looking at, and who became rather amazed when we told them about the bird's habits.

I got some good images, starting with http://www.tubbsphoto.com/-/tubbsphoto/detail.asp?photoID=5329193&cat=38978. Click NEXT after going to this link to see three other images - one with the bird on the edge of the stream before diving in, one in the water wading, and one sticking its head underwater to find a food item before going after it.

Tokul Creek feeds into the Snoqualmie River downstream from the fish hatchery on - logically enough - Fish Hatchery Road, east of Fall City off Highway 202 goint toward Snoqualmie Falls.

John Tubbs
Snoqualmie, WA
johntubbs at comcast.net
www.tubbsphoto.com