Again I wish to thank everyone who chimed in with ideas on the mystery food; I think I will believe in Amy's thought, just for peace of mind.

I am getting a little stressed with the coming of the fledging. The river has risen dramatically and it has created some problems for the parents. The river's edge has come up about five feet in the last two days, and the river is very cloudy, at about four inches deep you cannot see the bottom. The dippers yesterday were using side and cross channels to look for larvae and fish, but today the cross channels are giving them problems. They are looking under rocks that have been dry and so have no larvae attached, the rocks they were use to are completely covered with fast moving cloudy water.

The fish count with the feedings has dropped drastically, they cannot find them. I, previously, watched them standing on rocks and diving into the river and popping up with a fish in their mouth, and then do it again, but until the river clears fish maybe a minor food. I am sure the young ones could use the extra protein at this stage, because once they do fledge the first week is all about the caddisfly larva. The parents teach them what is the easiest food source to catch; because, like all birds, the quicker to independence the better for their chances of survival.

The dipper seems to have a limit to the speed of the river that they enjoy, but the local mergansers, don't. The merganser pair in the area have been enjoying shooting the rapids. The kingfisher pair today, were perching closer to the river, everyone is having trouble finding food.

Yesterday was a beautiful day; the river was up and only a little cloudy, but the river smelled like fresh snow, wonderfully peaceful. I was also treated to a great courtship display by several Rough-winged Swallows, at times I thought they were going to fly right through me, as they chased each other around the neighborhood.


Don Wallace
Sequim
don at e-picturebookdesigners.com