I was surprised and delighted this afternoon to find an American Dipper
working the shoreline at Martha Washington Park.
http://www.seattle.gov/parks/park_detail.asp?id=432

It was standing on a rock just a bit away from the water's edge at the
north end of the park when I first arrived at the shoreline. I watched
and followed as it dipped, preened, swam, dove, blinked, came up with
more than a couple of tiny fish, chugged them down, leapt from rock to
rock, flew a bit and then did it all over again - all the time moving
steadily south along the shoreline.

There are adequate pictures at: http://imageshack.us/g/1/10010905/

The brush and trees at the south end of the park's shoreline were
teeming with birds and I kind of got distracted for about 15 minutes.
Afterwards I was unable to relocate the dipper. It's possible that it
just kept moving south and out of the park boundary. It's also possible
that it stopped to rest/shelter in one of the brushy areas that are
hidden from sight when viewed from the proper paths.

I am of an age where I remember when a Dipper was in residence at the
now defunct fish hatchery in Seward Park, 20 years ago perhaps? Since
then I've not seen a one in all of my weekly wanderings along Lake
Washington's south-western shoreline. This was such a treat, especially
since I'm not confident that this bird will stay - Martha Washington
Park is heavily used year round, especially the beach area.

Catherine Alexander
Lakewood neighborhood
South Seattle