Big-chick feeding

 

There is a narrow window of opportunity to be able to see dipper chicks leaning out of their nest and being fed. When slightly younger, they stay inside; when slightly older they have fledged and are gone.

When I looked through my pictures of this event, something struck me as incongruous. The pictures of all the chicks showed them as apparently larger than the adults doing the feeding. How can this be?

I immediately thought about just-fledged juvenile eagles. They look bigger than the adults attending them only because the juvenile feathers are unworn and fluffed up. Then it dawned on me that in addition to the fluffy chick feathers, the dipper adult’s feathers were matted down from it having just swum underwater in the creek to retrieve the meal. So, the disparity in size makes sense, but it does look a bit odd.

Four dipper chicks lean out of their nest to beg for food.

 

This entry was posted in birds. Bookmark the permalink.

5 Responses to Big-chick feeding

  1. Joanne says:

    Beautiful photo Alistair!

  2. susan mackintosh says:

    fantastic photo. thanks

  3. Lucy says:

    Brilliant action shot
    Thank you Alistair…

  4. cynthia says:

    remarkable feeding action shot! Especially given the location & the difficulty and patience required in capturing this moment!

  5. Mary Williams says:

    great capture!

Comments are closed.