A dipper is an unusual songbird on a number of counts. It flies underwater in search of comestibles in turbulent mountain streams. But, when if finds something, it apparently doesn’t eat it immediately, but brings it to firm ground where it first lays it on the surface, then picks it up again and eats it.
In the warm season, the dipper seems to prefer aquatic arthropods. Now that the Kokanee spawning season is over, the dipper is hunting their eggs.
A dipper first retrieved an (unfertilized) Kokanee egg from the creek bed. Here it balances the egg on its tongue. A tenth of a second later, the egg has been swallowed.
Wow! Great shot! I love watching dippers “flying” up waterfalls.
Amazing, what a balancing act
Great shot! The egg sitting on the tongue like that! WOW!
Priceless, Alistair. It always makes my day when I see one on St Mary River or even our little Mark Creek.