American Dipper and preyAmerican Dipper and prey – Nikon D7100, handheld, f6.3, 1/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 321mm, natural light

Yesterday I photographed another lifer! An American Dipper with prey at Cascade Springs in the Heber Valley of Utah. We went looking for a juvenile Saw-whet Owl that people had seen and reported the day before and got sidetracked by the only aquatic North American Songbird.

American Dippers actually swim under water using their wings to find their prey in fast moving streams with rocks and logs in them. They can even walk on the streambed under the water.

They truly are songbirds and their song is quite beautiful, it can be heard here.

This image was taken with my new Nikon D7100 on day two of using it and I am enjoying it so far. My D300 has been acting up and I have grown 3,514 new gray hairs waiting for Nikon to come out with the D400 (or possible D9300). Maybe it is only 1,727 new gray hairs, I haven’t had time to stop and count them.

Most of the time the Dipper stayed in the shade but for a few brief moments it perched on a rock in the rushing water in bright sunlight. Of course I had some green vegetation that was in front of the dipper’s tail and part of its wing. Hopefully the next time I photograph an American Dipper I will be better prepared and my heart won’t nearly jump out of my chest from excitement.

Mia