Dipper

Rannoch Nature Notes (29th November 2020)

Dipper going for a song

At this time of the year not many birds feel like singing. The robin is a well known exception where both the males and the females hold territories and sing to defend them.

Strolling along the bank of the River Tummel on a frosty day at the end of November you might not expect to hear any other species singing but that would be to underestimate the Dipper. Dippers hold their territories throughout the year and sing from October through to July.

There it was, its white bib visible on the far bank, as it sat on a waterside rock and held forth. You can’t keep a good Dipper down! Unless it is flying under water of course.

The Dipper is a remarkable bird, a song bird that eats aquatic insects. It the only song bird to hunt under water where it flies with half open wings and clings to the rocks on the river bed to keep itself down. When it lets go it pops straight to the surface because it is so buoyant.

The photo is Creative Commons by Ron Knight.