Observers: Donna & Bob Willey
Email: basina@verizon.net
Verification: MONO
Remote Name: 71.118.140.83
Date: 06/02/2007
Time: 07:44 PM -0400
More news on the Dippers of Mammoth Creek: The dipper's chicks fledged from the nest 4 days ago and now are mostly on their own. Meanwhile the highly-bonded dipper pair have returned to their nest and are repairing it, cleaning from the inside out and appear to be in the throes of beginning a new brood. Yesterday morning I watched as the dipper I have identified as the female, (I could be wrong) worked on the nest for over an hour gathering dried mosses from the top of the nest and taking them into the nest. She then came out and perched on an old Aspen log that has fallen across the creek and broke into a most beautiful and melodious song lasting a full minute. I have sent photos of her singing and repairing her nest. Pretty soon the male appeared next to her and she flew back to the nest and continued working on it, entering, leaving and gathering moss and re-entering. The male sat across from her on the log and preened. Today, in the morning I returned to the nest site and the female again was present, gathering fresh moss from a nearby log, returning to the nest entering and staying within for several minutes. This behavior was repeated throughout the morning. Pretty soon the male was spotted high overhead in an Aspen tree. He sat perched on high and when a raven appeared flying overhead, he gave his rattling alarm call to the female below. In Sibley's guide to bird life and behavior he states that dipper's may have 1 to 2 brood's yearly. I think our dipper's, unless disturbed, are in the beginning stages of their 2nd brood! Oh, hurrah for the Mammoth Dippers!!