lithiadipperwatch

5/16 Barbara
Checked Main St. nest briefly in the AM, the banded male was on duty standing on a rock under the culvert, looking up at the nest. So we need to watch frequently for hatching.
5/17 Bob, Kathy, Dorsey, Barbara
Met at 8:30 at Bluebird Park. Both birds on rocks below nest hole. Flew donsteeam and returned 5 min later and she went up into to the nest and he began a vigil below. Looks like all is well even tho there is a steel walkway at the south end of the culvert and two men were proceeding to spray paint that side. After the first set of chicks fledged the male came back to do vigil below the nest by 5/10 and it is likely the female was incubating already. Today it is one week later so the chicks will probably hatch between 5/28 and 6/1.
No sign of the Rough-winged Swallows that were investigating nest holes two weeks ago.
Drove up to the last parking site on the creek and walked up to the last accessible pool, then started down and walked all the way back to Bluebird. No dipper sign from very top to below 1st bridge. More scattered on rocks from there downstream to bridge 5. Then no sign until below the playground. But between bridges 3 & 4 heard a dipper rattle then saw it fly upstream very fast. Dorsey followed and it landed below bridge 3 and altho he wasn’t looking at the legs his general impression was that there was no color to catch the eye. We thought it might be the unbanded male from the bridge 3 nest. Saw another flying upstream between bridges 9 & 10.

I spent a half hour at Bluebird park on Wednesday starting at 7:00 am.

Saw no Dippers and no Rough-winged Swallows

Gwyneth

Late this afternoon I journeyed down to dipperville. First stop Bridge 3, I pulled on the waders and went under the bridge for a look. The nest that was used this season for the first brood looked the same and the nest from last year looked untouched. The new box remains empty and I saw or heard no dippers. But there was someone roosting under the bridge as you can see from the photo below: Western Screech Owl.
The presence of the owl may deter the dippers from renesting under this bridge. I checked Bridge 4 nest box but it was empty. We should check some of the other bridges especially Bridge 2.

I continued up to Bridge 1 and the reservoir but saw no dippers.

At Main St I saw no dippers. I went underneath and looked at the nest but could not tell if there were any eggs yet.   There were no dippers around. I saw that  the upstream facade of the bridge is being worked on and so it will be interesting to see if the Main St. birds continue here or elsewhere. I did check the Water St. partial nest and it has not and was not being worked on.
frank

under Bridge 3

Main St. Nest

5/12 Barbara
At 3PM at Bluebird Park there was no sign of a dipper. Watched 15 min, then left for 3rd bridge.
3:10 from 3rd bridge I could see an adult on a rock upstream. Went up to the 2nd picnic table and right below was a banded fledgling with an unbanded adult. Very close to where Eric and I saw the same combination on Friday. No other fledglings in sight. Watched for ½ hr and saw two feedings but mostly they were just hanging out together.The fledgling roamed once to the streamside where the water was quite and foraged a bit. Then back onto the rock with the adult but not really begging. Finally the adult, who had been preening and singing a bit, took off upstream and I left.
3:45 1st bridge. No activity for 10 min..

8:30 Eric, Barbara

Met at Bluebird Park and the male SRWW flew down thru the culvert a few min later and stood on one of his preferred rocks deep underneath in the dark where you can only see the flash of his white bands. He stood and sang. We left at 8:40 having established that he and the fledglings are no longer together and his mate is apparently re-nesting.

9:10 No one in evidence at 3rd bridge. We walked down to Pioneer St. on each side of creek, and Eric heard a dipper and saw it briefly just about the bridge there. Walked back up and found SRWW foraging above bridge 6, a long way from Main St. but right where he was with fledglings on 5/3.

9:20 Back at 3rd bridge we spotted the unbanded male a short way upstream in the rapids. He was foraging for a fledgling that was on the rocks. The fledgling was banded so we know it was one from the 3rd bridge, as they are the only ones banded. We went upstream as far as we could and watched multiple feedings but saw no other fledglings. This could be the one that hatched a day after the first two. No access along the creek any farther upstream unfortunately. Didn’t see the female at all. She may be on eggs again.