I spent a freezing cold but delightful couple of hours watching a Dipper diving in the shallow waters of the burn running through my local wood today.
Dippers are the only passerine (perching) birds which dive and swim underwater, in search of freshwater shrimp and insect larvae, and they have a transparent nictating membrane over their eyes to protect them underwater (see photo).
#photography #Birds #nature #WildlifePhotography
A side profile revealing the Dipper's lovely colouring, with a chestnut brown head and abdomen and brilliant white chest feathers. It has a characteristically stubby tail, almost like a wren's.
A side profile image revealing the Dipper's nictating membrane over its eyes, which looks white but is actually transparent so the bird can see underwater
Bobbing along in a fast-flowing stream, this Dipper has a brilliant white chest and chestnut brown feathers
A sequence of six landscape shots showing a dipper feeding in a stream by diving under the fast-flowing water in search of shrimp and insect larvae