November 16, 2022
I’ve been an incessant eBird hound the past few months to the point where I’m unconsciously checking eBird 10… 15 times a day. Is this normal? I don’t know. Pros: I now have a long list of compelling birding destinations to visit. Cons: I can’t stop thinking about this long list of compelling birding destinations.
During a recent eBird scan, I saw a report for an American Dipper at Cave Springs Campground in Sedona, Arizona. Some further digging revealed that American Dippers are consistently observed along the creek at that location. If it wasn’t 9 pm I would have gotten in my car right then and there, but it looked like I’d have to wait until the morning.
[The morning]
I watched the creek from a bridge at the campsite entrance for a couple of minutes hoping an American Dipper would conveniently appear, but no such luck. Instead, I explored the campground for a while, catching glimpses of distant Mountain Chickadees and White-breasted Nuthatches.
Eventually, I encountered the creek again. Just like before, I stood in silence and watched for movement. Out of nowhere, a beefy bird with the loudest, most raucous call made a clumsy landing beneath an overhang at the creek’s edge. It was only twenty feet from where I was standing, but I was positioned above the creek at an angle where the bird was completely concealed. I needed to get down there.
I finagled my way down to the water, found a nice boulder to sit on, and re-found the bird in question. He stood completely still aside from a twitch that caused his body to repeatedly bob up and down. It was an American Dipper, alright!
After an hour of no movement, the bird started swimming right towards me…
…and perched! In two words: absolute joy.
Ted Floyd, the author of one of my favorite field guides, posted an awesome American Dipper video not long after my encounter with one. Dippers must be in the air!
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Gone Birdin' 