THIS month, I would like to share with you some happy news: a few weeks ago, I found out that my photograph of white-throated dippers nesting on the Esk had been announced in the ‘TOP 100’ in an international photography competition!
It is a great feeling to see your image being shortlisted and an even greater feeling to find it in amongst international content from top photographers; but what really touched me was the fact that the image had been taken on my local river in Musselburgh.
Another reason this makes me incredibly happy is to learn that the judges fell for these small and commonly overlooked birds – dippers. If you have been following my column, you will know about my big passion for little birds, so this recognition felt good!
White-throated dippers, or simply ‘dippers’, are stunning waterbirds and the only aquatic songbirds found in the UK. They are unmistakable with their prominent white throat and chocolate-brown body. Their sweet-sounding song is pleasing to the ear, but extremely rare to hear. Dippers seldom perform in front of an audience and, if they do, the river is usually too loud and blemishes the lovely melody. What you will commonly hear is the loud and high-pitched ‘zit-zit’ call as they fly past.
Dippers are usually seen as they fly low over the water. They always follow the stream and never take shortcuts over land. You may also see them hopping along the riverbed and bobbing up and down on a rock situated in a fast-floating waterbody. Their bobbing is akin to a little dance because they seem like they are bouncing to the rhythm of a burbling stream or river.
Dippers have an interesting feeding behaviour: they throw themselves under the water, where they can stay submerged for up to 30 seconds, walking on the bottom until they have caught enough invertebrates. They may also walk with only their head immersed, probing under stones for food or swimming on the surface to catch floating insects.
These songbirds are fully adapted to the aquatic life. They have a third, transparent eyelid which allows them to see underwater, the nostrils close off to protect them from the water getting in, and the feathers are fully waterproof.
Even their wings are appropriately utilised, acting like tiny flippers.
Dippers stretch their wings against the current as they dive in – a great technique to stay submerged and not float away! They can also hold more oxygen in their blood than their close avian cousins. This is essential to spend more time in or under the water.
My shortlisted photo of nesting dippers was taken last year during the first lockdown. The daily walks came as a blessing during those difficult times and that magnificent pair of dippers brought me some joy. I always say this but will happily say it again – I feel incredibly lucky living in Musselburgh and having all this wildlife on my doorstep!
I was watching the dippers every day for over a week. Watching them build the nest was special; the birds worked like plump energetic little robots, bringing more and more moss to use as stuffing for the as-yet unshaped nest. They worked so hard and hardly had a break. I was astonished each morning by how much work they did over the past day.
But it was not to be. Unfortunately, one day I turned up and the nest was gone. I thought it must have been washed out by the river after a spell of heavy rainfall. I felt broken-hearted for my hard-working little friends, who still loitered around the nest site. That was the last day I saw them. I kept returning to that spot but did not happen to see the dippers ever again.
Now when I look at this picture, I feel privileged to have been able to spend a lovely week with them and watch their incredible behaviour. This experience encapsulates the spirit of photography – the nest was never to be, but the moment of its existence shall remain enshrined; for me, a living memory.
If you would like to share your wildlife sightings with me, please get in touch.
Speak to you next month!
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