Visiting the Water Ouzel Nursery

 Little gray/brown birds that live along creeks and walk underwater were once called Water Ouszels, but are now called American Dippers.

You can find these birds, legs sheathed in ice, even in the coldest of winters, plunging into the water to search of edibles.

They are my favorite Alaskan bird, by far, even beyond my adoration for warblers and kinglets.

I recently decided to visit a nearby creek when I know the dippers have a nest.    

Sure enough, the adults were busy bringing beaks full of food for their three hatchlings.

Nondescript and hard to find unless they are moving, the dippers bring insects and a tiny fish to the nest.

Dippers don't care if humans are there.   This one was foraging within a foot of my feet as I sat on the creek bank about eight feet from its nest.

Then, up to the nest it went and three huge mouths opened to receive the bounty.

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Notice all the moss in the nest.   That was put there this year.

I leave you with this sight.   

Here we are, not even the middle of May and the hatchlings are already growing feathers.