American dipper

Description:

Gray, thrush-like bird with short tail. Forages underwater. The nest is located approximately 10 feet above the water on a transverse beam. It is assumed that the active nest is the second brood for this pair, as the apparent first brood nest is immediately adjacent and to the right in the photo. During the one hour of observation, adults visited the nest eight times. During one visit, one adult (probably the female) entered and remained in the nest for about 20 minutes. Prey being brought to the nest included small fish and insects (possibly caddisflies). Upon arrival of an adult, the two nestlings presented wide-open yellow and orange gapes. Foraging adults appeared to remain within a few hundred feet of the nest.

Habitat:

Perennial stream with cobble and gravel substrate.

Notes:

This was the first nest I observed on a man-made structure. Since then, I found others under bridges in King County, Washington.