miller@galaxy.ee.rochester.edu (Ruth Miller) (11/06/88)
Distribution: Reply-To: miller@galaxy.ee.rochester.edu (Ruth Miller) Organization: UR Dept. of Electrical Engg, Rochester NY 14627 We were in Colorado last week for the Geol. Soc. of America conference in Denver, and went on a field trip from Vail to Glenwood Springs, etc. Since it is my husband who is the geologist, I spent the time bird-watching. By a road cut on I70 in the mountains (west of Vail, if I remember right) there was a stream, with lots of chickadees, a long-dead deer, a _beautiful_ kingfisher, rattling back and forth up the stream, and some little black or dark birds that appeared to be fishing in the stream. They were smaller than robins and larger than House Sparrows, did not seem to be bathing, and had a _lovely_ twittering song! Any guesses from any natives to the area? Thanks! --Ruth Miller
murt@uhura.stat.washington.edu (Paul Murtaugh) (11/06/88)
The "little black or dark birds that appeared to be fishing in the stream" were DIPPERS -- they make their living feeding (underwater) on benthic invertebrates in western mountain streams. One of my favorites!