While Water Sings

“The mountain stream’s own darling, the hummingbird of blooming waters…”

When naturalist John Muir wrote these words, he was describing the affinity be felt for his favorite bird, the water-ouzel (now called the American Dipper).

The water-ouzel is the world’s only aquatic songbird. Incredibly, these small birds are able to hunt in rather fast-moving streams and rivers, feasting on fish, crawdads, and insects. I often see them on riverbanks here in Oregon, and it’s delightful to watch them bob their bodies up and down in a funky little dance before they dip their entire head beneath the surface to snag their prey.

I wanted to try to capture the species’ uniqueness as it joyously flies through a healthy mountain stream, catching juvenile rainbow trout and living its best life in a thriving ecosystem, no cares in the world. The last video includes a dipper at a fish hatchery singing its heart out, which reminds me of more of Muir’s reverent words about this lovely species:

“Among all the mountain birds, none has cheered me so much in my lonely wanderings, none so unfailingly.
While water sings so must he.”

Graphite on cotton paper
14″x18″
Private Collection