Monday, May 23, 2011

Bird flying at window

For a week now a colleague has been telling me about a bird with a white front that has been flying at her patio windows every day. I explained why it was probably doing what it was but we couldn't identify it. She has now managed to take a photograph and the bird is a DIPPER. A river does flow underneath her decking - the house is off Crag Road in Mytholmroyd - but I would never have guessed that dippers flew at windows in this way. (Another colleague has googled it and come up with a Norwegian dipper but this local one will be our version, won't it??)
Is it just me who has led a sheltered life or is it common for dippers to do this. It's not just once a day, but it can be there for quite a long time, banging on the window.

I'll pass on to her any info you may have

2 comments:

David Sutcliffe said...

I have never heard if a Dipper behaving in this way although Pied Wagtails and LTTits do, sometimes on vehicles as well as property. I suppose Dippers are not usually near windows! It obviously sees it's reflection as a rival, let's hope it doesn't injure itself. Yes it will be one of our local birds.

Steve Cummings said...

Dippers are very territorial.
I'm assuming that it is attacking its own reflection.
Putting something white up at the window may help reduce the "mirror" effect if it looks like it is going to injure itself.- a net curtain or white sheet perhaps.