The one bird that always elicits smiles around the Wind River Canyon streams and creeks is the ordinary looking American Dipper.  At first glance this bird appears to be nothing special, then they start to "dance"; I'm completely serious about the Dipper being a bird that dances to it's own beat. 

     The American Dipper is easy to ignore with it's dark-grey plumage and stubby tail feathers, it has longish legs and a beak that's for work, not show; it's wings are also short.  The American Dipper is always found around fast moving water, as it feeds under the water for it's food, diving American Dipper (juvenile), Woods Creek, Wind River Canyon, WyomingAmerican Dipper photographed in the Wind River Canyon, Wyoming by Michael John Balog - HogbatsPhotography.com down to dig up the ugliest bugs I hope you've never seen.  They dive and swim under the fast moving creeks and rivers around the mountains of the west, (from Alaska to the southern Rockies) like a dolphin does in the ocean. 

     I've watched as a Dipper dives down in the creek next to our cabin, and comes up with a bug from under the silt and rocks, then bangs his dinner on a rock till edible.  And yes, they seem to be completely waterproof, as far as the birds of Wyoming go.  They make a zeet-zeet sound when startled that is unmistakable, then down he goes under the rushing creek to come up with another ugly bug!  They nest in the banks of creeks and rivers.  But by far the funniest part to this magical bird is that it just has to dance.  

American Dipper, Woods Creek, Wind River Canyon, WyomingAmerican Dipper photographed in the Wind River Canyon ecosystem by Michael John Balog - an HDR Photograph-HogbatsPhotography.com      The American Dipper does a dance that makes even the most stodgy old fart giggle; the Dipper's dance has a down and up, down and up beat that's so funny that it always makes me laugh.  He must hear the down-beat of a rocking great song, or maybe he's into Big Band music; it's really funny to watch other people react to this wonderful treat of Mother Nature.  This waterproof, dancing, bottom-of-the-creek bug eating "Arc of a Diver" is not elusive, he's right here in the Wind River Canyon ecosystem.  You just need to stop along the way, and take the time to get to know a part of Wyoming that's hidden from those that won't get out of the truck; and just maybe you'll get to see the American Dipper "Dancing by the River."