Any wild bird experts here?Bad phone pics included!!:-)

[rumpelstiltskin]

Was out walking the dog today and saw this odd looking bird 'on' the river,just sitting on a submerged rock,then it moved and moved onto another submerged rock on this river,it was odd,never really went to the riverside all the way down as we walked along,its just stayed on the river??
The thing that initially attracted me to the bird was it had a large,oval,quite deep white chest,rest of teh body was black/slightly brown,it was about the same size as a kingfisher with a way shorter beak,it was slightly rounder than a kingfisher when it sat still,but when it flew down the river it flew 'exactly' the same as a kingfisher does!!Just straight on,right down the middle of the river about 2 or 3 inches above the surface.It had a short tail and short wings.The only two photos i got from my phone camera are really bad,one was far away,one was with my hand sticking out and i caught it from above taking off,i'd love to know what it was,never seen one before!Here's the two really poor,far away pics.Arrow points to bird in pic 1,white chest obvious though!

[rumpelstiltskin]

Just found a pic of what i seen,but what is it?
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=black+bird+wit...

[Simpo Two]

Sorry, this is Photography. You need Ornithology - third door on the right after the executive washroom

[Gemm]

It's a puffin.



or a dipper?

Edited by Gemm on Friday 5th April 22:35

[Simpo Two]

I think it's a rare red ladder bird... it disguises itself as ladders you know.

[rumpelstiltskin]

Simpo Two said:

I think it's a rare red ladder bird... it disguises itself as ladders you know.

Well I did say they were poor, far away pics! Regarding the red ladder bird I returned later and it was still there, hadn't moved!In fact the bread I threw it still lay there untouched??

[Planet Claire]

That's a Dipper.

[Simpo Two]

rumpelstiltskin said:

Regarding the red ladder bird I returned later and it was still there, hadn't moved!In fact the bread I threw it still lay there untouched??

It's quite normal behaviour; if they feel threatened they play dead, sometimes for days. It will eat the bread after you've gone.