Jennifer et al.

  Escape diving by Spotties is something that has been noticed before, and
there are some interesting articles about it. I have seen it happen twice,
both times the bird in pursuit was a Merlin. It appears to be a successful
escape strategy, which in an interesting commentary was labeled as being
like "inverted flying fish". In other words an aerial animal escapes into
the water from aerial predators, the opposite of the fish which escapes to
the air from water and aquatic predators. Here is a link to that note:

http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Auk/v111n01/p0190-p0191.pdf

regards

Al

Alvaro Jaramillo
[log in to unmask]
Half Moon Bay, CA

Field Guides - Birding Tours Worldwide
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> From: Shorebird Discussion Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
> Behalf Of Jennifer Rycenga
> Sent: Tuesday, August 09, 2005 5:19 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [SHOREBIRDS] Swimming Spotted Sandpiper
>
> I've been enjoying this list so far.  I thought I would forward this
> message
> (with permission) from a birder who is not yet on the list.  This seemed
> an
> interesting behavior to me.  How many shorebird species can swim
> underwater
> to avoid avian dive-bombing predators?
>
> Jennifer Rycenga
> Half Moon Bay, CA
> ----------
> From: "Ken Burton" <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2005 12:35:27 -0700
>
> I was paddling on Stone Lagoon (Humboldt County) this morning when a
> SPOTTED
> SANDPIPER took off along the shoreline ahead of me.  A PEREGRINE FALCON
> appeared and gave chase, forcing it out over the water.  When the falcon
> got
> too close, the sandpiper dove into the water and submerged.  The falcon
> began circling.  Every time the sandpiper came up for air and tried to
> swim
> back to shore, looking quite phalarope-like and calling piteously, the
> falcon swooped in and forced it back down, apparently trying to tire it
> enough to pluck it from the water.  This went on for several minutes, with
> the sandpiper making slow progress but clearly running out of steam.
>
>
>
> <long digital pause inserted here to heighten suspense>
>
>
>
> Ultimately, the sandpiper did make it back to shore under the cover of
> some
> overhanging vegetation.
>
> Ken Burton
> McKinleyville
>
> P.S. from Jennifer - there's a new tongue-twister in here: Swimming
> Spotted
> Sandpiper Speeds Safely to Safety!
>
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