..................................I have, a year ago, at Julia Butler Hansen Nat'l Wildlife Refuge near Cathlamet, Wash. (north side of Co;umbia River--half way between Longview and Long Beach, Wash.),, seen this exact sort of behavior among a group of Greater Yellowlegs there.. I thought it curious behavior at the time, but didn't think much more about it then.
................................I also am curious as to why this is done---a "territorial thing" as suggested.?? If any fellow birders have any answers or reasons for this behavior, I and Bill would certainly be behoven to them for a possible answer.
...............................Cheers.....Gerald Hamilton
Brush Prairie, Wash.
geraldham at comcast.net
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-------------- Forwarded Message: --------------
From: Bill Clemons <willclemons at yahoo.com>
To: Tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Subject: [Tweeters] Ridgefield NWR: N SHRIKE, W-T KITE, MEADOWLARK
Date: Fri, 9 Nov 2007 02:42:26 +0000
> Today, my mother (Olive) and I birded the River "S"
> Unit at Ridgefield NWR (~4mi W of I-5 at Exit 14 in SW
> Washington; http://www.fws.gov/ridgefieldrefuges/ ).
> It was pretty foggy when we arrived around 9:30, but
> it lifted within a couple of hours. All in all it was
> a very nice day.
>
> Highlights:
>
> GREATER YELLOWLEGS Chasewas quite
> curious. We could hear GR YELLOWLEGS from the
> entrance fee Kiosk, but thought it was ordinary. When
> we got to Long Lake we saw several, but two
> individuals were the cause of most of the calling.
> While we watched there for four minutes or so, one was
> continually flying/running after the other and
> occasionally landing atop the back of the fleeing
> bird, more than once dunking it under water. It
> seemed as though the lead bird was more pestered than
> really threatened. Strange. I am assuming that the
> chaser wanted territory to itself, and the lead bird
> just kept hunting and eating as best it could. The
> chaser was wasting a Lot of energy, but just would not
> give up the chase.
>
> NORTHERN SH