Tremendous video of many of the intra- and interspecific hunting-
related interactions that take place up there - my eyes can never
follow half of what is going on. 1/4 speed really helps. I was up
there Dec. 4, 5, and 6 and only caught snippets of the action. Could
never tell how agile and evasive the Dunlin can be, how much "dropsy"
goes on, that the Peregrines can glide upside-down and always wondered
why a gull or 2 are often hanging around in the fields nearby. Thanks
for the window to all this special behavior. I wondered if you caught
any Peregrine/Northern Harrier interaction on video? That is mostly
what I saw going on when I stopped in last weekend - it seems the N.
Harriers merely harrass the Dunlin (flush them), but aren't
maneuverable- or fast-enough to take them. And then the Peregrines
fly down or in, and harrass the harriers.

It would be great if you or someone else, could get some video of the
Short-eared Owl and N. Harrier hunting activity and sound effects that
go on at West 90 before, during and after dusk (about an hour). It is
amazing. I stayed for the show this past Monday evening and was
rewarded amply with thrills - I will post about the experience later
today - unfortunately it is all recorded in my head, unaccompanied by
photographic or video images, or sound recordings. At least I have
that and can go back again for another take on the goings on in the
marsh near sunset. How cool it would be to capture this on video and
audio... :-)

Thanks so much, Martin, for sharing your skills, time and perseverance
with all of us - at least it was sort of "balmy" weather on Saturday,
Dec. 4 (and, as I recall, it was a sunny day, at least in Seattle, on
Sunday Nov. 28).

Barb Deihl

North Matthews Beach - Seattle

barbdeihl at comcast.net

----------------------------------
original post by Martin Muller:

Message: 18
Date: Wed, 8 Dec 2010 09:05:50 -0800
From: Martin Muller <martinmuller at msn.com>
Subject: [Tweeters] Peregrine hunting Dunlin video link
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Message-ID: <BLU0-SMTP14207AF247DF492F2A0AE95C72D0 at phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Tweeters,

On November 28 and December 4 I spent a combined total of 11 hours
sitting next to the flooded fields along Bayview Edison Rd. on the
Samish Flats (Skagit Co., WA).
The attraction was the presence (during high tide) of thousands of
Dunlins (Calidris alpina) and several species of raptors. Especially
the Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus) hunting Dunlin made for some
exciting moments.

I took over an hour worth of video (HD, with my Canon Powershot SX 20
IS), from which I compiled a 10 minute video (edited with iMovie on my
Mac) posted to YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrHtsBa9kQc

Some cool stuff (unless you're the Dunlin), including both successful
and unsuccessful hunting attempts. Slowing things down (1/4 speed)
gives me a whole new appreciation for both Dunlin and peregrines
flying abilities. And Glaucous-winged Gulls are a force to be reckoned
with...


Cheers,
Martin Muller, Seattle
martinmuller at msn.com

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