Actually, although they don't go as deep as the two mentioned families,
shearwsters also fly. Er I mean swim, underwater. This would be slightly
below the barn swallows but a bit farther offshore. As to the barn
swallows, this time of year I've seen them quite happily land on the beach
sand and even run around a little bit.
Bob O'Brien Portland

On Monday, August 3, 2020, Jeff Gibson <gibsondesign15 at gmail.com> wrote:


> While Alcids and Penguins flap below sea level, that's technically swimming

>

> While down at North Beach the other day, the lowest flying birds were Barn

> Swallows, largely. In fact it would be about physically impossible for a

> bird to fly lower - they were only about an inch off the sand.

>

> What they were after were the many tens of thousands of "beach flies'"

> feeding on washed up seaweed and whatnot. It was fun to watch which I did

> for quite a while, tired and sitting on a log.

>

> Jeff Gibson

> Log Sitting in

> Port Townsend, WA

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