AMERICAN AVOCET 43 



Dr. Walter P. Taylor (1912) says that avocets '"share with most 

 other birds a dislike of owls. Three were seen pursuing a Speotyto 

 over a wild hay meadow." 



Dr. T. Gilbert Pearson (1916) noted an interesting flight 

 maneuver : 



Only a few weeks ago I was impressed anew with the beauty of these birds. 

 While passing down the valley of Crane Creek, in southeastern Oregon, a flock 

 of about 50 avocets arose and indulged in a series of evolutions which even the 

 most casual observer would have paused to watch. In a fairly compact com- 

 pany they flew away for a short distance, then turned, and, after coming 

 back almost to the starting point, dived toward the earth, arose again perhapa 

 50 yards in the air, then swung around and came back. These maneuvers were 

 repeated at least three times. Their white and black plumage, flashing against 

 the gray sagebrush of the desert mountain side, and sharply relieved as they 

 skimmed over the alkaline creek, made a picture long to be remembered. 



Charles E. H. Aiken (1914) 



witnessed a curious performance of avocets iu Utah. In September, 1893, 

 he visited the mouth of Bear River where hundreds of acres of mud flats and 

 shallow water offer an attractive resort for various water fowl. In a sub- 

 merged grove where patches of mud appeared above the water hundreds of 

 avocets were congregated. One little mud island that differed from others in 

 that it was quite round seenied to have a fascination for the birds, and they 

 were packed together upon it in a mass which covered the island to the water's 

 edge. As the island was about 12 feet in circumference the number of birds 

 probably approximated 150. This mass of birds continued to revolve about 

 from left to right, and being so crowded the movement was rather slow and 

 their steps short and measured, so that the impression was that they were 

 all marking time in the marching. Birds on the rim of the circle avoided 

 walking off in the water and crowded inward against the mass. Every 

 moment or two birds would leave the milling body and fly to a neighboring 

 mud island, and as many from near-by would fly to take their places and 

 join the dance. Aiken advanced quietly to within 20 yards and viewed them 

 for half an hour, but they continued undisturbed by his presence and he 

 left them so. It appeared to be a diversion of the birds. 



John G. Tyler contributes the following: 



The avocet is evidently possessed of a very keen sense of hearing. On May 

 21, 1921, I discovered three or four pairs in an overflowed pasture not far 

 from Fresno. Driving my car up to within about 100 feet of them I allowed 

 my engine to die and sat perfectly motionless. In about 15 minutes the birds 

 had become thoroughly accustomed to my presence and one bird finally took 

 up a position on a small levee, tucked its bill under the feathers of its back, 

 closed its eyes, and after raising the right leg and drawing it up close to the 

 body, stood absolutely motionless and apparently asleep for several minutes. 

 It was very much awake, however, for when I whistled softly through my 

 teeth, making a rather squeaking noise, it immediately straightened up, opened 

 its eyes, and gazed about in apparent astonishment. As I remained motion- 

 less the bird soon settled down and in the course of the next few moments I 

 repeated the same experiment always with the same results. So long as one 



