Date: Fri, 8 Nov 2002 07:49:53 EST Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Rick Sussman Subject: Re: Bitterns swimming? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 11/7/2002 11:10:04 PM Eastern Standard Time, dolesh@EROLS.COM writes: > , I found that there are > many references to railbirds swimming under water, and also walking under > water. Seems improbable, but these references were widespread Rich, There is a good photo of (what looks like) a Virginia Rail swimming in Kenn Kaufman's new Focus Field Guide to Birds. I don't have the book in front of me, but it is on the page with VA Rail. The bittern I saw looked very much like this in the water but was facing the other way. There are references to this behavior in Bent's Life Histories of N.A. Marsh Birds. Rick Sussman Ashton,MD warblerick@aol.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================