If out of Maryland material offends you, please stop reading and delete now.

While in Katmai National Park, Alaska, last week on a grizzly photography
trip, I had the opportunity to observe a number of black oystercatchers on
several rocky islands.  I noticed two very odd things:

1. When alarmed by us walking along the beach, nesting oystercatchers used a
distraction display I have never seen nor read about.  They ran off 20 or 30
feet and then settled into the beach pebbles/sand just as if they were settling
down on a nest, ruffling out their feathers and spreading them out.  The
first time I saw this I was convinced that I could walk up and find eggs.  There
were none.  After a few more of these, I concluded that -- like the old broken
wing trick and various alarm calls -- the behavior was intended to distract a
predator from the real nest.  It was fascinating to watch.  Anyone else ever
seen this or heard of it?

2. The pupils in the eyes of most of the oystercatchers were not round, but
odd shaped.  Never noticed this before in any bird, but you can see it in one
of the photos in Terres' Encyclopedia of North American Birds.  I will forward
a scan of my slides to anyone off line who wants to check this out.

I was also amazed to find a nest that had two eggs in it and then 20 minutes
later three on June 29.  This seems very late to me and I can only conclude
that some predator got an earlier clutch.

Bob Mumford
Darnestown