We don't have many breeding sandpipers in Ohio, but the spotted sandpiper Actitis macularia is among the most familiar, and the most interesting in several ways. For example, when in a couple of weeks they arrive in Ohio, the females will mate with multiple males, leaving each male a clutch of four eggs to incubate on his own. This polyandrous mating system is rare among birds. An interesting post appeared on the Virginia bird list service (on 9 Mar, still on birdingonthe.net) that discusses some of the evolutionary issues involved in this system, and it's interesting reading, not overly technical. Gerry Hawkins is the author. If you can't find it on the VA archives, I made a copy in Word and can send it on request. Bill Whan Columbus ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]