[obol] Re: Crossbills on ground
- From: Wayne Hoffman <whoffman@xxxxxxxx>
- To: Floyd Schrock <fschrock@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 28 Jun 2014 17:54:02 -0700
Hi -
Crossbills do pick up grit, but their conifer-seed diets tend to deficient
in minerals as well, and they often forage for minerals as well. They
often alight on brick chimneys and walls and pick at the mortar between the
bricks. i think it is a source of calcium and magnesium, among other
minerals. They also will fly into cold fireboxes and firepits in
campgrounds and pick at the ashes.
Wayne
On Fri, Jun 27, 2014 at 8:22 PM, Floyd Schrock <fschrock@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Today, June 27, driving in the hills northwest of Willamina, Yamhill Co.,
> I came upon a group of Red Crossbills apparently feeding on something they
> were picking up off the gravel road. I could not see anything unique about
> that particular spot, and I assume they were just picking up grit for their
> digestive process.
>
> Anyway, it's always interesting and a bit surprising to see these birds
> down on the ground. I've only observed this a few times. A few photos and a
> link to a short video are here: http://empids.blogspot.com/
>
> ====================
> Floyd Schrock
> McMinnville, Oregon USA
> http://empids.blogspot.com
> ====================
>
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