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Eggshells; Slim pickings on Shepherd Trail
- To: Carolinabirds@duke.edu
- Subject: Eggshells; Slim pickings on Shepherd Trail
- From: Joshua Stuart Rose <jsr6@duke.edu>
- Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 22:39:17 -0400 (EDT)
- In-reply-to: <3ACC75C3.23C85990@sandler-recht.com>
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
On Thu, 5 Apr 2001, Carol Williamson wrote:
>
> I saw a tip last night about crushing egg shells and putting them out
> for the birds - adding calcium and crunch to their diet!
Good point; the local female birds are in need of calcium right now, as
some have recently laid eggs and the rest will do so soon. My house keeps
an outdoor compost heap (my fiance vermicomposts instead), and I
regularly spot Blue Jays flying away from the heap with eggshells in
their beaks.
Frank and I hit the Shepherd Trail this afternoon for an hour. Basically
no migrants in evidence, only lingering winter species like Ruby- and
Golden-crowned Kinglets and Song Sparrows, and all the usual residents.
Spring was evident from non-bird taxa, including singing Chorus Frogs
(it's actually getting a little late for them, isn't it?) and tons of
redbud and dogwood flowers, and a little patch of Rue Anemone (or was it
False Rue Anemone?) by a little creek crossing. Also a big Eastern Fence
Lizard basking on a huge tree stump. Heard and saw my first American Toad
of the year on Tuesday evening, singing from a rock in John Terborgh's
front yard pond near New Hope Creek in Orange County; I must have missed
some before that, though, since I saw toad eggs at Occoneechee Mountain
over a week ago...
Good birding,
Josh
Joshua S. Rose
Duke University
Department of Biology (Zoology, R.I.P.)
jsr6@acpub.duke.edu
http://www.duke.edu/~jsr6/