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Eggshells; Slim pickings on Shepherd Trail



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/