Candice et al,
I believe they are getting soil high in minerals missing from their seed-heavy diets, perhaps including road-treatment salt (in the form of calcium chloride, sodium chloride, and/or magnesium chloride) that accumulates in dried puddle areas along roadways. Mag chloride is also applied to dirt roads in summer as a dust suppressant and may well be the source of attraction in the case you mention. All high elevation finches (crossbills, Cassin's Finch, siskins, Pine Grosbeaks, etc.) can commonly be seen going to road surfaces (paved or dirt) to acquire salts and grit (for grinding seeds in their gizzard).
Dave Leatherman
From: Candice.Johnson@childrenscolorado.org
To: cobirds@googlegroups.com
Subject: [cobirds] Why did the pine grosbeak eat in the road? Larimer County
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 2015 22:03:19 +0000
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I believe they are getting soil high in minerals missing from their seed-heavy diets, perhaps including road-treatment salt (in the form of calcium chloride, sodium chloride, and/or magnesium chloride) that accumulates in dried puddle areas along roadways. Mag chloride is also applied to dirt roads in summer as a dust suppressant and may well be the source of attraction in the case you mention. All high elevation finches (crossbills, Cassin's Finch, siskins, Pine Grosbeaks, etc.) can commonly be seen going to road surfaces (paved or dirt) to acquire salts and grit (for grinding seeds in their gizzard).
Dave Leatherman
From: Candice.Johnson@childrenscolorado.org
To: cobirds@googlegroups.com
Subject: [cobirds] Why did the pine grosbeak eat in the road? Larimer County
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 2015 22:03:19 +0000
Yesterday we drove up Fall River Rd. in RMNP, and near the top where the road levels out we saw 2 male and 1 female pine grosbeak eating something in the dirt roadbed. (We also saw a male & female at Lake Irene, in a tree). Then returning to our cabin in Allenspark at 8700 ft. elevation we saw 2 females who were also eating in the middle of a dirt road. This location is where we have seen a bird in the road in July of the last 2 years, so possibly breeding nearby. Can anyone suggest what they find to eat? We considered crushed pinecones, but there are none on the tundra.
Candice Johnson, Denver, CO
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