Thank you for your comments! In addition to grit, one reply suggested weed seeds trapped in the gravel. My original inquiry may have sounded really ignorant and many may be thinking “what the heck, it’s obviously such and such…” :) I have knowledge of basic bird biology but I am by no means an expert in their behavior and detailed biology/physiology. I have learned a lot from the many posts I have read here and I appreciate this. I’m just a birder that has become quite a bit rusty in the past few years. Anyhow, I guess I need to rephrase my inquiry to “Are they after grit? Water? Salts? Or is there something less obvious going on here?” My 1st guess has always been grit. What I meant to ask (and the answers may not change) is that because I see them so frequently and they appear to be spending a lot of time doing this, I wondered whether there was something else going on or is it just a grit thing (and weed seeds). Then again, if they are primarily eating seeds in the winter, then perhaps this explains what at least anecdotally seems to be a lot of grit consumption. Anyhow, once again, thank you very much for your comments! It’s a good day for birding! Paul Wetzel Portage, OH ----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul Wetzel" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Friday, February 16, 2007 9:19 PM Subject: [Ohio-birds] Birds on Roadside Berm Inquiry Hello! I live in the Bowling Green area and travel around in several counties in NW Ohio daily. One thing I've noticed in the winter is that I often see numerous Horned Larks, Snow Buntings and Sparrows (I couldn't ID at 55 mph nor stop) on the roadside berms and they appear to be pecking/foraging(?) at something and I'm not sure what this would be. It is always along the roadside that I see them and this is a very common occurrence and I see hundreds just on my way to work each day. I have probably seen and flushed 1,000's in the past several years of travels. Are they after water? Road salt? Hmmm... Yes, there is often spilled grains along roads, this is farm country, but not at this time of year. Just curious as to what they are after. I haven't been able to stop and watch them and they always flee at first sight of an oncoming vehicle. Sorry if this has already come up, but if anyone has knowledge of this or a link to information, I'd be much appreciative of your input. Thanks a bunch and happy birding! The sun is brighter, higher on the horizon and spring is just around the corner. Paul Wetzel Portage, OH ______________________________________________________________________ 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]