It's to get the calcium, it's seen in red deer and only when they are growing a new rack. Never seen it myself but a pal of mine who is a ranger over in Galloway, has on a couple of occasions seen them take a young Spuggie. He thinks it's to do with the soil. If there's not much calcium in the ground or in the water, the chances are they have to take other means to get it. Round here all the water comes off Peat, and is pretty acidic so that makes sense to me.
Border Bushcrafters
Isn't it nice when someone says "that's a great piece of kit, where did you buy that", then you can modestly reply "you can't buy it, I made it myself". The moral is, it's amazing what you can achieve if you put your mind to it.
"No better burden can a man carry on the road, than a store of common sense." - Hávamál: 10
http://midgefodderbushcraft.blogspot.co.uk
just slightly of topic but on the way to work today there was a dead polecat on the road and sat on top of it pecking away was a blue tit,dident have them down as scavengers,i know they eat insects but i never seen one pecking at a carcase before.
i think shugs has hit the nail on the head,they must get trace elements of whatever they are lacking...atb kev
I reckon the Bluetit was after whatever was crawling over that dead Polecat, such as ants, rather than having steak for breakfast..
lol you could be right though i wasent getting that close to check
Bluetits have been documented as pecking through foil caps on pints of milk to get the calcium rich cream atop them, so there must be a valid reason, maybe some see roadkill as cattle see a salt lick.
Rob.
A buck eating a baby bird while parents dive bomb him.
http://youtu.be/sQOQdBLHrLk
Fawn eating yellow perch.
http://youtu.be/sSDUE1g-y5Q
I have watched deer eating dead fish that had washed up on a fresh water beach. Most birds eat suet, maybe the fat is what the birds are eating off of the roadkill.
that buck eating the baby bird vid is crazy! ha