What are these Skylarks doing?

[FUDGEY]

Rubbish pic, but they kept coming back on to this road after being spooked by cars. I can only think they were eating grit? Any ideas?

[tameblackbirds]

Well I imagine searching for food. Doesn't look like road has been gritted so at least there is no salt danger to them!

[FUDGEY]

I think it had been gritted TBB. Fodd could be a possibility th9ough, that makes me ask another question. How on earth can a bird like a Skylark find enough food in these conditions to survive? It is astonishing that they can.

[tameblackbirds]

totally agree think we are going to loose a lot of small birds this winter! not seen wrens in my garden since January snow

[Adam Cheeseman]

Skylarks numbers really suffered last February due to the cold spell then. Flocking together increases the chance of finding food. It is possible they are taking up small bits of grit to aid the digestive process. They would normally be searching cropfields and similar in winter for seeds and invertebrates.

Cheers,

Adam

[seamusagleann]

yes seen birds at this before ! mostly on forestry roads ,not only are they getting grit but also crunched up seeds provided by passing vehicles!! but the best i've seen is mussels dropped onto the road by seagulls ,and getting run over ,helping them get to the flesh inside ,ingenious!!!

[Paul mabbott]

Where is this?

[Dogghound]

Sometime's the local gamekeeper sprays seeds on the roads for pheasants perhaps it could be this. Or as already mentioned possibly grit. Often the coastal fields here, have little snow due to the warmth and spray of the sea. Last winter we had a total of 3,200 Skylarks (my highest count) in on of these stubble fields. A lot of these will have moved from inland.

[FUDGEY]

Thanks for the replies folks it is at the entrance to a farm so there may be some spillage of food too. Paul what do you mean by where is this? If its where in the UK its SW Scotland on a B road.