>There was a long running series of reports in British Birds about the
>"diverse" things that ruddy turnstones (Arenaria interpres ?) will eat. The
>list included macaroni & cheese, chocolate, dog food, seal carcases and even
>humans. The latter was reported when frost movement caused the grave of one
>poor mariner from one of the many ill-fated North-West Passage expeditions to
>divulge its contents - apparently pretty well preserved.
>
>Stuart

Well Stuart, we have to add eggs to the fare of the Ruddy Turnstone. A
flock of migrant turnstones can descend on a tern colony and wipe it out in
short shrift, probably a behavior that evolved on their wintering grounds
on tropical islands where there are large terneries (thus the familiar
phrase" turnstone-terminated ternery"). The turnstone bill is an
all-purpose tool, and a tough one; turnstones are the smallest shorebirds
that regularly mob and chase away large predatory birds.

Dennis Paulson, Director phone: (206) 756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax: (206) 756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail: dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416