Tweeters,
One of my friends recently photographed a dipper repeatedly striking a salmon egg against a rock and wondered why it was acting like it was trying to kill it.
My speculation is that the dipper was trying to "fracture" the egg so it could be more easily digested.
The following article may relate to that thought:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/fish-eggs-can-hatch-even-after-being-eaten-and-pooped-out-by-ducks/2020/07/02/700761e4-baf0-11ea-bdaf-a129f921026f_story.html

Dan Reiff
MI
Sent from my iPhone