“There is a sheltered neglected corner below my apartment. Some time ago some renovation contractors had discarded their left over sand over the grass patch there. The condition was so hostile that even the grass could not survive. To spruce it up, I bought some garden soil, spread them over part of the patch and planted money plants (also known as Devil’s Ivy) (Epipremnum pinnatum Aureum). This is one of the easiest house plants to grow. After a few months, they thrived and some of them began climbing the vertical surfaces (above).
“Occasionally when I walked past the corner, a Spotted Dove (Streptopelia chinensis) would fly away in a hurry, leaving me wondering what was it up to, since apparently there was no food to be found there.
“I got my answer a few days ago on 7th Aug 2011 when I drove past the corner. A Spotted Dove was at the corner again, seen taking grains of sand from the bare patch.
“It then dawn on me that some birds do take sand grains which are stored in the gizzards to help in the digestion of food.
A short video can be viewed below.”
Sun Chong Hong
Singapore
4th August 2011
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