"What's that patch of gray under the cedar tree?" my wife asked me one morning last week.
We were standing on the deck in the cold December air. This fall and winter has been very wet and I thought perhaps the gray might be some kind of fungus, but later I knelt beneath the cedar and found the remains of a dove. There was nothing left but the feathers.
The dove may have been taken by an owl. We have seen a screech owl around the neighborhood, and the modus operandi suggests an owl predator. Owls eat birds bones and all, leaving only the feathers.
I felt a little sad for the dove who met an untimely death under my cedar tree. But the owl has to eat too, and I was glad for the owl's supper on a cold night. The feathers will be gone soon, scattered by the wind. Perhaps a thrifty wren will line her nest with dove down. Life goes on.
Very nice close up shot Edd. A subtle reminder of real nature.
ReplyDeleteThanks Robert. I think sometimes we are losing contact with "real nature."
ReplyDeleteI used to find this kind of thing in my backyard when I lived with my parents and their cats. Great pictures.
ReplyDeleteMatt, actually a cat was my first guess. We have cats and there are cats that roam the neighborhood so it is quite possible that this was the work of a cat.
ReplyDeleteAww ... great photos though. I thought of cat, too, we have some that come by occasionally (even though I have dogs) who try to find a meal. I have to remember others need to eat, too.
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