We went into the woods today to feed the deer. This is not something that we normally do, but this week we have seen their footprints in our neighborhood, leading toward bird feeders, and while they might always be here and we just don't see the tracks, the animal lover part of me thinks that they are getting desperate because the ground has been covered with ice, not snow, for an extended period of time. I know that a plastic baggie of food is not saving a deer's life, but it might make for a nice surprise midnight snack and the little babe liked the idea, so we went. Near one of our feeding spots, we discovered this.
Now for the whole picture.
Obviously, something had a Blue Jay for a meal earlier in the day. The blue feathers were so brilliant. Near the area, we found both little black legs. The little babe said seeing them, "was cool".
I read a book review the other day for a book about owls. One reader said that the book was a bit too graphic - the skeletons in the owl pellets scared her three year old granddaughter. That comment elicited a disgusted snicker and eyeroll from myself. An artist's rendering of tiny little white mice skulls - did this actually scare her granddaughter or did she herself actually not want to see or think about it? Guess what folks, everybody has to eat and every creature does it in a different way. When I think about the awful things that kids are exposed to on television and computers, and then something as benign as a little mouse skeleton in a nature book, it is just ridiculously sad the way society is going.
Okay, stepping down from that soapbox now. Have a wonderful day. The Blue Jay really was beautiful and the hawk that ate him really was hungry.