Though the outdoors are full of life and activity at this time of year, death is also present. Animal relics can be found on the beach, in the woods and along trails. Creatures can arrive at their natural end of life during any season. Spring is no different.
They might meet up with an accident. Sometimes ospreys break their wings while diving into the water head first. Some find themselves preyed upon by creatures higher than themselves on the food chain. Seeing their remains, one can’t help but wonder… how did this creature meet its end?
Although birds will often lose single feathers, clumps of feathers tell a different tale. Several clumps of these white ones were found together. Did a coyote drag some unsuspecting shore bird into the woods for breakfast at dawn? I’ve sometimes seen birds of prey carrying snakes off in their talons, but this Maritime Garter Snake looks like it was left for tinier creatures to scavenge. Could it have been attempting to cross the trail just as a bicyclist was zooming past?
The remains of Rock Crabs are a common find along Nova Scotia beaches and marshes. Seagulls crack them open on the shore and gobble them up on the spot. Though their insides have been consumed, some are left looking intact. Others appear to have been torn apart. Unlike humans, wild creatures strive for survival and die without complaint or expectation of anything better.
Nothing makes the outdoors more uninviting at this time of year than blackflies and mosquitoes. There are thick swarms of them in the more humid areas along the Salt Marsh Trail. You can’t help but inhale them as you walk along. It’s the females that are after blood to enable them to incubate their eggs, and they’re relentless in their pursuit. Any warm-blooded creature will do. But it won’t be long before they’re gobbled up in turn by baby birds. The cycle of life and death goes on.
June 5, 2009 at 7:48 am
Admittedly morbid (obviously!), but an interesting perspective on the *acceptance* by nature of the natural cycle of life/death…
June 5, 2009 at 8:09 am
Sorry about the Roadkill Café aspect of the post, but it is indeed part of nature. I’ve seen even more gruesome sights along the trail but luckily didn’t have my camera with me on those days.
June 5, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Dunno about dying without complaint. Critters don’t just strive for survival–they fight to the death for it. But agreed they don’t seem to waste a lot of time pondering their mortality or asking “why me?”
My best to the baby birds. A feast of bugs awaits them in our delightful strip of woods between Grand Traverse Bay and Torch Lake.
June 6, 2009 at 10:02 am
You’re right Gerry, they DO fight to the death for survival, in a way that I doubt many humans could imitate.
There is a continuation of this discussion at http://canoeinthemist.blogspot.com/2009/06/things-i-think-about-at-300-am-228.html where fw has taken my comments a step further and asked if we’re really more “advanced” than many of the other creatures that inhabit this planet with us.
June 6, 2009 at 11:08 am
Not good, inhaling all those blackflies and mosquitos. Not good at all. I love how you are always writing about patterns. Barry suggested the other day, “I know…you can write about patterns in nature!” and I said…sorry…flandrumhill has that theme covered!
June 6, 2009 at 12:26 pm
Kathy, I don’t know why I am always looking for and attempting to create patterns. Maybe it’s because I’m so interested in discovering how things are connected and patterns are a clue to that end. I like to think that I’ve just started a dialogue about patterns in nature as opposed to covering the topic. Even though we’re on the same wavelength, our unique point of view ensures that we each bring something new and different to the discussion