Death and Decay (Warning: Graphic)

Nature isn't always nice, and dead animals provide the perfect opportunity to get close looks at things you wouldn't otherwise see. However, I know some people might not want to see this sort of thing so I've put all my recent dead animals and a couple other less-than-pleasant things together in one post. If you want to see them, skip past this baby Gray Tree Frog.

Ready?

I came across this scene along Lake Ontario this winter. This rabbit was frozen in the ice at some point, and once the snow and ice melted scavengers came to eat it. All that remained was the fur stuck into the ice and a depression shaped just like a rabbit! While look at this carcass, a Long-eared Owl flushed out of a cedar right beside - prehaps the culprit for killing the rabbit.

While walking along a busy park path in Guelph, I came across these procupine remains hung up in a tree. I can only assume it was put out of reach by a walker out of concern for curious dogs.

This deer skull was also in Guelph - the snail in the eye socket is an interesting touch!

Every spring, White Suckers move up into streams to spawn, regularly perishing in the process. This bounty always attracts numbers of vultures in the spring.

The next two species were found roadkilled near my staffhouse in Algonquin Park. Neither are species that I have found alive nearby.

Eastern Newt 

Ring-necked Snake

A bit of a sad one - this young chipping sparrow had a growth under its bill and was clearly in trouble as evidenced by its incredible tameness and lethargy. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite tame enough to catch and dispatch.

One afternoon at Rondeau in May I walked along the beach, and found the remains of at least a dozen Blue Jays.

As promised, I've uploaded some of the Northern Water Snake vs. Bullfrog video from August. Listen in the first video as you can hear the frog squeak a few times in distress. This sound was how we originally discovered the pair. 

Life goes on!