This morning I found the still-warm, lovely -- and headless -- body of a male cardinal in the snow along the roadside. Droplets of blood made a three-foot long trail from the shoulder to where the body lay. Midway along that trail were two sets of cardinal-sized wing prints. I looked all around for the head but saw no dimple in the snow indicating a head had landed there.
My best guess: the poor fellow might have collided with a side view mirror or a roof rack -- with something that caught the head and carried it some distance on before it dropped. And like a chicken destined for the stewpot, if reflexively flapped its wings a last few times. I don't suppose the Lab of O would care for a headless cardinal, would it? Mary ----------------------------------------------- Mary M. Woodsen 607 233 4174 home 917 842 0987 cell 132 South Danby Road Willseyville, NY 13864 -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
