Happiness is a Large Gut Pile

Way back when, a long time ago, when I was still deer hunting (bow and shotgun), I used to have a saying that I sometimes saw others using… “Happiness is a Large Gut Pile.” I thought of that today when I found the remains of a whitetail deer that had been improperly disposed of.

As I looked at the carcass a female downy woodpecker dropped down to feed on the frozen meat. She was promptly followed by several white-breasted nuthatches that also pecked at the hard meal.

Seeing the birds making use of the deer remains was nothing I had not seen before. Several times I have watched and waited, expecting the feathered clean-up crew to arrive. Today I did wonder how the birds knew the frozen carcass was nourishment. Woodpeckers and nuthatches feeding on a dead deer or American coots feeding on dead geese and swans… how do they know the remains are a source of food, probably an important source during the dead of winter. How do they know? (I know… instincts. Someday someone needs to explain instincts and how they are developed.)

While I was out I also photographed a female American kestrel and a red-tailed hawk - neither wanting to sit for a picture.