Death Pays a Visit

Found in the front yard...

click on the remains for a closer look

 

Death paid a visit last night and I believe I now know who it is.  My vote goes to one of the resident Great Horned Owls - Bubo virginianus. 

The dogs and I have been finding this sort of thing rather regularly - scattered tufts of bunny fur, usually entrails and occasionally a limb.  I had been puzzled as to who the killer might be - hawk, coyote, owl, aliens or whatever.  This nails it as the remains of this bunny materialized overnight and were found on a patch of bare grass in the yard surrounded by snow. 

Even an amateur detective knows that owls hunt at night and because there were no other animal tracks in the snow surrounding the evidence the only conclusion is that death came from above.  Hence owl.  And likely the most common of owls around here.

As further evidence the horned owl lays its eggs in January and February so right about now they would be raising a hungry brood of owlets.

If you are a rabbit is sucks to be at the bottom of the food chain.  As the saying goes here in Door County - the strong survive and the weak are killed and eaten...