Many years ago, my grandson Dane and his family was visiting our Vermont home on a lovely summer day. We were relaxing on the back lawn when suddenly, in a flash of brown and an explosion of feathers, a Red-shouldered hawk grabbed a Mourning Dove and flew away as we all gaped and shook our heads. Dane, in his young boy voice announced, “Well, that’s nature.”

Ginger and I had a That’s Nature day yesterday. Our walk on new snow started with watching some birds in the back yard.

We went down to the frozen river to walk a bit when I spotted a pile of feathers which I suspect once was a junco, and Ginger was very interested. Probably a Sharp-shinned Hawk had an early breakfast.

We then walked a few miles on trails and returning, I spotted this dead deer right beside the trail. I suspect a coyote/coydog got it . The sight was grisly and I kept Ginger from seeing the carcass.

We then returned to the relative placidity of our backyard and our American Tree Sparrows and American Goldfinches.

I’m reading a great book – The Courage of Birds – by the noted birder/author Pete Dunne. In addressing the worry about backyard feeding causing birds to be killed, he writes “A Sharp-shinned or Cooper’s Hawk is going to catch and consume two birds per day no matter what.”

That’s nature!