Just When You Thought It Was Safe

As I was getting ready to start my maneuver to go up the driveway and into the garage I noticed a dead bird in front of our neighbors house.  Not only did it upset me, as those of you who know me know I have a thing for several of our feathered friends, but I also didn't line up just so in the garage and had a bit of a grumpy about that.  I climbed out of my car and went down to see what kind of feathered friend it was.  My initial fear was that it was a crow, but saw it was too light.  Then I thought it might be our Cooper's Hawk that visits and eats a small bird or two.  Upon examination I realized (*sob*) that it was a mallard hen (*sob*).  She was smaller, so I think she was a younger hen.  She was on her back with her wings point up and her feathers were beautiful in the later afternoon sun. Her poor little head was turned to the side and barely attached to the rest of her sweet little body.  I was broken hearted, to say the least.

The neighbor, who's basketball hoop she was resting in front of, was outside mowing his lawn.  He saw me and came down to add to the story.  We have another neighbor that is elderly, retired, and likes to be in everybody's business.  Seriously.  If we are having work done on our house, he's outside talking to the workers asking about having things done at his house.  This is going to get confusing, I'm going to call the neighbor with the basketball hoop Clyde and the busybody neighbor Jones.  Clyde tells me he had discovered the duck earlier, as had Jones.  He said Jones had been outside almost watching for him to come out.  He came over and told Clyde not to worry, he had already called the police and was going to be looking into the matter.  He had also drawn a chalk outline around the duck.  By this time, David knows I'm home and is wondering why I haven't come into the house so he comes out looking for me.  I, of course, urge him to come over to where Clyde and I are talking.  Clyde feels him in and we are back to the chalk outline of the crime scene.

Seriously.  Look:  

Pardon any gore-I took this picture the following morning after she had been taken care of.  

I find this outline to be incredibly sad.  *sniff*

Jones also told Clyde he would be increasing his patrols.  Great.  

We do have some little shit heads living in the neighborhood, but I'm hopefully that they wouldn't be so evil as to kill a duck.  Clyde believes it made hard contact with his basketball hoop because there was evidence on said hoop that he was going to have to clean up.  But the lack of connection between head and body was concerning.  I don't want to think about it; it makes me feel weepy and icky.  

I will mourn for the sweet (possibly daft) duck, and hope it was a very unfortunate accident rather than the stuff that makes a Mike Myers.