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RFI: birding forensics



Saturday my wife and I went canoeing on Kingston Lake near Conway, SC.  In
the debris floating at two snags (which were themselves withing 100 yds),
we found 4 dead birds; a Laughing Gull, a Ring-necked Duck, and 2 male Wood
Ducks.  All appeared to be very recently dead.

As we passed we inspected the carcasses. The gull was completely intact,
but the two Wood Ducks, which were found floating breast down, had had
their breasts entirely removed neatly and cleanly (no other damage was
evident).  The Ring-necked Duck (also found floating breast down) appeared
to have had some small "pecking" at its breast, but not much.

Do you think a Peregrine Falcon may be involved, or this being duck season,
might the ducks have been shot and then eaten from below by some unknown
scavenger?  Can any of you speculate on the cause of demise based on the
admittedly scanty evidence I gave?

Thanks,
St.

Stephen Thomas
stype@sccoast.net
Aynor, SC