Hawks and ducks interact infrequently. They are not especially keen companions. In large part, I suppose, this is because of the lopsided predator-prey relationship ordained by nature. Tough to be chums when one is eyeing the other hungrily.
Sometimes, however, circumstances differ. When Lake Champlain freezes, for example, and ducks gather in higher-than-healthy numbers at Rosslyn’s waterfront to take advantage of the open water created by our Ice Eater.
Ten years ago, on February 28, 2015, I photographed the aftermath of an unsettling feeding frenzy — multiple hawks and a bald eagle devoured multiple ducks — because it seemed important at the time to document the disturbing excess. As the one responsible for creating the duckpond that attracts such an excess of waterfowl, I was directly responsible for the number of dead birds. I was uncertain what conclusions to draw at the time because I was conflicted. I am still conflicted.
The photographs that accompany today’s dispatch come from that afternoon and evening. And I began drafting this blog post with a heavy heart (and a slightly queasy belly) at the time, vowing to complete it once I knew what to say.
A decade later, I’m still conflicted. I still don’t know what to say. But I feel obliged to document the day’s unusually excessive carnage.
In a previous post I’d reported that we succeeded in de-icing the duck pond. Hurrah!
But like most “reality shows” this happy tale was slightly complicated. And slightly disturbing.
First, a flashback…
Within hours the [ice] hole had grown large enough to attract some of the ducks. Over the next few days the churning water swelled the hole larger and larger, finally expanding the open water enough to once again qualify as our “duck pond”. As I write this post, literally hundreds of ducks are bobbing wing to wing, beaks into the wind. That’s the good news. Can you anticipate the bad news? (De-Icing the Duck Pond)
As it turns out, many of you not only guessed the bad news, you documented it. On Facebook. And by email. So, despite the potentially sensitive nature of this update I’m going to share photos of some decidedly unlucky ducks.
Caveat Lector: if you’re uncomfortable with natures and during narrative of predator and pray, I recommend you stop reading here. Instead, you might enjoy one of these Rosslyn safari installments:
If you’re still reading, I assume that you’re willing to observe predation. It’s disturbing the sometimes starkly beautiful as well. I’ve removed most of the unnecessarily gory images, but there are several that are tough to look at. For now, I’m simply going to post some of the images. I may circle back with some thoughts, but for now I’ll leave you to your own reflection.
To wrap up on a less macabre note, this final photograph captures our home and boathouse (sans ducks and hawks) with the sun setting behind. Make of it what you will. 
What do you think?