Three raccoons and a red-tailed hawk

Gallery: Man & FaunaPosted December 14, 20081,240 views6 comments

Although this image does not have the greatest quality, I decided to post it since it represents a unique situation:

As I was walking up on one of the railroads in Massachusetts, I noticed the scene. My interpretation is as follows: A red tailed hawk spotted a mouse crossing the railroad and decided to catch it. A train ran over the bird and killed on the spot. Later on, a group of three raccoons gathered to feast on the poultry and were slammed by the train as well.

Thank you for your time.

Andrey

Comments

6 comments

Comment posted by Christine Adams on December 14, 2008 at 9:47 PM

All I can say is WOW! A picture tells a story...

Thanks for posting.

Registered on January 24, 2006, 119 Posts, 1871 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Smith on December 14, 2008 at 10:33 PM

Jeez...glad that you made it out of the kill zone...or we would be seeing another photo w/the remains of a photographer... Better yet, this looks like a sequence from Road Runner...where's Wylie Coyote? I couldn't help saying that....my morbid sense of humor. This is tragic. Ken S

Registered on September 5, 2008, 449 Posts, 2444 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Foss on December 15, 2008 at 8:30 AM

Andrey, this is an effective image for me. Regardless how the story actually unfolded, the grouped carcasses have a strong impact, and the railroad tracks stretching into infinity convey a strong sense of a lonely, unremarked death. These feelings are evoked by the image itself, with no back story required. In fact, the mystery of it is another part of the allure.

Registered on June 7, 2006, 90 Posts, 525 Comments

Comment posted by Stan Rose on December 16, 2008 at 11:10 PM

Weid scene! This is an excellent shot, the blue tones and lighting really make it effective. Id like to do a roadkill series sometime (one of my biggest peeves!) but it would be too depressing!

Registered on September 15, 2005, 836 Posts, 17099 Comments

Comment posted by Dietrich Gloger on January 13, 2009 at 4:42 PM

Wow, indeed a story. Amazing. What I don't quite understand is how animals with their capable senses do not flee from the noise and the vibrations of the approaching train. - and why the three rakoons if slammed by the train are so close to the bird not a few meters apart. Tells a story and raises questions = great image!

Registered on January 26, 2007, 360 Posts, 9876 Comments

Comment posted by Don Woodmancy on January 15, 2009 at 1:37 PM

An intruiging photo but I'm not sure your interpretation is correct. In a previous life, I had the duty of investigating serious accidents including train vs. animals and train vs. humans. Without getting too graphic, I have great difficulty believing these were hit by a train. Even at low speeds, a train would have caused considerably more body damage.

Registered on December 20, 2008, 21 Posts, 48 Comments