Or from the other point of view:  The Great Summer Feast of 2017.

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It started raining. The rain turned in to a heavy shower.  Harmless enough.

But the non-stop rain caused an upheaval among the crawdad community.  They were washed on to the shore (the sidewalk).  Initially they thought it was exciting. New areas to explore.  But their excitement turned to terror.

Word quickly spread among the bird community that a feast was washing up.  The herons were the first to arrive for the feast.  The egrets never miss an opportunity like this one.

Enterprising raccoons picked up on the news.  It wasn’t long before the opossums showed up.  Even several snakes found a way to make it to the feast.

Animals from all over the woods gathered ’round the table for the summer feast.

By the time it was over, hundreds of crawdads lost their lives.  Countless critters ate until their bellies hurt.

Now all that remains are the carcasses.  And even then the ants have come to claim the smallest of morsels that the larger animals left behind.

Another fun day at the Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge!

Date:  June 25, 2017
Camera:  iPhone