Drive Thru Safari of the Dead

I felt like I was on one of those "hop in a Jeep" nature safaris today whilst on my weary commute to the workplace.

When turning onto the on-ramp of the highway, right there on the curb railing sat a red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus). Ok, that was cool. Off to a good start, right?

But about 50 feet down the road, there was a dead mallard drake (Anas platyrhynchos). I drove for miles pondering the possibilities that would result in hitting a mallard, or wondering if maybe it just had a heart attack. Do birds have heart attacks?

To round off my macabre roadtrip, I passed four corpses of does on the side of the road, certainly a new record. And, if you think your job sucks, check out this career report from CNN. And if you want dessert, check out the menu...