Death on the driveway

Our driveway is a narrow, rustic path that leads to some unseen destination deep in the forest.  I have driven or walked this half mile stretch of wildlife highway at least once a day, nearly every day, for the past 10 years, and I know every bend, dip, protrusion and rut like the back of my hand. So when something unusual appears on or around it, I take notice.  

Interestingly, I've found that our driveway tends to be the scene of many a deadly incident. I always come upon the aftermath (never the incident taking place in real time), so as a wannabe Quincy (am I revealing my age?) and puzzle aficionado, I love collecting clues, doing some research and sorting out how each victim must have met his or her demise.

Allow me to share a smattering of my driveway mysteries.  Please feel free to help me fill in the gaps to round out the stories of the victims' lives.

Here is evidence of what I believe to be a hawk catching a vole that had come above ground for a snack on a rare warm winter day.  I can't tell what species of hawk it is (heck, it could even have been an owl).  The long, straight track would have been made by the vole.  The feathery spread would indicate wings of a pretty large raptor.  And the large round depression at the top right of the photo is where the vole's foraging (and life's) journey came to an end.

One summer day while heading to the mailbox, I walked up on this raptor sitting in the driveway.  He appeared stunned, and made no attempt to move as I approached.  Hoping he would recover on his own, I took a more circuitous route to the mailbox.  The next day, I found him in the woods, about 5 feet away from this original spot, where he had succumbed to his mysterious ailment.  I never determined what species of raptor he was, or what he might have died from.  I left him where he lay, in that final resting place, as a way to honor his life. 

Then there was this poor creature.  While on a run, I spied this mole, who appeared to have two tumors growing out of its forehead.  Pondering whether moles could acquire (and die from) cancer, I naturally turned to Google for the answer.  Unfortunately I couldn't come up with the right search terms that would give me the info I was looking for.  I did, however, learn a lot about melanomas and the importance of wearing sunscreen.

Looking forward to hearing from my fellow Quincy wannabes.