The Autumn Equinox took place this weekend and from now on until the Winter Solstice the days and nights will be of equal length across the entire planet.

Although Autumn has only just officially arrived my two oak trees have been dropping leaves and acorns for the past few weeks, many of which were shaken out of the trees by crows. I wondered what was making so much noise as I watched branches swaying back and forth, until I discovered a large group of large hooded crows fighting over the acorns. I’d never seen that before and didn’t know crows liked acorns. (Sadly, I haven’t seen any Jays this year and they love acorns)

I was very upset with him and told him “a tiny mouse is one thing but a big fluffy rabbit was not okay”

He seemed unapologetic, and actually seemed quite proud of himself as he paraded around the garden holding the rabbit in his mouth, head held high, showing it off like a trophy. There’s no doubt he was trying to impress Pixie who paid no attention to him at all..

After watching him bury and dig up the rotting corpse several times during the day and unable to retrieve the dead rabbit. (he was never too far away) I decided to intervene before he dragged it into the house. I watched and waited, with rake in hand, until he suddenly became distracted and dropped the rabbit. Then (much like a hunter gatherer would have done to steal the wolves’ prey) I ran towards the rabbit with my rake and quickly scooped it up. He was not happy with me at all and growled menacingly as I hurled his trophy over the hedge and into the field. Thankfully, It wasn’t too long before the crows found it. “I’m sorry Winston, but it had to go”

Later that day Pixie, who had never killed anything in her life decided to kill a young collared dove. Not to be “outdone” I suppose, she emerged from the bushes with the dead bird held firmly in her mouth. as if to say “I can do more than eat ground fall”. “Oh no”! Not again” I said to myself.

“What is going on with you guys today? I thought you were nice dogs and only chased after small mice and the odd rat for fun”

The dead dove’s head was dangling out of Pixie’s mouth and she wouldn’t let go. She wasn’t going to let Winston have it either, so I picked up the rake and walked towards her hoping she’d drop it and run away; instead she looked at me and started eating the doves head. I couldn’t believe it. I watched in horror as she chewed off its head and then began devouring the rest of its body. feathers and all.

Suddenly Winston, probably in a fit of jealousy, decided to try to make a grab for it and a major fight ensued with viscous growling and feathers flying everywhere. I charged at them with a rake hoping to break up the fight but there was nothing much left of the bird, by the time I got there – it had been ripped to shreds. I threw what was left of the poor bird over the hedge.

As this ‘blood- thirsty’ behaviour coincided with the supermoon or ‘blood moon’ and with a partial lunar eclipse, I wondered if they were acting out some kind of ancient hunting ritual embedded in their their wolf DNA? Or perhaps they had just been “moonstruck”? (mentally deranged, supposedly by the influence of the moon; crazed)

There had to be a reason behind their actions because Winston has never killed anything more than a mouse before, and I’ve never seen Pixie kill anything.

Whatever the reason I was relieved to see Pixie eating acorns again and Winston chasing after the birds on the grass.

And finally (and thankfully) I don’t have any pictures of Winston carrying his “trophy” around, but this little fella was sitting on the garden gate looking at me this morning…he even did a cute little pose for the camera, so I decided to include a picture of him instead.

Happy Autumn!