Pretend you hear the opening notes of the “Dragnet” TV show theme song:
“Dum da-dum dum…”
Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to read is true. No names have been changed to protect the innocent.
Prologue
Eleven months and one day after his original crime spree and subsequent capture four days later, Blackie, the black snake, slithered back to the scene of the crime, like the crack addict who can’t resist one more hit.
Previous Dragnet Episode
On July 26, 2014, I posted the account of Blackie, suspected serial bluebird nest raider, at http://www.fromhighheelstogumboots.com/gumboot-tracks-blog/archives/07-2014. He was a snake of interest wanted for questioning in the disappearance of one nest of bluebird eggs and one nest of baby bluebirds. Also posted was this picture of him lurking in the peony bushes while casing the premises.
Blackie’s original crime spree ended with his capture in strategically-placed bird netting while attempting to raid another bluebird nest. When found, he was overcome from sun exposure but regained consciousness once he was freed from the netting. His claim of entrapment didn’t stand up in court. But Bill, judge, jury and potential executioner, chose leniency over a death sentence of immediate decapitation by hoe. Blackie was sentenced to lifetime community service of clearing out the rodents from a neighbor’s pasture.
Return to the Scene of the Crime
It was Monday, June 8, 2015. The day was sunny, warm and breezy. We were in a temporary lull between rain storms. The ground was saturated, water was standing in fields, rivers and creeks were running high and, in some cases, above flood stage. Another siege of storms was due to move in later in the week.
So far this spring, I had not seen Blackie and assumed he emerged from hibernation and resumed his community service in the neighbor’s pasture. We’d had three successful broods of baby bluebirds and soon there would be three more. One of the early broods hatched in the house of the original crime scene, and another was due to hatch shortly. But on the evening of June 8th, as Bill and Cricket returned to the house from our evening walk—I walked a longer route and wasn’t with them—Bill found a black snake trapped in the bird netting. Blackie! Or a look-alike copycat predator.
Bill documented the crime scene with photos.
So far this spring, I had not seen Blackie and assumed he emerged from hibernation and resumed his community service in the neighbor’s pasture. We’d had three successful broods of baby bluebirds and soon there would be three more. One of the early broods hatched in the house of the original crime scene, and another was due to hatch shortly. But on the evening of June 8th, as Bill and Cricket returned to the house from our evening walk—I walked a longer route and wasn’t with them—Bill found a black snake trapped in the bird netting. Blackie! Or a look-alike copycat predator.
Bill documented the crime scene with photos.
A few minutes later, I arrived at the scene and took over the photography duty while Bill used scissors to free Blackie from the netting.
As before, Blackie wasn’t moving but that didn’t mean he was dead. However, the telltale stench of death did, indicating he'd succumbed to sun and heat exposure several hours earlier.
Blackie’s nest-raiding crime spree came to a fatal end. He’d been pardoned from death by garden hoe and given the rare opportunity to turn his life around. Tragically, he just couldn’t overcome his addiction to bluebird eggs and babies.
Blackie’s nest-raiding crime spree came to a fatal end. He’d been pardoned from death by garden hoe and given the rare opportunity to turn his life around. Tragically, he just couldn’t overcome his addiction to bluebird eggs and babies.
Epilogue
One question remains: Was Blackie acting alone or as part of a reptilian crime ring? Time will tell.
"Dum da-dum dum...DUM!”
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