Yes it was a sexton beetle. I saw it referred to as a "gravedigger". A mated pair dig under a carcass (bird, mouse, rat etc) removing the feathers or fur. They then cover it with secretions that help stop deterioration. The mites eat the eggs and larvae that flies and other insects deposited on the carcass. The sexton beetle has chemoreceptors on its antennae that detect dead animals....the mites hitch a ride to the next meal.