Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Critters on my fence

I have been finding frogs on my barbwire fence for some time now i imagine its birds dropping them when there leaving my pond. Today i found another frog and a crawfish i thought it was pretty interesting how i always find them in the same section of fence. I also one time found a snake about a foot long hanging on my fence.
Here a pic of the frog and crawfish the pics are kind of blury.

I'm not sure I understand. How's this happening?

I was thinking that birds were getting them out of my pond and were dropping them as they flew over the fence. Thats the only thing i can figure out.

Trying to analyze the probability(it's an engineering thing), of that happening so often vs. the quantity of flyovers it would take to be proportional does not make sense. Either the odds are being beaten dramatically, or something/someone is hanging them there. Voo Doo?

I could only think that a bird was sitting on the fence with the meal, and then left if for whatever reason.

Voodoo should not be ruled out though.

Have there been any dead chickens around?

I was thinking the likelyhood of that many times in the same location would be very slim. I ride my fence line 2-3 times a week and i have never seen this anywhere else on my fences. VOODOO??? who knows.

Are they kinda stuck to the barbs, wicked? Maybe the bird sits on the fence while holding the little critter, and it gets stuck there.

The only animals I ever find hanging on my fence are deer. We have one or two a year that get hung up in the wire while jumping over. Unless it's a bird dropping them on it or voodoo.

It's either one of three things:

1.) Crows leaving them there. Crows love to move dead fish around on my property. But I can't imagine them hanging frogs on the fence.

2.) Someone is having fun with you or you have a future serial killer on the premises.

3.) You're pulling our leg and putting them there and getting a good chuckle out of it.

I am sure no one is putting them on the fence(not human anyway).
I assure you i didnt put them there.
The only crows i see are at my feeder i have never seen them anywhere else.
I could see if a bird was on the fence eating them but the crawfish and frog are whole no pieces missing.

I would suggest lowering your fence about 6" to see if that takes care of the problem. If it does, then I would start my pond critters on a new physical fitness program. You may just have some lazy frogs.

Well if my choices don't fit it can only be one thing: Alliens from outer space!

Seriously what about birds of prey like hawks?

I've seen Mocking birds do this. One day a Mocking bird caught a large grass hopper, flew up in a small oak tree and stuck it on a dead pointed stick. After he flew away, I went see what he did and that's when I saw the grass hopper and was still kicking, trying to get loose. I guess they do this, and come back later to eat.

I posted this on another website to see if I could get any answers. The first response was this could be the work of a bird called a "Shrike." Is this a bird in the Mockingbird family? Or maybe both birds have similar habits?

I'll do some fact finding on Shrikes and see what I can find.

A shrike is a passerine bird of the family Laniidae which is known for its habit of catching insects, small birds or mammals and impaling their bodies on thorns. This helps them to tear the flesh into smaller, more conveniently-sized fragments, and serves as a "larder" so that the shrike can return to the uneaten portions at a later time. A typical shrike's beak is hooked, like a bird of prey, reflecting its predatory nature.

Most shrike species occur in Eurasia and Africa, but two breed in North America. There are no members of this family in South America or Australia.

Some shrikes are also known as "butcher birds" because of their habit of keeping corpses. Australasian butcherbirds are not shrikes, although they occupy a similar ecological niche. Several African species are known as fiscals, derived from the Afrikaans term for the hangman, fiskaal.

Sounds like the barbs are a good replacement for thorns?

The work of a Shrike. Look familar?



The winged serial killer culprit.

Wow thanks for posting this Wickedinhere! You learn something every day!

Case closed?

I havent seen birds that look like that but i will keep a look out.

I had hoped that wicked had some voodoo going on.

Maybe I'll try to watch the movie, Angle Heart, tonight.

I does sound like the case is closed.

Thanks guys i will try to get a pic of the bird if i see him.

We have small falcons in So Cal that catch prey and eat them on fences (or in the case of my yard on top of a telephone pole). I think that a bird being the offender is the most logical explanation. If it were me though I wouldn't take any chances, I googled "Protection Spells" and found this for you Wicked. It's on the internet so it must be real.


SPELL FOR PROTECTION
Make a sachet to wear around your neck. The color should be blue or purple but make it
a color you can live with. On the night of a full moon, blend these herbs together:
--amber juniper dill vervain St. John's Wort lavender
by crushing them together with a mortar and pestle. Leaving them in the vessel, hold them
up to catch the light of the full moon and say:
"Moon of night in fullness shine
bless this rite protection be mine"
Then without touching it fill your pouch and wear it whenever you feel threatened.
It also works if you keep it in your pocket.

One time we had a big thunderstorm, and it knocked down a finch's nest. One of the kids brought in the survinving baby, and we hand raised it. When it began to fly very well, we decided it was time to set the bird free. "Fly Woodstock, fly!" said my young son as the bird flew from his hands. Woodstock flew in a wide arc, and suddenly, WHAP! Doggone ol' butcherbird got him. Heh heh heh. Did I mention Woodstock was a Eurpoean finch?

They're getting bolder and bolder around here, and are starting to follow my tractor when I mow. I guess shrike's are more good than bad, but their mummified prey hanging on thorns and fences are a minor eyesore.

Dang, sorry about Woodstock. That could traumatize some kids.

Or make them realize Disney world is phoney.

Could also be a natural occurance. My sister finds dead frogs, toads, snakes and other small critters in a certain area of their electric fence, and these things are toasted and hanging on after, you know, critter heaven is the destiny.

It's weird, but only one path to the goodies, lest you get fried.

The pied piper should have it so good!

This is very typical behavior for shrikes. Unless someone is playing tricks on you, this is obviously being done by a shrike.

bobad, what is an European finch?