Tracking CSI...Who is the killer here? (Warning....dead stuff)

[British Red]

This is an older photo from 2007 but intigued me at the time. Back in March of that year I was up here

(Beacon Hill high on the Downs)

Having one of these

I had a bimble about and saw this on top of a 3" fence post. Quite intuiging I thought

It took me a while to figure out what had happened.

Anyone care to speculate?

Red

 

[JohnC]

is it a backbone?, the remnants of a bird of prey mealtime?

 

[British Red]

Aaah we need specifics John

Buy yes, certainly vertebrae (and still "red" blood)

 

[locum76]

i'd wager its a rabbits backbone which would put the suspect in the buzzard territory...

 

[British Red]

No cigar,

Bear in mind that's not a big fencepost - no more than 3" across.

It certainly is rabbit and buzzard territory though. Many is the time I've sat there watching buzzards catch the updraft as the wind blows in from the east (towards the horizon on the top photo). It hits the hill and goes near vertical and raptors and corvids seem to love it as an easy way to gain height.

Red

 

[Bushwhacker]

Assuming that it's a piece of flesh/bone and given that it's a fence post, it's either put there by a bird (carrion feeder or bird of prey) or by human hand.

If it's a bird, it must be something smaller than a buzzard given the size of the post, maybe a Kestrel, Crow or Magpie

 

[bear knights]

given the dimensions you suggest, looks too big to be a small mammal so unlikely kestrel......maybe magpie and baby rabbit?
"we are detective, we are select"....etc... the next verse from said thompson twins song seems very apt for a bunch of bushcrafters!!....
We dress up in disguise
To get away from all those prying eyes
Our friends all think we're mad
But we know better
'cause the spy is bad!

 

[British Red]

Aaah now given a couple of people have mentioned it, yeah, I'm fairly convinced its a kestrel kill. There are several vertebrae in that lump so bank vole (which are common up there) or the like I suspect.

Two other photos of mine from that area

......and someone elses that I'll link to that I think gives a graphic explanation of how the vertebrae might have got there. The link shows a superb photo of an American kestrel but I believe they both have the same feeding habits

http://www.flickr.com/photos/copeg/345513206/


Okay I'll go for a really bizarre one next....that seems to have been too easy!

Red