# Impaled



## Space Face (Oct 1, 2021)

This is from a wee while ago.  For some reason this poor fella had been impaled on a gorse bush spike.   Never did find the culprit.


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## Jeff15 (Oct 1, 2021)

Good shooting.....


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## Space Face (Oct 1, 2021)

Ta.  Very strange instance I thought.


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## Dean_Gretsch (Oct 2, 2021)

Space Face said:


> Ta.  Very strange instance I thought.


Absolutely. Not sure I have ever seen this before. I wonder how it happened? Very detailed shots.


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## Space Face (Oct 2, 2021)

Dean_Gretsch said:


> Absolutely. Not sure I have ever seen this before. I wonder how it happened? Very detailed shots.


Thanks.

I can only assume some other predarory insect or even bird must have done it.  Shrikes do it with their prey, small mamals, amphibians etc so maybe some other species does it with insects.


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## BrentC (Oct 2, 2021)

What a strange find.   Really nice shot on the second.   Almost like someone purposefully stuck it on the thorn so it wouldn't move for the shot🤔😂


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## Space Face (Oct 2, 2021)

BrentC said:


> What a strange find.   Really nice shot on the second.   Almost like someone purposefully stuck it on the thorn so it wouldn't move for the shot🤔😂


😁😁Not guilty M'Lud.  I'm not one of those who abuses nature to get a shot😉.

It was out in the middle of nowhere, just off a wee, single track country road, not frequented too often by us humans (other than in vehicles or on bikes).  It has me stumped for sure.

Thanks for your comments, appreciated.


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## K9Kirk (Oct 2, 2021)

He was probably flying along when he spotted some hottie fly by and didn't see the spike.

Nice set.


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## Space Face (Oct 2, 2021)

K9Kirk said:


> He was probably flying along when he spotted some hottie fly by and didn't see the spike.
> 
> Nice set.


Yeah, that the most likely scientific explanation right enough.


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## jeffashman (Oct 3, 2021)

Ouch! Nice capture.


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## Space Face (Oct 3, 2021)

Ta!


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## Lez325 (Oct 5, 2021)

Unusual- Red Backed Shrike - do this on thorn bushes 

Les


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## Space Face (Oct 5, 2021)

Yeah, I mentioned Shrikes earlier but unaware if they do it with insects as well as their usual menu of rodents, birds, amphibians etc.  Well named as the Butcher Bird.


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## davholla (Oct 8, 2021)

Space Face said:


> Yeah, I mentioned Shrikes earlier but unaware if they do it with insects as well as their usual menu of rodents, birds, amphibians etc.  Well named as the Butcher Bird.


Firstly nice photo, shrikes are very rare in the UK so that would surprise me.


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## Soocom1 (Oct 8, 2021)

Well photographed. 


I found a fly impaled on a blade of grass in my parents backyard in the early 1980's.  I took a picture of it and kept it in a plastic bag for about two years. Then it fell apart. 

Wish I still had that photo.  


i saw the title and instantly knew what you found. 
Makes me wonder how many other bugs have the same fate.


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## Space Face (Oct 8, 2021)

davholla said:


> Firstly nice photo, shrikes are very rare in the UK so that would surprise me.


Cheers D.  Yeah, we have the occasional sighting recorded up here but rare.  I'd have thought that the insect might be too wee for a Shrike but not sure.


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## Robshoots (Oct 8, 2021)

Great shots.  Well done!


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## Space Face (Oct 8, 2021)

Robshoots said:


> Great shots.  Well done!


Thank you kind sir.


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## DennisH (Dec 4, 2021)

Do you have Shrikes in the UK?  We have them here in the US and this is their regular habit.  They will even kill and impale small mice, lizards and even small birds.


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## davholla (Dec 4, 2021)

DennisH said:


> Do you have Shrikes in the UK?  We have them here in the US and this is their regular habit.  They will even kill and impale small mice, lizards and even small birds.


They are very very rare now days not even resident sadly.


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## DennisH (Dec 4, 2021)

There must be other birds that do it also.  In North Texas in the spring and summer I often find grasshoppers and other large insects impaled on the thorns of my mesquite trees.


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## weepete (Dec 13, 2021)

That's very unusual! Great capture there.


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