The vortex

The Bermuda Triangle that masquerades as my side yard has sucked in another victim, this time the little cage that houses suet cubes for the birds. It usually hangs on the big walnut tree, but when I went to put out the first suet of the season it was gone. I searched in circles outward from the tree, tramping down the thick lamium ground cover. Nothing. What creature could have taken it? And why?
I improvised a hanger for the suet, and the birds don't seem the least bit bothered. It'll do fine until my next trip to Lowe's.
Years ago, just a few feet away, this apparent vortex swallowed a hefty S-hook while we were putting up the hammock. It simply disappeared. We spent the rest of the afternoon looking for it until we admitted defeat or started snapping at each other in frustration, I forget which. A few years later it resurfaced during spring planting, and I was utterly dumbstruck.
While I'm on the subject, here's my suet recipe. In the microwave melt 1 cup of peanut butter (the least expensive you can find) and 1 cup of lard, and add to 2 cups of quick oats, 2 cups of cornmeal, a cup of flour and 1/3 cup sugar. Spoon the result into plastic suet dishes (reused from the commercially made suet cakes) and refrigerate until set.