A bit of garden and wild life advice requested

[Captain Kernow]

Now then, before anyone says anything, having looked at the photos, I will admit to being no gardener. I quite like pottering about and pruning shrubs etc., but my knowledge of plants and the kind of wild life you might get in a South Devon garden is definitely not very great.

 

I do like to keep what passes for my back 'lawn' here trimmed, though, and neat-looking (as it draws the eye somewhat from the rampant growth that inhabits the adjacent flower borders).

 

Over the last 2 or 3 weeks, though, I've been puzzled by the sudden appearance of a couple of dozen or so small holes in the lawn, which are approx 1 - 2 cm in diameter across the opening and probably no more than 5 cm or so deep.

 

There are no mounds of spoil that you might associated with some digging creature. What passes for the 'turf' is disturbed around the holes. The following photos show what's going on.

 

General view of affected area, approximately 12 - 15 square feet

 

Close up of the strange holes:

 

 

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what might be happening here, and if so, what I could do to prevent it, please?

 

Many thanks.

 

[40F]

Foxes

[bob hughes60]

Bearing in mind the time of year and no earth about it is a bit early for earthworms and leaves so 2 best guesses are grey squirrels burying goodies

(mine are doing just this with peanuts from the nut holders) or starlings looking for leatherjackets (crane fly larvae) by probing with their beaks.

Of course it you draw a grid and triangulate you'll probably find they are in line with the nearest standing stones and (other weird theories....)

[Fat Controller]

It could be badgers, looking for earthworms. We've had a few visits, though the damaged patches were a bit larger. One of our cats occasionally tries to see them off, with varying degrees of success.

[The Stationmaster]

Doesn't look like the way foxy digs in plus it's the wrong time of year as most of their digging occurs when mum is looking to set up home for her expected litter and that means decent size holes even at the start of excavation.  Squirrels are a possibility although our resident doesn't dig holes in the lawn as he has far too much sense of self-preservation to do that.  I did wonder about muntjac but again it doesn't look like their work judging by the behaviour of our occasional residents - they tend to scope stuff up (including the blasted broccoli and s*dding strawberries) without leaving much trace of their labours.

 

Could well be birds of some sort but the holes seem a bit big for that so I'm most inclined towards the squirrel theory.

[Andy Y]

You wouldn't normally see as many holes but have you noticed any bees or wasps active around the holes?

[Captain Kernow]

You wouldn't normally see as many holes but have you noticed any bees or wasps active around the holes?

Not that I've noticed, no.

 

Squirrels is an interesting idea, but when I poke a finger down these holes, I don't find any hidden stashes of nuts etc.

[dhjgreen]

Not that I've noticed, no.

 

Squirrels is an interesting idea, but when I poke a finger down these holes, I don't find any hidden stashes of nuts etc.

We have the same holes. Is seems to be squirrels looking for last year's cached acorns. When burying they do not leave holes but carfully tread the soil back tight.

[PhilH]

Not that I've noticed, no.

 

Squirrels is an interesting idea, but when I poke a finger down these holes, I don't find any hidden stashes of nuts etc.

 

 

Brave man....be sure to count your fingers afterwards.

[BoD]

Probably rules out wasps too.

[The Blue Streak]

Hedgehogs after worms or grass roots ????

[peter220950]

I quite like pottering about and pruning shrubs etc.?.................

 

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what might be happening here, and if so, what I could do to prevent it, please?

 

Many thanks.

Perhaps take off the high heels before going out there?

 

Peter

 

 

Edit, on a more useful note I had the same thing in our lawn with squirrels who seem to have poor memory, and can't remember where they put stuff. - Know how they feel.

Edited August 26, 2017 by peter220950

[asa]

I've seen crows and magpies leaving holes like that on lawns due to the size of their beaks.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Although the corvids make similar holes, my top suspect for a large number of neat conical holes of this size is the green woodpecker, whose prey are ants. It's a very shy fugitive bird - also very lovely in appearance - and will typically 'disappear' at any disturbance. (A friend of ours spooked one on her lawn and then noticed a tall stoneware vase she had temporarily placed on the lawn was wobbling slightly. When she got close the green woodpecker emerged like a rocket. Closest she had ever been to one.)

 

Squirrels, random scraped up holes, very messy

 

Badgers, large random scraped up holes, extremely messy.

[Phil Bullock]

Birds was my thought too - they look too neat to have been dug, and any solitary bee or wasp is likely to leave a tell tail spoil heap

 

Corvids were my thought - Jackdaws or Rooks - but green woodpecker is interesting thought, do you have ants ?

 

Phil
 

[BG John]

I get similar holes appearing in my field and wood. The only wildlife I know is around regularly are squirrels and birds, and I've seen a fox very occasionally. Anything else makes a discrete exit when the hairy one and I are around, but the squirrels just make for the nearest tree, and the birds take off (except those that have been reduced to a pile of feathers by bigger birds!). I've always been mystified by the holes, that seem too big for tiny animals, and too small for bigger ones.

[Phil Bullock]

Is avian evidence building?

 

http://www.discoverwildlife.com/british-wildlife/who-has-been-eating-your-lawn

 

Phil

[EddieB]

I'd go with the Green woodpecker theory. They can be shy, but their loud "yaffle" cry is quite distinctive (check the RSPB website if you're unfamiliar).

 

Apparently you can make cider from them if you catch enough....

[Captain Kernow]

Well, there is a crowd of sullen crows/blackbirds/starlings who hang around the neighbourhood, getting up to no good, and there is ant activity in the garden, but not (to my knowledge) on that particular patch of lawn.

 

I was upstairs earlier when I heard a fairly loud thudding (of tiny feet) on the roof tiles above. I opened the window and a large-ish blackbird poked it's head over the edge of the roof and then flew off.

 

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions so far.

[russ p]

Are you regularly awakened by large circular craft with flashing lights,whirring noises and very strange people inside them?

If not it may be squirrels, as believe it or not they they will dig holes and pretend to bury food if they that no they are being watched

[TonyA]

I have similar problems and we have most of the above visitors. However, here are the most likely culprits for that size of hole.

 

 

 

The squirrels, together with the parakeets, have also eaten our entire crop of apples. 

 

At least the woodpeckers, both green and great spotted, look nice and do not do too much damage.

 

Tony

[brack]

Are you regularly awakened by large circular craft with flashing lights,whirring noises and very strange people inside them?

I always wondered why a life form so advanced would fly halfway across the universe just to poke things up the bottoms of strangers. So far as I'm aware there's no automated buggery device on Pioneer or voyager, so it seems we're not planning to reciprocate. Maybe some folk misunderstood the term 'space probe'

[Mallard60022]

Miner Bees or Starlings. Possibly a Woody but I think you would have noticed that. 

Philthg

[brack]

Miner Bees or Starlings. Possibly a Woody but I think you would have noticed that.

Philthg

Bit late in the year for miner bees I'd have thought, plus ours (we have had both red and tawny species this year) tend not to like lawns/grass (and the hole isn't that easy to get a finger down). I'd have guessed starlings or similar stabbing their beaks through looking for insect larvae.

[brianusa]

Capt'n, if its any consolation we get identical holes especially this time of year and definitely squirrels, the grey variety in our case..  They probably dig right through and come out over here!

Unless of course, you have moles, voles or other burrowing small creatures but they would leave earth mounds, similar to the Cornish Alps on a smaller scale.

 

Brian.