Wildlife

Every morning for the last couple of weeks I've been finding these strange marks in the grass at the bottom of the garden. They appear overnight and there can be as many as 20 or 30 dotted around the garden. They are typically 3" across and a couple of inches deep.
I'm thinking they are caused by the probing bill of a bird...woodcock perhaps?
 

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Jimiles said:
Every morning for the last couple of weeks I've been finding these strange marks in the grass at the bottom of the garden. They appear overnight and there can be as many as 20 or 30 dotted around the garden. They are typically 3" across and a couple of inches deep.
I'm thinking they are caused by the probing bill of a bird...woodcock perhaps?
Click to expand...
Probably bodgers having a good snuffle about for worrams 🪱🦡
 
I hadn't considered badgers as the entire garden is fenced with stock wire to keep our puppy enclosed so I'd be surprised if they've found a way in. I have to agree though that the first photo does look to be rounded at the base and would match a badger's snout. The other photos however are much more pointed at the base. They look like someone has stuck a biro into the ground and then twisted it around. A bit too pointed for a badger I'd have thought.
 
Jimiles said:
I hadn't considered badgers as the entire garden is fenced with stock wire to keep our puppy enclosed so I'd be surprised if they've found a way in. I have to agree though that the first photo does look to be rounded at the base and would match a badger's snout. The other photos however are much more pointed at the base. They look like someone has stuck a biro into the ground and then twisted it around. A bit too pointed for a badger I'd have thought.
Click to expand...
My garden is totally enclosed by one means or another. This little chap was picked up by one of my CCTV cameras a couple of years ago. No idea how he got in. Must have left the same way 🤷‍♂️
 
I've been and had another look at these holes and I think you've got it right. Some of the holes have a definite snout-shaped print in the mud so it looks like we've got badgers visiting at night. Great shame really, much as I love seeing badgers but they can be bad news in a garden. We used to have a half dozen hedgehogs feeding in the garden but for the past couple of years there hasn't been a single one. Bit of a dilemma!
 
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