Holes in Lawn

[meddy]

I see there have been other posts about this problem before, but I have uploaded some images on the holes that are appearing in my lawn and wonder if anyone can throw any light on what may be making them?

[turkeyneck]

Oh OK wasn't expecting to see your thread here. I'm no expert, I was thinking rabbit, any near where you live, even though, rabbit scrtachings tend to be be thinner and longer.

[Goldfynche]

How about foxes? They are excellent diggers, as the excavations beneath mine and my neighbours sheds will show.

[DavyG]

I find similar holes in my garden.

As there's usually hedgehog poo close by, I suspect it's hedehogs which are doing it.

Dave

One thing I've never understood about hedgehogs, why don't they just share the hedge?

[Deb London]

It's hard not to notice if your garden attracts foxes - to put it nicely, your sense of smell should alert you to the fact. Yes, look for droppings. Rabbits leave theirs all over the place and are small and distinctive. The hedgehog's calling card is completely different. Why not go on a hunt for poo, it might solve your mystery.

(Hee hee, just saw your joke, Dave).

[The Woodman]

These holes don't appear to me to have been made by an animal scratching, as a rabbit would.

If you look closely, in each image there are small clods around the hole that have been uprooted - snuffle holes. There's only one way an animal does this - with it's snout.

Without any more details to hang my hat on, I would consider badger or hedgehog as the culprit. I've never known fox do this, that doesn't mean they don't.

Grey Squirrel will scratch out holes in a lawn but again, the spoil will appear in the direction of the activity if you know what I mean.

[Goldfynche]

Er....has anyone considered the possibility that it might be the landing site of the aliens that have come to raid the wheelie bins? (see separate thread)
They could be the impression, left by their space craft landing gear.

[Deb London]

GF - I think you might be onto something.

[healfdan]

I have experienced similar holes and this was down to birds ripping up grass and moss looking for grubs or emerging craneflies. Starlings can make quite a mess of a lawn as can blackbirds and thrushes. Something to consider.

[meddy]

Thanks for all the suggestions, I think I am going with badger snuffle holes, as I found some images of them online and they look exactly the same. I think some of them are too big to be hedghog or birds?

Some other suggestions I was given on Facebook included portals to the underworld or the site of old salt mines (I live in Northwich)! ... So if I'm not around for a while I could've been wrong about the badgers!