Any ideas?

[wytonpjs]

Looking for the collective experience of the SD forum to advise here please?

Situation: popular well-visited permanently flooded drainage pond in semi-rural location with reed margins and a healthy fish/frog/toad stock. Immediately adjacent to the base of a tree mid way between a sheet steel piled retaining wall and the water margin (approx 5m) a 3” hole suddenly appeared yesterday. No other signs of other holes or any changes of inhabitants in the area. Very limited earth thrown out despite hole appearing to have been dug from below. Evidence of claw type marks on the sides of the hole. It was not there yesterday morning when I winched the council mower out of the pond (no comment) and appeared overnight. Thoughts please? My first thought was rats but I have never seen any in the vicinity or any other evidence of holes.......


The tree above is the one on the left in the picture below with the roe doe immediately adjacent to it - had 4 visit that morning!

 

[BRYAN]

You sellin the boots?

 

[8x57]

Considering the location shown in the photographs my first thoughts would be rats emerging also.

 

[wytonpjs]

You sellin the boots?

Nope - deliberately placed to add scale (size 10 Merrils - very comfortable waterproof trainers)

 

[BRYAN]

I think it's rats, coming out to eat fewmets.

 

[wytonpjs]

I think it's rats, coming out to eat fewmets.

Had to Google that one

 

[Roebuck9]

At 3ins the hole seems too large to be rats they are normally about 1 ins, any more appeared if so could be moles?

 

[wytonpjs]

At 3ins the hole seems too large to be rats they are normally about 1 ins, any more appeared if so could be moles?

Absolutely nothing else in the vicinity. It has me stumped - my first thought after thinking rats was that they must be bloody ginormous

 

[wytonpjs]

Just adding to the flavour of this post - I said I had a little recovery job to do just before I went stalking the day before the hole appeared overnight, I cannot help but post this - bless

 

[Woodsmoke]

My vote would be rats also

 

[Robin]

Are there any mink in the area ? just thinking was it a mouse hole? along comes a mink smells the mouse and tries to scratch it out, just a thought

 

[wytonpjs]

Are there any mink in the area ? just thinking was it a mouse hole? along comes a mink smells the mouse and tries to scratch it out, just a thought

Interesting thought I'm not aware of any and we are over a mile from any large rivers. The other side of the bus lane in the trees is a much larger pond that is part of UWE and I would not be surprised to know that there are rats there given the numbers of Canada Geeese, Mallard and Moorhens present. If it was not so exposed, I'd set my trail cam but the students and low-lifes around here are thieving ba*^£rds!

 

[Cheviot]

it could be a water vole hole ?

 

[Fishcake]

Was there a for sale sign bashed in next to tree?

 

[ashray]

rat,all the rat holes around the pens and ponds are 3" or more

 

[wytonpjs]

Was there a for sale sign bashed in next to tree?

There was a tree stake but I removed that 2 years ago.......

 

[paul o']

Is that a john deer or an Oh dear ! Had lots like that when working for a large grass and school garden maintenance company every week there would be another story of how it got stuck or just could't stop the gang Major eating the goal nets or JCB 's sinking while spinning the wheels

 

[wytonpjs]

it could be a water vole hole ?

I wish but I believe they are normally in the bank with quick easy access to the water.

 

[Roebuck9]

As Robin says but it might also be a fox chased the mouse and tried to dig it out.

Are there any mink in the area ? just thinking was it a mouse hole? along comes a mink smells the mouse and tries to scratch it out, just a thought

 

[wytonpjs]

As Robin says but it might also be a fox chased the mouse and tried to dig it out.

Now there’s a thought. We have lots of foxes around here and that tree is on a favoured path. I filled it in yesterday with some clay and it was not disturbed last night or today.