Twigs stuck vertically in the gound by unidentifed creature

firkin · 15-01-2018 1:24pm #1

Some creature is sticking twigs vertically in the ground. They seem to gather up little piles of twigs and post one vertically! Any ideas what the creature is? Thanks.

New Home · 15-01-2018 8:09pm

The Lesser Spotted Boy Scout?

Corvids are known to use sticks as tools, but I don't know if after they've used them they'd leave them stuck into the ground.

In contrast to your pictures, I lost a very young potted walnut and a potted bilberry plant to nesting corvids...

firkin · 15-01-2018 8:37pm

New Home wrote: »

Corvids are known to use sticks as tools,

Interesting. Didn't consider birds. I was thinking more along the lines of ants or worms. But its possible.
Definitely not boy scouts. They went extinct here around 1976-ish

firkin · 15-01-2018 8:55pm

Here are a couple of photos of softer leaves. They look more like they were dragged in rather than pushed in. There is clay there that looks like worm casts?

Alun · 15-01-2018 10:05pm

Could it be something trying to drag the twigs underground, rather than sticking them into the ground?

firkin · 16-01-2018 5:52pm

Thats what I was thinking.
And there has been a lot of rain and the ground is quite wet. I wonder if it's a way of keeping a kind of air vent open?
I've seen ants in a few of those locations. Flying ants.

firkin · 11-01-2019 9:03pm

An old thread, but I finally found the answer. Earthworms!(PDF)

They can even move stones around their burrows.

Alun · 11-01-2019 9:08pm

Ah, so I was right that it was something dragging them underground rather than sticking them in from above. Fascinating!

firkin · 11-01-2019 9:14pm

More missing images

firkin · 11-01-2019 9:16pm

Alun wrote: »

Ah, so I was right that it was something dragging them underground rather than sticking them in from above. Fascinating!

Yeah, your were dead on. I'd never have guessed earthworms. Went up in the dark this evening and I could see them. They withdraw real quick when they sense the torch light.

SmartinMartin · 11-01-2019 9:19pm

firkin wrote: »

Went up in the dark this evening and I could see them. They withdraw real quick when they sense the torch light.

Jayzus, dogging earthworms!

firkin · 11-01-2019 9:21pm

Esel · 11-01-2019 11:59pm

It's Jim.

fryup · 13-01-2019 2:23pm

i've seen fairly long sticks in the back garden stuck down an inch deep, surely earthworms aren't strong enough for that??

New Home · 13-01-2019 2:27pm

I'd say they would be - if they can dig tunnels through any type of soil, I'd say they can.

vistafinder · 14-01-2019 8:51pm

Now that is impressive.

fryup · 14-01-2019 11:32pm

fryup wrote: »

i've seen fairly long sticks in the back garden stuck down an inch deep, surely earthworms aren't strong enough for that??

New Home wrote: »

I'd say they would be - if they can dig tunnels through any type of soil, I'd say they can.

really?

must take a pic of it the next time i see it, i honestly though it was someone up to mischief

Twigs stuck vertically in the gound by unidentifed creature

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