Feral cats are about the same size as a domestic cat, usually black ans white and live in large gangs.

The native wild cat is an altogether different beast, much larger, tabby colour, solitary and secretive by nature. If you are lucky enough to have this as a visitor do not try to approach it. Treat it like a small tiger.

But what would dig holes?

Rabbits: I don't think you are complaining about rabbits.

Badgers: They dig big holes, they are agile although I don't think they climb trees. They live in communities and the locals would know if badgers are nearby.

Mink: Possible.

Fox: Most likely suspect. Agile, digs big holes, generally wrecks the garden and leaves obnoxious messages where you are most likely to find them.

Bears: ????

I go with foxes. Quite capable of scaling a high fence and they love to dig holes. They only seem to bother my garden in winter, I think they are looking for worms and other stuff to eat. They will repeatedly come back to the same area until you break them of the habit. Try some chicken wire or similar on the areas where they dig. I haven't found any spray or powder that will deter them. BTW, the droppings smell worse than cats and they tend not to bury them, so that's a sure sign of a fox.

Hi there

Thanks for the great response. We have discovered what's digging the holes........a simple bird, looks like a blackbird. We caught it red handed making a right old mess. Still not figured what's been lying in the bark chips at night though, although do think it's most likely to be an urban fox or ferral cat. It's this one bird that's making all the holes, and must be doing it in the early morning before we are up, although we caught it in the afternoon.

My mistake the bird that is digging holes and making a mess is not a blackbird........it's a very fat large Robin which causing all the destruction. Would green strawberry netting over the bark chips stop the bird from doing this every day?? We shoo it away when we catch it.......but it now is not scared by us any more.

Any ideas how to deter a determined Robin ????

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Robins are this country's national bird and the gardener's friend. Every garden has at least one or two of these small birds and they do not dig holes or cause mayhem. They sleep all night and spend most of the day sitting in the bushes singing but will investigate any excavation for small worms etc.

I think you are grasping at straws and attempting to fit up anything that goes near the crime scene. You complained of flattened bushes and big holes in the garden and now expect us to believe a gram of feathers, fluffed up to keep out the cold, is doing this!

Give the robin some breadcrumbs and enjoy its melodies.
Give the fox a tin of whiskers near the door and you may get a look at it.

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One thing I am lacking in my extensive photo collection is holes. This ommision I will have to work on next year as the topic of holes in the garden seems to crop up on a regular basis.

Blackbirds are quite aggressive about throwing around mulch to look for things to eat, but I haven't seen them go so far as to dig anything I would call a hole in soil. Magpies will also, they'll investigate absolutely anything and can be quite destructive. I've never even seen my resident robin messing with the mulch, they seem happier flitting about through the bushes, although they do come down to ground level if there is something to make it worth their while.

Blackbirds will make a real mess of the mulch. i have put down bark chippings and been really pleased with the appearance. I have then come back after half an hour and found it strewn all over the lawn. However i just brush it back with a besom broom. I would never attempt to deter either a robin or blackbirds. The garden would be lifeless without them. As for digging holes it would not be birds, they just scrape around the surface and chuck loose stuff about. Cats would not regularly dig holes and wild ones would not dig any cause they do not bury faeces. Foxes or badgers will dig though their work is often described as scrapes and badgers will leave little scrapes all over the lawn as they go after worms.
I am wondering about squirrels. They are actively burying food at the moment or might even be searching for food. They could be doing it as soon as it is light. We get grey squirrels in our garden but I have not seen them yet, but my wife has. As to deterring them.... I don't think anyone can. If its red squirrels then i certainly would not bother but instead would try to encourage them with food. The reds need all the help they can get.

We also have birds who like to make the garden untidy! They seem to turn over the moss from the roof and gutters and when I get up in the morning its all strewn over the patio. They also pull out the moss between paving slabs. I think it's blackbirds that do this or maybe starlings.

Self-cleaning gutters. Beautiful! I'm pretty sure its magpies that let me know when my gutters need cleaning :)

To the person who said I was clutching at straws, and as much as called me a liar.......Unless there's another bird with a red breast........then it IS a robin causing all the mess and holes in our bark chips. We catch it RED HANDED every day & I can assure you it is NOT sleeping. I don't need glasses and I AM aware what a robin looks like. If it were just singing a sweet little tune, then it would be my best friend too.........but it's NOT. We have a picture of it taken only yesterday in the process of digging a hole with it's beak........but sadly I cannot post it on this site or I most certainly would.

And whatever was lying in the bushes at night, is no longer doing it, that will remain a mystery.