Who is doing this and what are they doing?

Love the "heaving" suggestion. But it doesn't get that cold in Vancouver, WA. Sorry, guys. No heaving there - at least not the ground. LOL.

I still say it is some kind of bird -- I really think pardalinum is on the right track with the Western Scrub Jay.

Here is some info about them hiding their caches: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Western_Scrub-Jay.html

"The Western Scrub-Jay has been used in laboratory studies of its ability to hide (cache) and remember seeds. Jays that had stolen the caches of other jays noticed if other jays were watching them hide food. If they had been observed, they would dig up and hide their food again. Jays that had never stolen food did not pay any attention to whether other jays were watching them hide their food."

The little holes may be worm holes. In fact, that's what they look like. But the description of night crawler middens does not match these piles of sticks/pebbles.

Karen

The more I read through the suggestions, the more I'm beginning to wonder if it may not be a combination of two or more things at work? Possibly the Jays are taking advantage of a natural occurrence to build their little caches?

It's more likely that the worms are taking advantage of the jays. The jays loosen the soil and arrange the debris which then attracts the worms. When you look at the surface soil of Vicki"s yard, there really isn't much to attract the worms until the jays gather the debris.

That study was first published in the journal Science. It was after I read it that I started paying more attention to what these amazingly smart birds do!

Yes, I think so, too. One of the articles I read on the internet about the scrub jays is that in the winter they collect seeds and acorns to bury. They also move in flocks in the winter, so that would account for why there were so many little piles of stuff that showed up at one time.

If the worms are night crawlers, they could be very far down in the ground (up to 5-6') and the jays' activities in digging and burying caused the worms to come to the surface.

I know I have seen these little stick/rock piles before, but I still can't remember where or when. It may have been in Oregon as I lived in Portland for six years during the 1980s.

Karen

I suggest popping an email of your pics over to your extention service and see what they think. Although this thread is hilarious and it would be a shame to find out it is something ordinary lol.

LOL is this ground over your septic? Maybe you need RID - X

lol

Why not take a shovel and carefully dig around and lift up one of the piles. Then you can see if anything is under there.

i'm still holding out for the all night vigil person to show up cause i just gotta KNOW.

I KNOW WHAT THOSE ARE!!! How do I know?? My husband used to study them for hours on end, much to my consternation. They are little trap pits made by ant-lions. You may not know what ant-lions are- they are little bugs that look sort of like little earwigs- they dig holes as a trap for wandering ants. When an ant falls in, they flip up dirt over and over until the ant falls to the bottom - and then, like a spider, it consumes the fluids of the ant (gross, I know) and disposes of the rest of the ant. When it matures, the ant-lion changes (sort of like a butterfly) into a green lace wing flying bug- like a little green moth. You can keep them as pets, as did my husband, feed them ants, as did he- give them names, and look up library books about them. It was a hard time for our marriage, but we survived it.

Hope that helps you!

I maybe spoke too soon. Oops. Maybe I need glasses. When I looked at the pics, they looked like ant lion holes. When I enlarged it, though, I think I was wrong. Sorry.

LOL, don't be sorry! I learned something today, even if it didn't answer the original question. This is so funny!

I think it's catchy! I went out to the sunroom to water my elephant ears where they are over wintering and after a bit a mound of fluffy soil appeared in the pot. I don't wanna know what is living in there.........

Pictures so we can guess?

Amber, that's very cool! I have heard of ant-lions but didn't know anything about them.

OK here it goes...it is creepy!

Amber,

I loved the story anyway. When my brother was small he kept spiders as pets, but he did keep them outside. They were the house spiders that make a big funnel-type of web. He would drop flies down to the spider. When the spider would see his shadow over the top of the web and hear him call it, it would run to the top to get the fly. I remember one was named George. Don't remember the names of the other ones.

Karen

OK Mamajack, I'm that person who cant sleep, or I could be the kid who wants paid to stay up all night, after staying on this thread I dont think anyone will sleep, the suspense is killing me,
Can you imagine what I was like every Christmas eve as a child ??????, no, thats another threads worth of answers. I leave for Florida 29th this month and I ain't missing my flight for aliens, pixies, Fairies, bees or night Jays, so will I bring my camera or my shot gun, answers on a post card please, wish the darn creatures would hurry up and return, It's 1:45 am in the morning here in Scotland, so must go off to bed as it looks like Mamajack needs me and I want to be ready for my all nighter. ha, ha, ha. WeeNel.

Well, I've been waiting and waiting since this started and STILL no one has a definite answer.
I do agree that they look like something deliberately made piles. There are more sticks and things in the piles than the surrounding ground.
I'd go with the bird thing.

I grew up with ant lions. They were in sandy areas. Not in the clay areas of the yard. I would take a pine needle and lightly tap around the top edge towards the center of the hole like a trapped ant that was trying to get out would. Then the lion would come up and I would get him! They were cute, soft bodied and had large (for their size) pinchers. I always put them back. (To trick another day!)

(Hey, I was an only child and needed something to do to pass the time!)

weenel, can you change that florida ticket? we need you on the other side of the country.

Mamajack, we visited Tex 2 years ago, it was just so amazing, all the diversity of plants that grew, even the wild prairie plants looked spectacular in there natural environment, when I looked at them and then compared that to the gardens where folks attempt to grow prairie gardens on their own space, nature wins hands down, we had a fab time then went off to Hawaii for a few weeks, totally different again I know, but then nothing man can create can ever match what nature can do without even trying.

Hope these darn critters have came back to Vickie's garden, my excitement will be the death of me, I will try get the airline captain to make a stop over there en route, tell him Mamajack said so. ha, ha, ha. Weenel.

I still vote for pardalimum's suggestion of the scrub jays. I checked the internet and scrub jays do exactly like what is shown in the photo -- since they also travel in large groups during the winter, that's probably the reason that so many little piles of stuff appeared at one time -- lots of little beaks at work!

Karen

weenel, i'd love to visit scotland being william wallace country and all. and exactly what do you do to get to travel so much? obviously, i made some wrong decisions somewhere along the line. but you better not tell those airline people anything. i don't want to be on any kind of government list. lol

and glendalekid......it is a good guess. but we don't KNOW it!!

Mamajack, how could you be put on any government list, or any other gardener for that matter, all we do as gardeners is try make our world a little more beautiful, we take care of nature and we inspire to make a little Oasis for others to walk in our footsteps, so dont you worry, I will not get any government officials to step into your little patch of paradise,
But that Vickie Jackson, well she better get the results of her problem sorted before I leave UK or, em, wellllllll, i dont know yet, but I will have to come up with something to solve her puzzle eh, I've been telling friends about this happening in her garden, they are not really impressed by my rather unusual conversation, but politely listening and perhaps wondering if I'm on some strong medication, but they dont know the answers either, but hey, each to their own, my list of friends is shrinking as I write. take care. WeeNel.

good grief, weenel. how old did you say you were? even if you're a kid, will you be my friend? say yes or no. lol i was only being goofy about the "government list". i was making a joke about airport security nowadays.

but you are pretty funny and i hope we get to talk again.

"Government list". Good one, Mama! LOL

Whatever it is better show itself soon and stop keeping us all in "suspenders".

okay, I just read this entire thread....and you still dont have an answer? Did you ever find out what is it? Now,I'M dying to know!

You may have to get used to disappointment like the rest of us. ☺ We've been on pins and needles for WEEKS!!!

but I love a good mystery! even more when they have an ENDING! :o)
And my mom and sis live in WA, if there is an alien invasion happening there, I need to warn them :o)

I have a brother watching the skies, as well.

OK, I just read the whole thread, and I have NO idea what is living (eek!) in your yard. I enjoyed the story about the Ant Lions. I had a tarantula when I was a kid and we would catch crickets to feed her. Sometimes she would gobble them up right away, sometimes she would stalk them for a week. Good clean family fun!

Please keep us updated!

We did, too! ☺ Hey, when you don't have a TV...

I think its some kind of worm, I have lots of worms in my beds and see them sliver back into their hole really quickly. they are small, so I would never have noticed the hole (but then again I cant see well so who knows!)

I really don't think there will be anything more to see. They came; they built the stick mounds; they left. I'm still voting for the scrub jays as the culprits!


Karen

I have this thread on my watch list, and when I saw it pop up I thought, "YES!".
Anxiously, I clicked over here, expecting for the mystery to finally be solved....and...???
Sigh. ;) Nope, just more of us wanting to know if the mystery was soved. LOL!

Sorry, but I was up late reading and got hooked!

lol! what happened to Vicki? did aliens take her away?!

I'm just curious if that it were birds why are there no prints in the wet soil? For that matter, if it were any animal why are there no prints at all..hmmm ...leaning towards alien mound piles here...always happens before a crop circle...LOL

maybe alien worms?

I do believe you have hit the nail on the head LOL