Brown leaves - the mystery

[sime42]

Here we go then, I finally got around to having a look at one of these trees closely. It looks like @openspaceman is on the money with his suggestion. Squirrel damage. Not so much ring barking as complete bark stripping though. Above about 18 inches from ground level almost all of the bark was gone from this young Sycamore. Apart from some random branches. They were dead anyway though as the whole trunk below was skinned. It was amazing, I've never seen anything like it, such extensive damage. If it wasn't for the height and the fact that it was in an urban park/recreational area I would have said it was deer work.

 

I'm sure I've never seen this as bad in previous years, I wonder why the little bastards are doing it now.