Almond and Walnut problems - Any ideas

[gray_bale]

Here's Almond photo only just taken. Almond has had its outer husk all pealed off then the nut taken from out of its skin. The floor is covered in husk shaving etc. Any ideas or suggestions.

http://www.gb-online.co.uk/plant_centre ... lmond6.jpg

Here's some other photos just taken of my Walnut tree (Juglans Regia). The trees are about 15 years old and every year this happens. I have previously just put it down to late frosts killing the tips. But his year we have not had any late frosts. The 30cm tips have been 'chewed', causing the tip to bend over, almost dropping off. The 2nd photo is after a couple of weeks, covering all of the walnut trees.

Now this is the first year that these walnuts have had a noticeable large crop. As all of the nuts have now dissapeared, I am wondering if the chew mark was were the nuts were.

http://www.gb-online.co.uk/plant_centre ... alnut6.jpg
http://www.gb-online.co.uk/plant_centre ... alnut7.jpg

I apologise for the file size, but I think its justified to illustrate the point.

[Millymollymandy]

I don't know the answer but I would put it down to something that likes eating immature nuts. Grey squirrel? Seems a bit odd that they've chewed through half the stalk of the walnuts but maybe they took the nuts off and went and stored them somewhere. It's rather mysterious. Our squirrel(s) - red ones- waited until the walnuts were ripe before stealing them. Don't know anything about almonds but I assume they aren't near ripe yet either. Poor you!