[Goldfinger]

Planted an apple tree ( more like 'stick') earlier this year, and it started to get some nice first leaves on  a while back.

Now, something's come along and munched off a part of each leaf! 

I have put some slug pellets around the base because I have put a few strawberry runners I got off a fellow plotter around the base, only just until the tree gets a bit bigger.

Who do you think the culprit could be?

Pigeons....? I'm not sure, because theres plenty of 'other' juicy greens about at the moment.

[arugula]

Some sort of caterpillar perhaps?

[Goldfinger]

Some sort of caterpillar perhaps?

This time of year?  :blink:

Thought it would be too early for them still??

[arugula]

Mm... I suppose it depends on how your temperatures have been. Here we've had loads of bees out on some days also butterflies and others you would expect when it is more summery..

[Grubbypaws]

You are a bit too far for it to be my sparrows; If they can eat my raspberry leaves I am sure they would have been tempted by your apple leaves 

[New shoot]

Are the leaves notched at the edges - could be adult vine weevils, they love fruit tree leaves 

[Goldfinger]

Many have been eaten down to the middle vein of the leaves. 

Sparrows? Never thought of them....

[Grubbypaws]

We have a fair size 'colony' of sparrows living in the hedge and they munch on all things green.

When they are eating dandelion leaves and grass that is OK but they have now eaten all the leaves off my unprotected raspberry canes. Last year it was the peas.

I haven't seen them on my apple tree but seeing what they eat I cant see why they wouldn't like the leaves 

This is one side of gardening organically that I hadn't catered for; the plot is beginning to resemble Alcatraz  :blink: