I saw swarms of these flies on a lakeshore in Mayo at the end of March. Do you know what they are? Adrian Kenny, Portobello, Dublin
According to fisheries scientist Ken Whelan, they are chironomids (nonbiting midges) that live in the deeper areas of our loughs. They hatch in large numbers, usually in early to mid-April. Trout love to feed on them as they emerge. They are commonly called duckflies, though Whelan has no idea why. The ones you saw seem to have hatched somewhat earlier this year, possibly as a result of our warmer-than-usual March. Their life cycle begins as eggs in underwater holes, then as bloodworms, through to pupae slowly rising through the water and finally as mating flies, after their wings develop.
You can see from the photo that this ordinary sign on Laytown beach has been peppered with stones from the far side (of the sign, not the hereafter!). A closer look shows the odd patterns on the face of the sign. How might these patterns have been formed? These are not living creatures ... I think! Derek McCann, Bettystown, Co Meath
The stones were dashed against the back of the sign with such force during storms that the metal was raised in tiny rays around the impact point. These raised rays trapped the tiniest particles of the sand, which was blown against the sign, thus causing these interesting patterns.
Who or what is eating my apples? Celine Coughlan, Carlow
Your carefully stored apples are being eaten by a small mammal; you can see the tooth marks at the skin edge of the nibbled areas. The black rice-grain sized droppings give the game away: they are mice droppings, either field mice or house mice – I would need to know where you are storing your apples, but if in a cool outdoor shed it could well be field mice.
What is this beautifully coloured flower called? I saw small clumps of them in a field of cows, newly released after winterage. Is that as big as they’ll get? F Russell, Ballyvaughan
These are spring gentians, the most striking blue-coloured of all our wildflowers. They are really rare in Ireland, being typically found in other countries growing in high Alpine regions. But in the Burren, where you saw them, botanical rules are ignored by the plants and Alpine species such as this one grow beside Mediterranean species, such as the white-flowered, eight-petalled mountain avens. They are in flower in late April/early May and 7cm is as high as they grow. They are a real treat for the eyes and are probably the most famous of all the Burren flowers. They occasionally occur on karst in Co Galway and south Mayo as well.
I’ve had this unusual pheasant around my house in west Cork – indeed maybe more than one of them. Have you any ideas on where they may be coming from? Query by email
Pheasants are not native to this country at all but were introduced as game birds for shooting. Their true home is Asia, from the Caucasus Mountains across to China. Over the centuries different forms were introduced, bred by gamekeepers and released into the wild each year at the beginning of the shooting season. Black pheasants are described as being melanistic (the opposite of albino), the result of a mutant gene. In bright sun these males can exhibit beautifully iridescent electric blue and green sheens. They don’t all fall to the sportsman’s gun; this one has been lucky ... so far.
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