I recently saw three young peregrines feeding off a rook on the ground with parents supervising. As they attempted to take the food from each other, the young birds attracted the attention of a young fox. He was attacked right away by both parents who bowled him over in three stoops, making hard contact with his back. I've seen them attack foxes before but did not realise that they would inflict real damage. One of the parent foxes came later, but when she heard the aggressive call of the parent falcons she was gone in a flash. J F Carmody, Kilrush, Co Clare
At our riverside house, I have frequently seen a bat flying over and near the river in broad daylight - early morning and afternoon. Is this usual?
Fergus Jordan, Inistioge, Co Kilkenny
Daubenton's bat is the one that is seen skimming over water, picking insects out of the air or off the water using its large feet. The summer roosts are under bridges, in old stone buildings or hollow trees near the water.
I was surprised yesterday when my grandson produced a large, foxycoloured moth which he found in our farmyard. It was a northern eggar, and a particularly good specimen. To me, this is an unusual moth for this country. The specimen found was of large wingspan, coloured bright, russet brown with a bright golden spot on the wings. Is it widely found in this country, and what is its usual environment and food plant?
A K Gallie, Broadford, Co Kildare
The oak eggar (Lasiocampa quercus) has two subspecies in these islands, the northern eggar (Lasiocampa quercus callunae Palmer) which is found all over Ireland, and the southern subspecies called the oak eggar (Lasiocampa quercus quercus) found in the south of England and is not confirmed in Ireland. The northern eggar is darker in colour than the southern form but the female is lighter than the male. It overwinters as a small caterpillar, finishes growing the following year and overwinters in its second year as a pupa which emerges in May or June as a moth. It feeds on heather and bilberry. The southern oak eggar overwinters as a small caterpillar, pupates the following July and produces moths in August. It feeds on oak, hawthorn, sallows, bramble and other low- growing trees and shrubs.
Edited by Michael Viney, who welcomes observations sent to him at Thallabawn, Carrowniskey PO, Westport, Co Mayo