While walking the rocks a few weeks ago at low tide I came across a sponge which amazed me, (drawing enclosed). I've recognised sponge in rock pools but only in the form of a covering layer which remains submerged and attached to the rocks. This particular sponge is as large as an Uncle Ben's jar (in which it is now living) and has no appearance of being attached to rocks or any other object.
Betty Breathnach, An Bunbeag, Co Dun na nGall Your sponge is a cluster of the egg cases of the common whelk.
Can you identify a bird that has lived in our garden since January. It looks like a moorhen - black with a white stripe on its side, white patch under tail-feathers and long legs. When disturbed feeding on the ground, it scuttles into the shrubbery, and habitually lives in a hawthorn tree. Disturbed from its tree it makes a lot of noise as it flies off. In flight it is distinctive as it makes an arc. We live near Swords/Donabate so the sea and Broadmeadow salt water estuary are not far away. Jane Bolton, Sword, Co Dublin It is a moorhen. They often roost in bushes and trees and fly at night particularly in spring and autumn. They are omnivorous and occasionally frequent gardens, not too far from water.
In mid-April I was camping at the mouth of Streamstown Bay near Clifden when I spotted a very large, soaring bird which I believe was a young sea eagle. The underplumage was not uniform hence I say "young" bird, but given the size, flight characteristic and white tail I don't know what else it could be. Have you heard of any other sightings?
Canon David Williams, email (no address)
Eye on Nature had a report (18/10/97) of a sighting of a sea/white-tailed eagle at Carrowkeel, Co Sligo.
Last year I read that tits were capable of eating 50,000 greenfly in a season. I have had a major problem with aphids in a fruiting cherry, so I lost no time in constructing a bird-house in the tree. Nesting operations started within a week - result, a tree as clean as a whistle.
Joe Solan, email (no address)
In our garden, near the compost bins, we have a resident which we believe is a weasel. It is approximately 20-22 cms including a rather short tail, rust-brown colour and white patch in front. We have been told that there are no weasels in Ireland, but our Dutch encyclopedia states that weasels live all over Europe.
F. Werdmolder, Killiney, Co Dublin
There are no weasels in Ireland; your guest is a stoat which, normally, has a long tail with a black tip. The stoat flips up its tail at an attacking bird of prey and distracts it with the black tip, losing it in the process. As it gets older the tail is likely to get shorter.
Edited by Michael Viney, who welcomes observations sent to him at Thallabawn, Carrowniskey PO, Westport, Co Mayo. e-mail: viney@anu.ie