Michael Viney responds to queries and observations on nature
Recently at Howth summit I observed a dramatic aerial display by two large birds of prey, some hundreds of feet up. They were dark-brown underneath with a broad somewhat lighter tail and a light-brown neck. They soared with imperceptible wing movements, except when one dived at great speed from a height at the other which momentarily fluttered, breaking its glide.
Anthony P Clery, Howth, Co Dublin.
They were probably a pair of buzzards.
It was a beautiful day. I was in the garden and our kitchen door was open. First a magpie entered and we got it out. Then, a few hours later, I found a sparrowhawk in situ. It knocked down all the bits and pieces on the window sill before being captured by my husband, wearing heavy duty gloves.
June Johnston, Blackrock, Co Dublin.
Do robins feed directly to their young chicks or do they regurgitate the food? Does she stay on the nest at night after the chicks are hatched? How long does it take before the chicks are fledged?
Pádraic Breathnach, Limerick.
Robins feed the chicks directly and brood on the nest at night. The chicks are fledged at 12-15 days.