I was climbing Knocknarea in August when I came across a group of French people who were fascinated with the antics of this wee spider.
Emer O’Shea, Ballyshannon, Co Donegal
It's the harvestman Leiobunum rotundum, sometimes called the daddy-long-legs fly. It's not a spider but belongs to the same group, the arachnids.
This was growing on a thatched roof at Wexford Heritage Park. Is it fruiting or flowering?
Christopher Daly, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14
It's a lichen of the many Cladonia species, probably Cladonia bellidiflora. In Britain it's called toy soldier lichen, probably because of its red fruiting body.
On the Eglinton Canal in Galway I saw an adult mute swan with four juveniles attacking another juvenile by sitting on its back and biting its neck. The juvenile was struggling to get free. I know nature is cruel but it was still upsetting. I didn't wait around to see the outcome.
Rory McGuinn, Galway
It does seem cruel but it appears that if a juvenile is unhealthy or is lagging behind the rest of the brood through disease, accident or parasites, then the parents kill it in the interests of the rest of the flock. That may be what happened there.
This mushroom, identified as stinkmorchel or Phallus impudicus, appeared in our garden. It was covered with a green/brown goo, which attracted flies that cleared it off within an hour or two. What is the goo and what’s in it for the flies?
Valleri Switzer, Kilmaley, Co Clare
It’s a sweet substance that contains proteins, of benefit to the flies, and carries the spores of the stinkhorn. It smells like carrion, which attracts the flies and, instead of laying their eggs in it, they eat it, later excrete it and carry it away on their legs, thus spreading the spores.
Darlene Everitt from Drogheda inadvertently caught this deer in a call of nature in the Phoenix Park.
Ethna Viney welcomes observations and photographs at Thallabawn, Louisburgh, Co Mayo F28 F978, or by email at viney@anu.ie. Include a postal address
