A sparrowhawk killed two collared doves in our garden. She plucked the feathers off the first in front of us but carried off the second. Is she feeding young this late?
Jackie Eustace
Castlebar, Co Mayo
She could still be feeding fledglings and teaching them how to eat a prey bird.
Ants were moving eggs on my compost bin. What were the long-winged flies that were hanging around?
John Mullaney
Lucan, Co Dublin
They were winged male ants, waiting for the queen to emerge, when they would fly off into the sky with her to mate.
I found a flower like a bushy pink and yellow mop in a ditch. What is it?
Liam Tanaiste
Cill Tormóir, Co na Gaillimhe
From your photograph, it is not a flower but a growth called bedeguar gall, or robin's pincushion, caused by the gall wasp Diplolepis rosae on wild roses.
Gretta O'Donovan sent a photograph of a garden tiger moth, Kevin Cullen sent one of the caterpillar of the emperor moth, and Paul Burns photographed the caterpillar of the fox moth in the Mourne Mountains.
Michael Viney welcomes observations at Thallabawn, Louisburgh, Co Mayo, or by email at viney@anu.ie. Please include a postal address
