On August 28th I watched 189 gannets fly west past Mizen Head in 15 minutes.
Sandy Perceval
Tubbercurry, Co Sligo
They could have come from the nesting colony on the Great Saltee.
I saw a beautifully built straw nest, with a little entry hole, on top of a swallow's nest in the stable. Who was the resident?
Celia Geoghegan
Newtown Cunningham, Co Donegal
The nest in your photograph looks like a wren's. They often take over swallows' nests and weave loose straw nests.
I watched a seal in Ferrycarrig Estuary that between dives would shoot across the surface, making a huge bow wave. Could this be a fishing technique?
Brendan Keenan
Bray, Co Wicklow
Possibly, or interacting with another seal.
Could you identify an insect that I saw on hedging? It looked like a bumblebee but was plain black and very hairy.
Esther Dully
Glengarriff, Co Cork
Your photograph shows a giant tachinid fly – a parasite on large caterpillars.
Michael Viney welcomes observations at Thallabawn, Louisburgh, Co Mayo, or by email at viney@anu.ie. Please include a postal address
