A friend found a bicoloured dahlia in her garden. The flower is half red and half pink. What's going on?
Mike Egan
Ballivor, Co Meath
Bicoloured flowers occur as mutations; plants are sometimes then bred from them and marketed as specialities. Tulips and dahlias are prone to such mutations.
On Inis Meáin I came across a climbing plant with spikes of tubular white flowers tipped with dark pink. What was it?
Fergus Russell
Whitehall, Dublin
From your photo it is ramping fumitory, a quite rare plant, found on Inish Meáin and in a few spots on the southeast coast.
I found a small dead hawk on the N11 at the Glen of the Downs. You would not think a bird like that would be roadkill.
Alan Flett
Delgany, Co Wicklow
It is a merlin, the small falcon, from your photo. There are a good few in the Wicklow Mountains. Many are summer visitors, but there is a small breeding population.
Vincent O'Brien and Fergus Russell sent photos of the oak eggar moth. Its caterpillars feed on heather, bramble and hawthorn.
Michael Viney welcomes observations at Thallabawn, Louisburgh, Co Mayo, or by email at viney@anu.ie. Please include a postal address
