Occasionally when fishing I have retrieved what appears to be a piece of brown line about 8-10in long. It has no apparent head and wriggles.Noel Byrne, Riverstown, Co Offaly
It sounds like a horsehair worm. They go into the water to mate and lay eggs. The microscopic larvae enter an insect's body, where they grow to maturity and then emerge to start a new cycle.
My daughter and her husband, who live in a very wooded location, have, they believe, observed woodpeckers around the house and nearby trees. Is this very unusual in Ireland?
Berrie O'Neill, Sydenham Ave, Belfast
The great spotted woodpecker is an occasional visitor to Ireland but reports are more frequent on the east coast.
I found some marine species washed up on Carrowmore Beach, near Louisburgh in Co Mayo, with soft, spherical, white centres, about 3cm in diameter and translucent, mussel-like shells attached.
DavidO'Sullivan, Co Cork
They were buoy barnacles (Dosima fascicularis) fastened to the float which they had extruded.
It sounds like a horsehair worm. They go into the water to mate and lay eggs. The microscopic larvae enter an insect's body, where they grow to maturity and then emerge to start a new cycle.
My daughter and her husband, who live in a very wooded location, have, they believe, observed woodpeckers around the house and nearby trees. Is this very unusual in Ireland?
Berrie O'Neill, Sydenham Ave, Belfast
The great spotted woodpecker is an occasional visitor to Ireland but reports are more frequent on the east coast.
I found some marine species washed up on Carrowmore Beach, near Louisburgh in Co Mayo, with soft, spherical, white centres, about 3cm in diameter and translucent, mussel-like shells attached.
DavidO'Sullivan, Co Cork
They were buoy barnacles (Dosima fascicularis) fastened to the float which they had extruded.
Cleggan
. Send observations to Michael Viney, Thallabawn, Carrowniskey PO, Westport, Co Mayo; e-mail: viney@anu.ie (include a postal address)