I have noticed that rooks flying over our garden had what looked like large berries in their beaks.
One landed in our garden and she actually had a small pine cone which she proceeded to bury. Were they storing cones for the winter?
Margaret Cradden, Newbuildings, Derry
Although the diet of rooks is mainly earthworms and insects, they also eat grain, seeds, fruit, potatoes and the seeds of cones and acorns. They sometimes cache food.
On Derrymore Strand, in Tralee Bay, my six-year-old daughter, Dáire, was collecting mermaids' purses when she found one measuring 11-12 centimetres long and nine centimetres wide. Was it a freak?
Bernard Mac Brádaigh, Tralee, Co Kerry
The egg capsule was either that of a dogfish or a skate. The dogfish purses have long tendrils at each corner and the skate purses have points or horns.
I saw a beautiful bird in Kilbogget Park, Cabinteely, bigger than a robin, with bright red front, deep blue back and a bit of white around the wing. The nearest bird in my guide book was a kingfisher, but the colours were not strong enough, and the beak seemed a lot smaller than a kingfisher's.
Jim Harding, Blackrock, Co Dublin
It could only have been a kingfisher, probably a young one with pristine plumage.
Edited by Michael Viney, who welcomes observations sent to him at Thallabawn, Carrowniskey PO, Westport, Co Mayo. E-mail: viney@anu.ie. Observations sent by e-mail should be accompanied by a postal address.