Michael Viney answers your questions on nature.
I found a small yellowfin tuna on Old Head beach in Co Mayo on December 27th. It measured 65 centimetres, and weighed just under seven kilos. It had eight dorsal and anal finlets, and the fins and finlets were yellow. It was freshly dead and in perfect condition.
Myles Heneghan, Louisburgh,
Co Mayo
The normal range for the yellowfin tuna is from the Azores to South Africa. This juvenile came much farther north and into colder water than it was used to.
Driving along the M1 I noticed a hovering bird of prey at four different locations on the motorway. I often see them but not so many in one journey.
Martin Crotty, Blackrock, Co Louth.
It was more than likely a kestrel. They are known to hover near roadsides searching for rodents.
On a visit to Kerry last month I noticed the rhododendron in Killarney National Park were in bloom, and the gorse on the hill was flowering. On descending Macgillycuddy Reeks I saw swarms of midges in the warm sun. Global warming.
Kevin Gormley, Stillorgan, Co Dublin.