Observations on Nature
On the commonage on the south side of Mannin Bay in Connemara, we were puzzled by a small, dark-brown bird with black beak and legs, which was flocking around sheep. It was a bit smaller than a starling.
John & Angela Mulligan, Sandycove, Co Dublin.
Juvenile starlings gather on commonages among sheep at this time of year, and give marvellous displays of flock aerobatics.
For the last few years a strange fungus has appeared on my lawn. It starts out as a half-submerged white ball and then breaks out into an orange-red honeycomb-like structure, with an unpleasant rotting smell, which attracts flies. I identified it as red cage or Clathrus ruber.
Apparently it is very rare and grows only in the Mediterranean. Does the smell make it a health risk, or should I take steps to get rid of it?
Niall Mac Coitir, Clontarf, Dublin 3
It used to grow south of the English Channel, but it seems it has spread northwards with the increasing use of bark mulch in gardens.
The smell does not make it a health risk.