During the nesting season last year I wondered what the cock blackbird was swishing in his beak, back and forth across the lawn grass. Could he have been cleaning the slime off a slug? One mid-morning in June his mate was searching for something to eat. He cleaned off his morsel as usual and then ran and fed it to her. She then moved to a hollow where the mown grass was longer and had a delightful dew bath.
Marie McCormick, Enniscrone, Co Sligo.
The cock blackbird was feeding a fledgling, not his mate. Both parents feed the young for some time after they leave the nest. He could have been cleaning slime off a slug or worm, or collecting grit which the young bird needs.
Some time ago I was awakened by an extraordinary animal noise in the field outside, followed by a chorus from seven cockerels in full doodle. The strange noise was repeated and, again, the chorus of cockerels; the exchange continued. I deduced that it was a fox as in their mating call there is a sound that can only be transcribed as "yapple-yapple-oooo". Each time the cockerels answered, the fox's next call was closer to the sounds they made. Allowing for his doggy voice the accuracy of his mimicry was astonishing.
Jane King, Rathmore, Naas, Co Kildare.
Edited by Michael Viney, who welcomes observations sent to him at Thallabawn, Carrowniskey PO, Westport, Co Mayo. E- mail: viney@anu.ie