Could it have been a mink, or a stoat, that appeared beside me in the garden? A beautiful dark-brown, furry creature. It was long and thin and quite unafraid. The old Harcourt St railway, which is full of wildlife, runs behind our garden and from time to time we hear horrible screams as of an animal in pain.
- Finuala Chapman, Foxrock, Co Dublin
It was a stoat and probably liable for some of the screams you hear. Stoats prey on rabbits although much larger than them; they fasten on to the throat of the rabbit and kill it.
I have noticed over the last 10 years a steady depletion in the insect populations. Numbers are now so low as to verge on complete absence. Is this a national problem and how serious is it?
- Raymond Callan, Ardee, Co Louth
Insects are very plentiful here, but then we have an organic garden. The dearth of insects in your area could occur from heavy insecticide use (or maybe Sellafield - who knows?)
Eye on Nature received a photograph of a pine hawkmoth from Jack Sheehan in Kilmeadon, Co Waterford. As far as I know it has not been recorded previously in Ireland, but it is found in the south of England, and could have hitched a lift on a container truck.
Edited by Michael Viney, who welcomes observations sent to him at Thallabawn, Carrowniskey PO, Westport, Co Mayo. email: viney@anu.ie. Observations sent by email should be accompanied by postal address as location is sometimes important to identification or behaviour.