AN EYE ON NATURE

WE HAVE observed black mink at the mouth of the Ballinglen River (which flows through Ballycastle, Co Mayo, into Bunatrahir Bay). One evening, we watched one swimming in the river before heading for some nearby rabbit warrens. The animal seemed confident and unafraid. Presumably having no natural enemies it will thrive in Mayo to the detriment of other species, I fear.

Paul Kneafsey, Ballymachugh, Ballycastle, Co Mayo

It is a mark of the mink that it is not shy in humans. Up until 10 years ago mink were relatively scarce west of the Shannon, but since then many sightings have been reported. It had by then colonised almost all of the rest of the island and Chris Small, a mink expert with the Wildlife Service, has accepted that it is here to stay. With some local loss in the duck and waterbird populations, mink will carve out their own niche in the eco-system

IN mid-August we had an insect visitor to our garden (drawing enclosed). It sounded like a loud bee but with an added sound like rustling, dry paper. It looked very fierce, about seven centimetres long with a spike at the end of its body, an orange-rust coloured body with stripes on the upper half and bright, lemon-yellow spots on the head, and the same coloured legs and antennae. Do you have any idea what it could be?

Catherine Ryan, Castlerea, Co Roscommon

It was a female horntail, a member of the sawfly family, also called a wood wasp, which frequents pine woods. She is perfectly harmless; the tail is an ovipositor used to drill her eggs into tree trunks. The Kirvae take two or three years to mature in the timber before they emerge.