Eye on Nature

There are enormous heaps of empty shells under nearby hazel trees. I assumed squirrels stored the nuts, but do they eat them where they find them? Would any other animal eat them?
Michael Maye
Cong, Co Mayo

If you examine the hazelnuts you can tell what ate them. Squirrels split them as we would; the wood mouse gnaws a hole in the side of the nut.

I spotted a black swan in Skerries, in Co Dublin. Where could it have come from?
Paddy O'Reilly
Woodford, Co Galway

There was a black swan around Bray, Co Wicklow, in 2003. Swans can live for more than 20 years. It could have escaped from a zoo or from a private collection.

I found a dead shrew that was bigger than the pygmy shrew. Queen's University says it is a greater white-toothed shrew.
Joe Kearns
Birr, Co Offaly

The first discovery of the alien shrew in Ireland was made by Queen’s researchers in 2008 on the Limerick-Tipperary border. Since then reports have come from Cork, Laois, Kilkenny and now Offaly.

Michael Viney welcomes observations at Thallabawn, Carrowniskey PO, Westport, Co Mayo, or by email at viney@anu.ie. Please include a postal address