I counted the roof-nesting gulls at Dunmore East on June 9th and found nests for 67 herring gulls and three for great black-backed gulls. A disused fish factory had 12 nests. One house with five nests on the roof will be a noisy place when all the young hatch.
Declan McGrath
Waterford
The magpies were particularly raucous, and I saw two of them force a young fox out of the garden.
Ailís Ryan
Castleknock, Dublin
I observed a hooded crow squawking and hopping as it harassed an unhappy cat on the front lawn of Carlow College.
Robert Grandon
Carlow
Birds 2, mammals 0.
Last year a sparrowhawk took the swallow chicks out of the nests in our yard, and only about three young fledged successfully out of 14 nests. This year we have only two nests occupied, and my wife saw the male sparrowhawk hanging around the yard. If they persist I will have no swallows left to return next year.
John Petch
Kilbrittain, Co Cork
Michael Viney welcomes observations at Thallabawn, Louisburgh, Co Mayo, or by email at viney@anu.ie. Please include a postal address
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