I awoke with a stinging sensation on my hand and chin. I dislodged the “guest”, which was about 1.5mm long – a light-brown blob with a thorn about half its length. The sting still ached after 10 hours.
Michael Martin, Ballon, Co Carlow
Google identified it as a bee sting.
A strange bird perched on our garden fence. It had a brown head and glossy black back. It seemed too large for a blackbird.
Mary O’Brien, Rathfarnham, Dublin
It was a juvenile male blackbird moulting into his adult plumage, from your photo. They moult from the back, so the head is last.
A large white lump of a substance like cake mixture appeared overnight near my house. Is it a type of fungus, and what causes it to grow?
Mark McCloskey, Drogheda, Co Louth
It is one of the forms of a slime mould called “dog’s sick”,
Mucilago crustacea
, which is a protist and has the characteristics of both fungus and animal. It passes through several forms, colours and sizes, and feeds on bacteria. The next stage is black, when it spreads spores.
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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