I found what could have been a butterfly or a moth in our kitchen. Can you tell us about it and its name?
Martha Byrne
Spiddal, Co Galway
From the photograph you sent, it is the large emerald moth, which flies from June to August and is found in woods, in hedges and on heaths.
I found clusters of transparent ridged spheres on Rosslare Strand. Are they eggs?
Lily Brady (aged 14)
Tallaght, Dublin
Walking along the water's edge in Kilmuckridge, in Co Wexford, we saw thousands of creatures, none bigger than a gooseberry. They had a jelly consistency, were opaque and seemed to have ridges inside. Were they young jellyfish?
Billy Harrison
Carlow
What both of you have seen are sea gooseberries, one of the comb jellies, which are not the same as jellyfish. They have eight ridges like tiny combs, stretching from the top to the bottom, that they move to swim. They are found all around the coast but are mostly seen in summer.
I was delighted to see a male whinchat on scrubland inside the north beach in Arklow towards the end of June. I have never seen one in Ireland.
Peter Thompson
Arklow, Co Wicklow
The whinchat is an occasional summer visitor and a regular passage migrant; it is particularly seen near the south and southeast coasts.
We have three feeders in the garden and enjoy watching birds feeding. Lately I've noticed that many of the birds are very young, and I wonder if feeding them will prevent them learning how to forage.
Larry Hynes
Galway
It is probably a good idea to stop feeding the birds during the summer and early autumn, when plenty of food is around.
Ethna Viney welcomes observations and photographs at Thallabawn, Louisburgh, Co Mayo, F28 F978, or by email at viney@anu.ie. Please include a postal address