I was excavating a large clump of perennial irises recently when I unearthed a number of golden-brown mice at a depth of about nine inches. I managed to catch one and noticed it had long, black legs and large ears. What are they and, more to the point, what are they doing in my garden?
Mark Helmore, Burrin, Co Clare
They were field mice, Apodemus sylvaticus, (called wood mice in Britain), which are handsome animals. They live in underground tunnels and you don't know that they live in your garden, because they are nocturnal. Their legs are usually pale, but there are local variations.
We saw two swallows on December 7th near Howe's Strand, Kilbrittain, Co Cork. They might have been juveniles, as their tail feathers seemed short. Is it usual for swallows to remain this late?
Rois in Crowley, Douglas, Cork
They must have been juveniles from, perhaps, a third clutch. The late clutch may have been encouraged by the abnormally high temperatures in late summer and autumn (global warming?). November is not unusual for the departure of swallows but December is quite late.
Copies of the Crann calendar of native hedgerow trees and tall shrubs are available from Crann, Leitrim. Tel/fax 07831913.
While out hill-walking in Wicklow, I came on three deer grazing. I came to a dead halt and, as I was downwind, watched them for about 15 minutes. While two would graze the other would keep watch, and they would alternate every few minutes. One in particular seemed to sense my presence and spent a long time staring in my direction. Every so often she would stretch her head forward and test the wind, and while she was doing this she would also lift a foreleg and crook it back in a very genteel manner, which reminded me of a young lady drinking tea with her little finger daintily bent. David F. Nolan, Santry, Dublin, 9