Each autumn, a tracery of fine web appears on the morning hedges. It always seems to happen on foggy mornings with sun breaking through.
Terence J Byrne, Sligo
These are the sheet webs of the tiny money spiders whose webs are vast compared with their own small size. They are composed of a multitude of webs which are originally dome-shaped. When dew settles on them they become concave and appear quite thick.
After three years of coaxing, I finally got two coal tits to nest in my home- made nest box. When the birds had flown I found an unhatched egg. Should I remove it or leave it as it is?
Paddy Duggan, Rathfarnham, Dublin
The usual measurement for the entrance hole in a nest box for tits is 29mm, but if it is slightly smaller it will prove more attractive to coal tits. In competition for nests, the coal tit usually loses out to the blue and great tits, and the smaller width deters these competitors. Nest boxes should be cleaned out, including any addled eggs, and a pyrethrum-based insecticide used on them to kill parasites. Then put in a thin layer of moss to make it inviting to a new tenant.
Eye on Nature is edited by Michael Viney, who welcomes observations sent to him at Thallabawn, Carrowniskey PO, Westport, Co Mayo; viney@anu.ie E-mails should be accompanied by a postal address.