Eye on Nature

I spotted a roadkill victim which was very unusual. It had a distinctive curved red beak, brown mottled plumage on itsback and grey mottled plumage on the breast. I take it to be a water rail, judging from the beak. I read that they are secretive birds.

Teresa Shore, Scoil Mhuire na n┴ird, Shillelagh, Co Wicklow

Yes, it was a water rail. They are common residents, but numbers increase in winter when birds arrive from Iceland and Europe. Their habitat is dense reed-beds, sedges and marshes. They are very difficult to see.

I saw a red admiral butterfly on Killiney Hill on November 10th.

Joe Kelly, Blackrock, Co Dublin

There have been several late sightings of red admirals from north to south, and several at Killiney on the same sunny day. Ian Rippey, a butterfly recorder in Portadown, has also reported sightings in these islands of other migrant species that should have departed long ago, even after a spell of cold weather. However, there has been very mild weather in September and October.

Some correspondents have been surprised to see swallows around at the end of October and the first days of November. This happens almost every year and can be attributed to late hatchings.

Michael Viney welcomes observations sent to him at Thallabawn, Carrowniskey PO, Westport, Co Mayo. E-mail: viney@anu.ie