Observations on Nature
I went out walking in the local woods on December 30th and found the first frog spawn of 2003.
Conor Kelleher, West Cork
I was out feeding the ducks in Herbert Park on Christmas Day, but I have since been told that feeding bread to ducks is harmful to them. Is this true and is there an alternative feed such as bird seed or whatever?
Conor McCarthy, Dublin, 4
Ducks feed on a variety of foods - insects (mainly in summer), grains, vegetables, etc. Processed bread would not be good for them if it formed a large part of their diet as could be the case in a park pond. Bird seed, certainly, oatmeal or other grains, or chopped up vegetables would give them a more balanced feed.
An unusual pair of thread-like worms appeared in our bird bath. They are about 12 and 20 cm long and each under 1 mm in diameter. Both are dark in colour with small, black lumps at each end and white stripes down each side.
They wave in the open water with sinuous movement that doesn't actually seem to move them along.
Wendy Noone, Bushy Park, Galway
They are gordian or hair worms, sometimes called horsehair worms because it was once believed that they were horsehairs come to life as they often seem to appear suddenly in quite small bodies of water or near drinking troughs.
• Edited by Michael Viney, who welcomes observations sent to him at Thallabawn, Carrowniskey PO, Westport, Co Mayo. e-mail: viney@anu.ie.
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