Michael Viney responds to reader's queries and observations on nature.
Early in May I was driving past Lough Adherra, Co Cork, when I saw what looked like an osprey. I have seen ospreys in Saharan west Africa and also in Scotland and Scandinavia. Could this have been one returning from wintering in Africa and having a stop before continuing further north?
Darius Bartlett, Cork.
It could indeed. Osprey feed exclusively on large fish and on migration would move from the sea to lakes to reservoirs. The Scottish birds winter in west Africa.
We saw a male merlin in a tree eight feet outside our livingroom window. It stayed there for 10 minutes. Why is a male merlin called a tiercel?
Jack and Marty Lee, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin.
Tiercel or tercel is a name given to male hawks because it was believed that the third egg produced a male. It comes from Old French meaning third.
There have been two letters recording female sparrowhawks killing and eating magpies. The problem with introducing sparrowhawks to unwanted magpies in the garden is that they also decimate the small birds.
Edited by Michael Viney, who welcomes observations sent to him at Thallabawn, Carrowniskey PO, Westport, Co Mayo. E-mail: viney@anu.ie. Observations sent by e-mail should be accompanied by postal address.