Eye on Nature

Last Christmas I gave my wife three solitary bee houses, which were put in the garden shed. We just noticed that one of them has a plug made of earth in the opening.
Don Comiskey
Delgany, Co Wicklow

Solitary bees lay an egg in their nest and leave food with it, then leave, seal the opening and never return. A new bee emerges the following year as an adult.

I occasionally come across a bumble bee nest. Recently within 50 yards of the house a badger, presumably, has looted nine such nests. Is this a recessive gene of the honey badger?
Maccon J C Macnamara
Corofin, Co Galway

The European badger, ‘Meles meles’, and the African honey badger, ‘Mellivora capensis’, both belong to the mustelid family but to a different genus and species. Both like honey.

We've been watching a blackbird sitting on the grass with wings semi spread, head cocked at an angle and beak open.
Peter Boyle
Blackrock, Co Louth

The blackbird was sunbathing.

Michael Viney welcomes observations at Thallabawn, Carrowniskey PO, Westport, Co Mayo, or by email at viney@anu.ie. Please include a postal address