Eye on Nature

I heard a crash on our sunroom window and saw a jackdaw pinned down and being attacked ferociously by a grey crow. It caught the jackdaw by one leg and flew up into the air, whereupon the smaller bird fell and escaped. Is this unusual behaviour for a grey crow?
Ramor Craigie
Ballylickey, Co Cork

Grey crows will eat small birds and mammals, as well as carrion, insects, eggs and grain.

We've had an invasion of newts in our pond. They arrive in March and vanish in early August. We've also had frogspawn but never a tadpole. This season I've discovered that the newts are eating it.
Tom O'Connell
Leicester, England

Newts enter the pond in early spring to mate and breed. They are carnivorous and eat anything they can catch.

We feed a heron in Tymon Park. He is so tame now that he approaches us when we go for a walk and will fly after us if we have nothing for him. We bring him fish and meat cut into small pieces.
Carmel Lynch
Terenure, Dublin

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