Environment

Eye on Nature: Your notes and queries for Ethna Viney

Lavender beetle, house martins, beautiful demoiselle, dock bug, kingfisher and whimbrels

The rosemary or lavender beetle.

Ethna Viney
Sat Sep 15 2018 - 06:00

This rosemary or lavender beetle was photographed in Co Meath. I've seen these handsome, iridescent wee humbugs in the greater Dublin area this year.
Francis Devine, Howth, Co Dublin

On August 29th at Lough Coumduala in the Comeragh mountains, we watched about 200 house martins in flight, dipping into the lake for a drink. Each contact with the water threw up a spray, creating a spectacular display.
Eddie Beglin, Waterford

The male beautiful demoiselle, also called the beautiful jewelwing.

We spotted this beauty on a recent visit to Plitvic lakes in Croatia.
Ed Armitage, Douglas, Co Cork

It’s the male beautiful demoiselle, also called the beautiful jewelwing, which is quite plentiful in the south of this country. The wings appear very dark.

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The dock bug, Coreus marginatus. a squash bug that can be found on docks and fruit plants.

I found a group of these shield bugs on the underside of a rhubarb leaf. Is it a native species?
Susan O'Regan, Cobh, Co Cork

This is the dock bug, Coreus marginatus. a squash bug that can be found on docks and fruit plants. It has been reported here only in the south of the country and not far inland from the coast.

Kingfisher

This kingfisher is an unusual bird to have fly into a window. Our school overlooks the Galway canal.
Neil Spellacy, St Joseph's College, Galway

Over a period of four or five days towards the end of July some birds were circling in a field nearby. They looked and sounded like curlews and had long curved beaks. They disappeared and over the following two weeks similar, solitary birds flew overhead. The sound was extraordinary and beautiful.
Mo Moloney, Virginia, Co Cavan

They sound like whimbrels migrating from breeding in Iceland. They are smaller and have slightly shorter beaks than curlews. They are more frequently seen along the coast.

Ethna Viney welcomes observations and photographs at Thallabawn, Louisburgh, Co Mayo, F28F978, or by email at viney@anu.ie. Include a postal address.