Is this a summer truffle I found in the local woods? Readers’ nature queries

I thought I'd hit the jackpot when this peeked up at me in the local woods. It matched the description of summer truffle, tastes nutty but doesn't smell of anything. – Lynda Jones, Rooskey, Co Leitrim
Yes, it is a summer truffle.

I found this mushroom growing in the timber and soil litter beside the floor of our wood store. The colour was the most amazing deep green/blue. – Helen Bourke, Ballinure, Co Tipperary
It's one of the roundhead species, either Stropharia caerulea or Saeruginisa, says fungal expert Dr Kieran Connolly.

On holidays in the south of France at the end of September we shared our apartment with a little fellow like this one in the photo. Three weeks after coming home we saw this creature on our stairs. Is it possible we brought it home in our luggage? – Marguerite Costelloe Ballina, Co Tipperary
Yes, indeed. It looks like a wall gecko. which is found in houses all over the Mediterranean area.

On holidays in the Canaries we saw an extraordinary number of painted lady butterflies on a particular variety of bush. When we walked past they flew up in a cloud and were very active throughout the day. - Paddy Demery, Kilcoole, Co Wicklow

Climate activists protest outside Dublin petrochemical conference

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Aran Islands Co-op Recycling Project wins top award

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Spain offers to host UN climate conference after Chile cancellation

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We spotted a hoopoe on the grass in Weaver's Point, Crosshaven, Co Cork. - Rosemary Robertson, Crosshaven, Co Cork
The hoopoe is a scarce but annual visitor to the south coast from southern Europe.

[ viney@anu.ie ]