Readers' observations on nature
While walking on the beach at Newcastle, Co Down, I counted five dead seagulls. I have never came across anything like this before. Joe Hynes, Portadown, Co Armagh
If there was a refuse dump within range they could have died of botulism. It might be a good idea to have them tested by the Department of Agriculture in case they were victims of bird flu.
While walking along the Great South Wall, my wife and I saw a little auk on the Dublin Port side. It dived several times but was on the surface for quite long periods and was unmistakable. Charles Tyner, Dublin 7
Little auks are rare visitors that breed in the high Arctic and then move down to the North Atlantic in flocks. These are sometimes driven close to the coast by storms, and single birds have been seen almost every year off the Dublin coast, but more usually in winter.
More beached buoy barnacles (Dosima fascicularis) have been found by RóisíDoherty on Mulranny beach in Co Mayo. This year they have been found on beaches from Donegal to Galway.