Michael Viney sheds light on your observations of nature
A blue tit flew against my glass door and was stunned on the lawn; its right wing seemed to have misplaced feathers. Another blue tit came and lay down beside the injured one, and kept tipping it with its feet. Then another came to the other side and preened the wing feathers with its beak. Others came and fluttered around, up to five at one time. At last the wounded one stirred, got up and flew into the hedge.
While swimming in the Gweebarra Estuary one autumn morning, I was surprised to see a smallish crab, light pinkish brown, skittering across the surface of the water past me.
Una Brown, Portnoo, Co Donegal.
Remarkable bird behaviour. Your swimming companion was Macropipus depurator, the swimming crab.
The leaves of the dandelion grow horizontally, yet in hedgerows they try to grow vertically. Is this because they feel protected?
Mary Herbert, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh.
In the shade of the hedgerows the dandelions are trying to reach the light.
Michael Viney welcomes observations at Thallabawn, Carrowniskey PO, Westport, Co Mayo; e-mail: viney@anu.ie. Include a postal address.