A friend in Connemara, living by a stream, found her eight ducks dead one morning, decapitated. The heads and necks were cleanly cut at shoulder level, and had been taken away - just the bodies left. What animal did it? - Robert Gallagher, Castlebar, Co Mayo
Foxes bite off the heads of birds and, in an enclosed place, will quickly dispatch a flock in a frenzy of surplus killing. Small mustelids - mink, stoats, pine martens - also bite off heads and eat the brains first.
While sailing back to Belfast Lough from the Clyde on June 2nd at 6.30 a.m., I saw a heron flying steadily at sea level towards the Ayrshire coast. The nearest land was about 15 miles away, but it seemed to be travelling on a straight and determined course. I am certain it was a heron, but I've never seen one at sea in this way, after many years sailing. Is this a recognised behaviour pattern? - James Nixon, Mount Pleasant, Belfast.
Herons disperse widely after the breeding season, generally as soon as the young can fly. And, as far as the heron is concerned, the two islands are one region.
Since the middle of June and for the first time in 20 years our cats have been bringing shrews to the house. About 10 have been killed by them, and we managed to rescue two. Can you tell us something about them? Can we prevent the cats from hunting them? What should we do with any we manage to rescue? - Tony Mc Crossan, Manorcunningham, Co Donegal.
These were pygmy shrews and they must have had a good year for so many of them to have been about. They are the smallest Irish mammal and must eat at least one-and-a-half times their own weight each day to survive. It was probably their very noisy eating that attracted the attention of your cats. Just release any that you rescue, but carefully, they bite.
Edited by Michael Viney, who welcomes observations sent to him at Thallabawn, Carrowniskey PO, Westport, Co Mayo. Email: viney@anu.ie Observations sent by email should be accompanied by postal address as location is sometimes important to identification or behaviour.