Eye on Nature

Out birdwatching at the end of January, we spotted a grey-white, gelatinous substance, amorphous in shape at the edge of a lake. It was about a cupful in volume with occasional black spots within the mass. It looked like frogspawn that had been picked over and had most of the embryos removed.

Peter Anderson, Lough Duff, Co Cavan

The substance could have been a slime mould (myxomycetes) which is neither animal nor vegetable but has characteristics of both, being able to move in search of food by means of contractions. It lives on bacteria and fungi. It has an early, runny stage which develops later into a spore-containing fruit body. Normally, it is hidden in leaf mould or decaying matter, but warm humid weather can bring it out into the open.

A party of six birds I had never seen before paid a brief visit to my feeder. Best identification seems to be long-tailed tits but these were about the size and shape of a greenfinch or great-tit, very strongly coloured pink/brown breast, black head with white stripe, prominent long tail almost like a wagtail.

David Doff, Delgany, Co Wicklow

Yes, your birds sound like long-tailed tits. The underside is pink but they've got a pale bib.

At the beginning of February there were four robins in a tree over the back yard silently performing an extraordinary range of head and neck movements and breast displaying. Magpies are gathering sticks too, and there's a bit of a chorus at around 5 a.m. here in the south-Dublin suburbs under Ticknock.

Ted Sheehy, Dublin

Eye on Nature has received several letters remarking on magpies building nests as early as mid-January, and we had sparrows mating on January 30th.

Eye on Nature is edited by Michael Viney, who welcomes observations sent to him at Thallabawn, Carrowniskey PO, Westport, Co Mayo. E-mail: viney@anu.ie

Observations sent by e-mail should be accompanied by postal address.