We have beautiful apple trees in our garden. Today we noticed deep lines in the trunk. Would you know what these are? Are they like the wrinkles our Mummy and Daddy have, now that they are old? Imogen & Sylvia Kavanagh, Monkstown, Dublin
Hardly, unless you have been leaving them out in the garden during hard frosts. What has happened to your apple tree is that a sudden hard frost froze the sap – which is mostly water – inside the tree. When water freezes, it expands, and this caused a crack down the stem. Further freezing and thawing events would make the crack bigger. It takes more than a few frosty nights to give adults wrinkles.
I saw what I thought was an otter looking at me teeing off on the 10th hole at Barna golf course in Galway one Monday at the end of March. He watched us for a minute before doodling off. It mustn’t have been too happy with our tee shots. Tom Treacy
It is an otter all right. Otters are our largest mustelid, bigger than the badger or the American mink. They are usually extremely elusive and quite difficult to observe in river systems but less so at the coast. This one could well be hunting for food along the shore, as otters that forage among seaweeds and rock pools are more active by day. They can often be curious, however, and, if not alarmed, may hang around for a bit. This one was taking no chances with your teeing ability, however.
I saw these black-coloured balls on a decaying branch. Can you tell me about them, please? Dorothy Hatton, Gorey
These are fungi commonly called King Alfred’s cakes, which doesn’t say much for his cooking ability and neither does the other common name: cramp balls. They aren’t edible, so don’t try to see if the names are apt. They are hard and tough in texture and often grow on decaying beech. Long ago they were apparently used to transport fire as they smoulder for a long time, but this function has now been replaced by the safety matches of Maguire & Patterson.
Is this a racing pigeon? It was around Clontarf for a good few weeks. Sheela Haydon
Racing pigeons are supposed to return – at speed – from whence they came, so this one will certainly not be wanted any longer by the owner. There are all sorts of racing pigeons, including black varieties, which are bred for the sport. They are all ringed on one leg with life rings, each carrying an individual number that identifies the specific pigeon. Your photo does not show the legs but, if you caught it, you could identify its owner.
During the Easter holidays, myself and my dad saw these creatures on the pond. They seemed to be walking on the surface. Why didn’t they sink? Archie Harding-Lee, Dublin
These are insects called common pond skaters. They are very light and have water-repellent hairs on the bottom of their feet, allowing them to rush around on the surface film of the water. They use their four long back legs for this. Their front two legs are much shorter, and they use them for grabbing their food. What they eat are smaller little insects that have become trapped in this water film, such as mosquito larvae. They can detect the small vibrations these tiny insects make. In turn they can be eaten by hungry fish from below if they are quick enough. They emerge from hibernation in April and lay eggs shortly afterwards.
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