I CAME back from a short holiday to find the pond on the patio in need of attention.

I GOT a phone call from an excited friend of mine the other day.

THE other day I had to take out my hedge trimmer and mount an assault on some trees and shrubs growing around the patio on the west side of the house.

LAST Monday I wrote about the birds in my garden and on Tuesday I got a number of emails from readers full of interesting information, particularly about the family life of the house sparrow.

IN RECENT weeks my bird feeders have been dominated by juvenile birds, either being fed by their parents or learning the skills needed to extract the seeds and nuts themselves.

I WAS in Lanesborough in Co Longford the other day and, as I walked across the bridge that connects it to Ballyleague in Co Roscommon, I stopped and looked over the parapet.

IRISH scientists started to argue about how and when various species of animals and plants got to our island back when Queen Victoria was on the throne.

A COUPLE of weeks ago in this column I warned of the dangers of an invasion of harlequin ladybirds and speculated it was probably only a matter of time before it happened.

IN the part of the midlands where I live we had a late spring with low soil temperatures persisting for several weeks longer than normal.

LAST Monday I mentioned that I thought cuckoos were more plentiful this year than they have been in recent years and asked if any readers had noticed the same thing.