Michael Viney responds to queries and observations on nature.
Which bird imitates the sound of a telephone ringing as part of its song? One sings merrily in a tree near our house but I cannot see it. It makes me smile.
Sheelagh Bowers, Bettystown, Co Meath
Probably a starling but the thrush, robin, some warblers and to a lesser extent the blackbird can also mimic other birds' calls and musical sounds.
A wormlike creature is a newcomer to my vegetable patch. It is thin, about 10cm long, cream underneath, has cream surrounds and is dark brown above. It lies completely flat when underneath a piece of flat wood on the soil. I use local farmyard manure to fertilise the vegetable patch. Otherwise, I manage it organically.
Sarah Coyle, Ballyjamesduff, Co Cavan
You have the dreaded New Zealand flatworm. Collect and kill as many as you can as they will decimate your earthworms. There are no approved chemical controls, but ground and rove beetles prey on them. Trap the flatworms by laying sheets of black polythene and collecting any which congregate underneath. Then crush them or put them in very salty water.
