Silent Sunday – Autumn’s coming

 

 

Autumn’s coming

Burriscarra

Burriscarra Abbey lies close to the shores of Lough Carra, in County Mayo. As soon as you climb over the stone style into the grounds of the abbey you get a sense of history. The place seems particularly peaceful, you are surrounded by the abbey ruins, a church ruin and gravestones, old and new. The oldest one recorded with a date was 1738, but older were without dates were also present.

Burriscarra Abbey

The site has a long and mixed history. The Carmelites founded the abbey in 1298, though there may have been an earlier monastery. In 1383, it was abandoned but by 1412 it was transferred to the Augustinian Friars of Ballinrobe by papal degree. Around 1430, it was burnt but was rebuilt shortly afterwards with funds collected from the local population. The present ruins are thought to date from this rebuilding.

I wonder what is the significance of these gargoyles? It amazes me to think someone created them over 500 years ago!

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Silent Sunday

Seed heads

Perplexed

Today’s daily post got me thinking, or maybe perplexing would be a more accurate a description. Here we on living on a planet, blessed with fresh air, clean water, the most amazing biodiversity you could imagine. And yet we continue to pollute and destroy.

Lough Cullin

Oak leaf

Robin

Apple

Wood anemone

Red tailed bumble

atlantic

Bumble

sea thift

fritillary butterfly

Goldfinch

Ox-eyed daisy

green viened white

Erris head

Red admiral

Hoverfly

If you could just do one thing for this amazing place we call home, then think about one of these options:

1. Compost all your green waste
2. Plant some flowers. No garden – then plant some in a pot or window box
3. Stop using chemicals in your garden (herbicides, pesticides) and in your home (vinegar, lemon juice and baking soda are great for cleaning)
4. Plant a tree
5. Build a bird box
6. Give your old clothes to a charity shop
7. Feed the birds and enjoy watching them visit your feeder
8. Grow some vegetables
9. Volunteer to help with a community clean up
10. Smile

If you are already doing them, then give yourself a clap on the back!

via Daily Prompt: Perplexed

Edge

We had planned to get back to Down Patrick Head off the NW coast of County Mayo this summer but it hasn’t happened yet. The photo below is from a foggy day last year. But it seemed perfect for this week’s photo challenge – Edge

Sea stack – Dún Briste broke away from the mainland in 1393

Last days of summer for pollinators

As autumn makes it’s fast progress, it is the final chance for our pollinators to make the best of the last flowers. Some are battered and bruised from their long season; others (like the new queens bees)  are building up their resources to get them through the winter, hidden away in quiet and neglected corners of your garden.

Red tailed bumble

White tailed bumble (queen)

Hoverfly – Artophila superbiens

Hoverfly – Artophila superbiens

Red tailed bumble

Hoverfly – Rhingia campestris

White tailed bumble – faded colours

Common carder

White tailed bumble (queen)

Peacock

Common carder

Green veined white

Peacock

 

Silent Sunday

 

Peacock on cone flower