Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #218 – Over the Hill

There may be some rain over the hill.

Doohoma, Co Mayo

Doohoma, Co Mayo

Thanks to Donna of the Wind Kisses for this week’s challenge.

Silent Sunday – 25th September 2022

Meadow of Devil’s Bit Scabious

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #217 – Opposites

This week it is all about opposites. Many thanks to Tina for this week’s challenge. My first try of “image compare” on wordpress – if you haven’t tried it before, slide bar across to see full image.

Closed – open

Black standing – pale sitting

Spikey – soft

Silent Sunday – 18th September 2022

Common Green Shieldbug

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #216 – Urban Environments

I am not generally someone who takes photographs in urban areas – but here are a few images from a trip to a small town during our holiday in Wales this summer.

Lovely old clock

Colourful flags

Flower pots

Shop window

Shop window 2

Many thanks to Sofia for this week’s challenge.

Macro Monday – Poppy seed head

Poppy seed head

Silent Sunday 11 September 2022

Common blue butterfly on sea holly

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #215

For this week’s Len-artist challenge John asks for “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles… and the Places they take us” – but I have veered off topic a little to talk about places boats have taken me. In recent years, we have had a few interesting trips on boats – or at least the boats got us to our destination. The first trip was to Clare Island off the west coast of Ireland. A small ferry takes about 20 minutes to cross from mainland to the island.

Early morning ferry to Clare island

The island is lovely. We visited in January – but the day was glorious and clear and the light beautiful.

Then home again on the ferry at sunset.

Our next island visit was to Inishbiggle. Also off the west coast, but a much smaller island – talking only about ten minutes in a small boat similar to the small boat in the picture below.

Here crossing over from the mainland.

The island is lovely, exceptionally quiet (there are not many families living on it now) and the only shame was all the abandoned cars (and tractors) that it is too expensive to remove and so are left to rust away.

A

Inishbiggle

Silent Sunday – 4th September 2022

Woundwort

Great Yellow Bumblebee Project

This year, I have been lucky to be working for the Great Yellow Bumblebee Project. The Great Yellow Bumblebee is Ireland’s rarest bees and it occurs on the Mullet Peninsula and Erris coastal mainland of County Mayo in the west of Ireland.

Great Yellow Bumblebee (Bombus distinguendus)

We have been working with farmers looking at how best we can manage fields in a way that provides lots of flowers for all types of pollinators. This area of County Mayo is stunningly beautiful, and supports a unique flower-rich habitat called Machair.

Machair grassland

Machair is traditionally been used as winter grazing, which has benefitted the wildflowers that grow here and in turn these areas support a wealth of insects including pollinators.

Machair grassland

We find lots of different bees. And finding the the rarest of them all, the Great Yellow Bumblebee, brings deep satisfaction.

Great Yellow Bumblebee (Bombus distinguendus)

Other rare and vulnerable bee species can also be found in this special place.

Many thanks to Ann-Christine for providing inspiration for this post – LAPC #214 Favourite Finds