Author Archives: Murtagh's Meadow

About Murtagh's Meadow

As an ecologist I have always had an interest in nature. I love gardening and would spend all day outdoors if I could. I also enjoy taking photographs and writing. I live in the west of Ireland with my young family.

Six on Saturday – 16th October 2021

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Mid October and nearly Halloween. Below my squash and pumpkin harvest this year.

  • Squash and Pumpkin

The continuing relatively mild weather means that late flowering cosmos are still providing some good colour.

  • Cosmos

Meanwhile the sweet chestnuts are getting ripe.

  • Sweet chestnut

Once again the choke berry leaves are putting on a wonderful autumn display.

  • Chokeberry leaves

Some lovely rosehips on the dog rose.

  • Rosehips

And will this be (sorry somewhat blurred) the final bumblebee this year?

  • Common carder bee

Thanks to The Propagator for hosting Six on Saturday.

Lens-Artists Challenge #169 – The Ordinary

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Ordinary is a funny word – because if you think about it there is not much ordinary out there. And life itself is pretty extraordinary.

A crow in a leafless tree can seem pretty ordinary, but I still find the image pleasing.

A dying piece of tree, can still be beautiful.

The boat above looks like a pretty ordinary fishing boat, but add a bit of sunshine and water and this is the result.

As many have already said, as photographers we get to see that extra something in the ordinary.

Six on Saturday – 9th October 2021

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Finally some respite from the rain. Temperatures though remain exceptionally mild for October. Thank you to The Propagator for hosting Six on Saturday.

First this week a Hawthorn shieldbug – not that well camouflaged against the reddening leaves.

  • Hawthorn shieldbug

We are still getting some autumn raspberries – though the wet weather of the last three days has made them pretty squishy. Maybe able to harvest a few more this weekend as weather dries up a bit.

  • Raspberries

Not such good crop from the apples this year, and those few that are there, are being attacked by birds. Picked six good ones from the Pixie apple though.

  • Pixie apple
  • Pixie apple

Some hazel nuts too.

  • Hazel nut

There hasn’t been great germination of the winter lettuce.

  • Lettuce

But I am holding out for these brussels spouts to fill out for Christmas!

  • Brussel sprouts

Lens-Artists Challenge #168 – Seen Better Days

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There is still beauty in things that have seen better days. I liked Tina’s monochrome images so decided to follow her example.

Here an old fence post slowly returning to nature.

  • Old post

An old boat that has probably not been used for some time.

  • Old boat

And finally the detail of an old cottage window.

  • Window

Six on Saturday – 2nd October

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Not quite sure what happened to September, it seemed to go in a blink of an eye. It was a pretty mild month for us but things have definitely got a bit chiller in the last week. And the nights are really drawing in. The sunshine and heavy showers of the last couple of days have resulted in some beautiful rainbows though.

  • Double rainbow over workshop

The haws are showing great colour. Here an American hawthorn, who’s berries are not as plentifully this year as our native hawthorn trees.

  • Hawthorn berry

The poly tunnel plastic is showing its age. We did some repairs last year but this winter we are going to have to go for a new cover. The plastic is probably about 14 years and they say 10 is a good age, so I can’t really complain.

  • Polytunnel tear

This sweet chestnut trees is about 10 years old and this is the first year it has fruit – there are only about half a dozen fruits.

  • Sweet chestnut

This aster seems to have flowered late but is adding some well needed colour now.

  • Aster

Similarly, I had nearly given up hope that this sunflower would open but it had this morning, adding it’s own bit of sunshine.

  • Sunflower

Many thanks to The Propagator for hosting Six on Saturday.

Lens-Artists Challenge #167 – The Colours of Autumn

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Here in Ireland the leaves are only just beginning to change – here a horse chestnut tree from last week just changing to its autumn colours.

  • Horse chestnut

The following images are from last autumn. This year we have lots of red haw berries again – they say it is the sign of a hard winter to come.

  • Hawthorn berries

Lime trees turn a wonderful shade of yellow.

  • Lime tree leaves

And I love to watch the larch trees change from my kitchen window.

  • Larch

While the days can be dull and grey the leaves bring a bit of sunshine.