Wild New Year 5th January

So the final of my 12 days of Christmas wild things I thought I would also choose some of my favourite nature images of 2021, as it also links nicely with this week’s lens-artist challenge.

I took lots of frog photographs when the frogs were mating in the garden pond, and to find a favourite is really hard. But I decided on this monochrome image.

Common frog

Garden robins bring our family so much joy. “Robin friend” was so tame he was happy to preen and sing right in front of us, so I have to include more than one photograph.

I just love ladybirds and getting a good ladybird photograph is hard, but I really like this one.

Ladybird

Once spring comes flowers and bees become my main focus. So I had quite a lot of images to choose from.

White tailed bumblebee checking out wild cherry blossom

Garden bumblebee on knapweed

Seeing a large pod of dolphins from the coast during the summer was a real privilege, so while not the best of photographs this is a special memory for me from 2021.

Dolphins

And below just a few other favourites.

There were quite a few rainbows in 2021 too, so it seems a fitting place to end. And also to thank all those who followed me in 2021, thank you for your support and encouragement.

Rainbow on Lough Carra

Silent Sunday

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  Dark green fritillary

Biodiversity week – 2020

So here in Ireland we should be celebrating Biodiversity week. Usually there would be lots of events on, but of course with lockdown things are postponed or cancelled. But we can still celebrated online. For me it is a week to celebrate our wonderful biodiversity. So I want to start with a celebration of garden biodiversity as it is right outside our door. Just by providing a little bit of wildness in our gardens we can provide homes for some wonderful creatures. (All the photographs below have been taken in my garden).

Our wildlife pond supports frogs, newts and damselflies to name just a few.

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  frog

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  Large red damselfly

We have four nest just on our house alone – two starling nests, a swallow’s nest and one wren’s nest. The young starlings from one of the nests fledged over the weekend. Below are photos of the adults who have been very busy finding food.

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  Starling

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  Starling

Flowers – native and cultivated provide food for pollinators. More on bees on Wednesday world bee day.

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  Bumblebee on sage

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  Common carder bee on bush vetch

Wildflower meadows and wilder areas provide homes for a myriad of insects, and the insects and the seeds of the flowers in turn, feed the birds and small mammals.

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  Caterpillars

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  Hawthorn shieldbug

A little bit of wildness may also attract some mammals to the garden. We had a hare visit this weekend (photo on left taken by my son).

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  Irish hare

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  Irish hare

If you live in Ireland look out for online activities this week.

There is a Backyard Bioblitz from May 22nd – 24th

There is a #LoveNature campaign to share all the things you love about nature.

If you are outside Ireland check out the UN page on biodiversity day.

Silent Sunday

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  Marsh marigold seed head forming

In celebration of World Wildlife Day, 3rd March

Thank you to Eliza for alerting me to World Wildlife Day. So here a little celebration of our wonderful biodiversity.

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  Bluetit

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  Goldfinch

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  Robin

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  web

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  Hawthorn shieldbug, final instar

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  Emerald Damselfly, Lestes sponsa

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  Ox-eyed daisy and other flowers

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  Fritillary

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  Garden bumblebee on delphinium

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  Orchid

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  Caterpillar

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  Blackthorn

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  autumn leaves

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  beech

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  ladybird

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  Snail

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  Sea campion, Beltra Beach, Westport, Co Mayo

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  Baby wren

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  Wood anenome

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Wordless Wednesday

Hoverfly on scabious

International Day of Biological Diversity

There is so much in our wonderful world to love.  Celebrate world biodiversity day by having a walk in nature.

Wild garlic

Common carder

Marsh marigold

frogs

Sea shells

beech

Caterpillar

Leaves

Baby Wren

carder

A bird in the hand

Yesterday, this little wren accidentally got into the house.

Wren fledgling

Most of the doors and windows are open as we experience exceptionally warm days, with yesterday temperatures reaching 25 degrees Celsius. Normal May temperatures in the west of Ireland tend to be in the mid-high teens.

The wrens had converted last year’s swallow’s nest into their own nest and have been busy feeding the chicks the last couple of weeks. The young appear to have just fledged. This little fellow proved hard enough to catch! But my husband, a trained bird ringer, got him eventually.

We didn’t think it would wait around to be photographed, but either because of the shock of being caught, or the near-by presence of one of it’s parents (with beak full of food), it stayed long enough for me to get a couple of shots, before making a short, yet confident  flight to the beech hedge.

During lunch we watched both parents come and go with more food to the hedge.  The fledglings remained concealed though so we are not sure how many there are.

Wren fledgling

Wrens are among Ireland’s smallest birds. The female lay clutches of 5-8 eggs, and she alone will incubate them. They feed on insects and spiders. Both parents will help feed the young. For more information can check out Birdwatch Ireland’s Wren page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Captivating Frogs

Captivating may not be a word you’d immediately associate with frogs. However, we are spending a large amount of our meal times watching the frogs in the garden pond and my youngest is particularly captivated by their antics. Our kitchen window overlooks the pond and is a perfect place for observing them.

Yesterday’s count was an estimated 150! Last year there was 63, so it is a big jump in numbers. Today  is damp and it looks like they are beginning to disperse, as there are a lot more sitting around the top of the pond, and moving away under the beech hedge and through the garden.

 

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I love to see frogs in the garden as I know they will do their bit in keeping the slug population down.

Heritage in Schools

Heritage in Schools is a scheme run by the Heritage Council, here in Ireland. I have recently become a member of the Heritage in Schools panel. This panel is made up of individuals with expertise in various heritage subjects including science, geography, history and culture. Primary schools are encouraged to invite members of the panel to visit their school so that the children may develop a greater awareness of Ireland’s natural and cultural heritage. The children have fun learning outdoors and get to enjoy many different aspects of heritage and the environment.  The cost of the visits are subsidised by the Heritage Council.

My own workshops will focus on biodiversity, pollinators, Ireland’s wildlife, and school gardens. Workshops can be tailored to the needs of the school or the individual classes.

I am looking forward to working with schools here in the west of Ireland.

For more information click on any of the following links:

Heritage in Schools (general information)

Heritage in Schools (my page)

Naturekids Heritage in School Page

Or alternatively contact me here.