Belturbet bypass

“Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got
Till it’s gone.
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot“ Joni Mitchell

I had never been to Puttigan bog until recently and the only reason I could get in was that work has started on the new bypass so the machinery had been in and opened it up. Previously the edge was dense with birch scrub and bog holes and slow to travel through.

So I was looking  special bog plants like bladderwort  and tway-blades. I managed to watch a dragonfly eat a butterfly.

bladderwort

The planning and arguments are over I assume. There is to be bridge over Aughnaguig bog because it is designated, but I guess my tway-blades and bladderwort may  be gone (even as I write) from Puttigan bog. I suppose dug out by diggers and dumped unceremoniously to one side. Must go back and take a look .

The trouble with bogs here in Co. Cavan that they are all very small lying in the inter – drumlin hollows and so very vulnerable to damage in a small piecemeal  way. The sum total of all the damage is of course great.

puttigan bog flower twayblade

 

Button parks

There are no public nature reserves in Co Cavan as far as I know

nature reserves def.  Noun:A tract of land managed so as to preserve its flora, fauna, and physical features
Button parks are an idea from Richard Louv from the US. as he describes the idea himself “remember the special place in nature that you had as a child—that wooded lot at the end of the cul de sac, that ravine behind your housing tract? What if adults had cared just as much about that special place as you did, when you were a child?”

“The creation of nearby-nature trusts.” Land trust organizations could develop and distribute tool kits, and perhaps offer consulting services, to show how neighborhood residents could band together to protect those small green parcels of nearby nature. What might these little parcels be called? How about ” button parks?”

Button parks are for people of course but people need nature.

urban wild spot cavan

 

caterpillars of the cinnebar moth at the retail park cavan

 

 

. not tidy but full of wildlife- people need wildlife

 

Why I like thistles

“But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.” Hebrews 6:8

The writers of the bible were not fond of thistles but for me they all ways provide interest being reliable source of nectar for many insects. They also suffer from aphid infestations that feed ladybirds.

Butterflies, bumblebees, hoverflies, and beetles enjoy the food source.

orchids

look at the long nectar spur

Seems to be good year for orchids.I came across a beautiful field full of orchids near Bawnboy . I also  discovered  Butterfly orchid on the farm. Why I have not seen these before on the farm  I don’t quite know. They have just appeared , but that makes them all the more magical . I read that they are pollinated by moths. They have very long nectar tubes , only  the proboscis of the moth reaches down. In the
process packets of pollen transfer to the moth to be carried to the next plant.

pollina to attach to the moth

Magnificent moth

narrow bordered bee hawk moth

This bumblebee mimic is ,surprisingly ,a moth . At first glance it looks like a large bee but it flies in a different fashion. I discovered this, one june morning, on the farm for the first time this year , and can report that it has been rarely recorded in Cavan . It was feeding on louse wort. I will have to find out if it breeds on the site . The food plant  for the caterpillar is devils bit scabious which is present, but not over a large area. I read that sheep preferentially graze on devils bit scabious , so I will try to keep them out.

West Cavan wild flower meadow

Forget about poppies and corn flowers, this is wild flowers in west cavan. A field just full of orchids. Underfoot its wet and spongey ; to the eye a delight of pinky purple.

Wet June

Traditionally hay was made in July here, but silage in well in swing now. We are getting grey skies and showers.

March , willow tree in flowerIn March willow trees stand out because of the catkins ,yellow against the leafless branches of other trees. At last I have realised ,these are frequently visited by bumble beescatkins frequently visited by bumbleebees

schools at silver bear centre

Where the Wild Things are
Get out and look at life.
Children can, crawl, peer, hunt, trap .We will use the gardens and surrounds of the Silver Bear Centre to explore the everyday drama of life in the undergrowth. Children will be out hunting for life in the garden. They will also get a chance to see some creatures less often seen, but common in the district. Workshops are tailored to suit the age group of the participants and the changing seasons of the year. We will use games, stories and art to bring simple ecological ideas to life. In the event of very inclement weather we will retreat to the citrus house to continue activities.  Contact Anke at the Silver Bear centre Click here

Flower watching

 

I recently spent 45 minutes watching some coltsfoot flowers to see what insects visited, on a sunny March lunch time. I was hoping for bumblebees but they bumbled on by. What I did see was two hover flies and a dung fly.
It is getting warmer this week . I hope I can take the time to watch another site.

the coltsfoot flower follows the sun

the bee sees in ultraviolet

The ultraviolet picture is from super website ultraviolet flowers