Some pictures I took recently

keps

spookwoman

Blue Tailed Damselfly Female by Spookwoman, on Flickr
Noon Fly by Spookwoman, on Flickr
Bumble bee coming in to feed by Spookwoman, on Flickr

Bonedigger

My dog found this along the banks of the Grand Canal in Co.Kildare last night.
It's obviously the remains of an Otter meal.It's great to know that there is a healthy population of both Crayfish and Otters there,and that the water is in fine fettle too.:)

splish

Hedge mustard Sisymbrium officinale

keps

at the local train station

Eddie B

Bonedigger wrote: »

My dog found this along the banks of the Grand Canal in Co.Kildare last night.
It's obviously the remains of an Otter meal.It's great to know that there is a healthy population of both Crayfish and Otters there,and that the water is in fine fettle too.:)

Suprised to learn that both otter and crayfish can be found on canal's!

Tell me, you say obviously killed by an otter! How can you tell?

Could it not have been eaten by a mink, seen as it's one of the minks favourite things to dine on where present!

Just curious!

keps

keps

Not too sure when blackbirds build nests??
But in the backgarden this bird spent a lot of time today bringing ‘nesting material’ into the hawthorn hedge.
It is still at it now - 4/5 hours after I first spotted it


Biting off more the she can chew!

Bonedigger

Eddie B wrote: »

Suprised to learn that both otter and crayfish can be found on canal's!

Tell me, you say obviously killed by an otter! How can you tell?

Could it not have been eaten by a mink, seen as it's one of the minks favourite things to dine on where present!

Just curious!

The stretch of Grand Canal I was referring to is technically a feeder which comes directly from Pollardstown Fen.The fen is fed by calcareous springs(very rich in calcium) which are in turn fed by the Curragh Aquifer.That's why the crayfish can live and breed quite happily there,ie. the requisite minerals are there in the water to help maintain their carapaced exoskeletons.There are Otters on this stretch of waterway too.I've submitted sighting records on a number of occasions to the National Biodiversity Data Centre(in fact,one was only six or seven weeks ago).I've not seen mink on this stretch of water yet,and I've been walking it for more than 30 years,but I'm sure they're there.I'm going on the law of averages here - you've seen several sightings of an Otter,no sightings of a mink,ergo,I think it's more than likely the actions of an Otter.

I forgot to mention that my last sighting of an Otter was about 300-400 metres downstream of where the dog found this crayfish last night.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

The area is known for otters and otters usually keep mink at bay.

Eyepatch

keps wrote: »

Not too sure when blackbirds build nests??
But in the backgarden this bird spent a lot of time today bringing ‘nesting material’ into the hawthorn hedge.
It is still at it now - 4/5 hours after I first spotted it

Two blackbirds have already built a nest in the clamatis next to my house - and raised a family, which have fledged about a month ago.

keps

Eyepatch wrote: »

Two blackbirds have already built a nest in the clamatis next to my house - and raised a family, which have fledged about a month ago.

I thought it was a bit late in the year alright

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

keps wrote: »

I thought it was a bit late in the year alright

They are starting a second clutch. Blackbirds will have usually 3 clutches per year.

Eddie B

Jazlyn Incalculable Yo-yo wrote: »

The area is known for otters and otters usually keep mink at bay.

Wish that was true! I trap a lot of mink during the winter here in the midlands, and most waterways have a healthy population of otter, and an even healthier population of mink!

I read everywhere that where you have otter, you'll have no mink, but its simply not true!

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Eddie B wrote: »

Wish that was true! I trap a lot of mink during the winter here in the midlands, and most waterways have a healthy population of otter, and an even healthier population of mink!

I read everywhere that where you have otter, you'll have no mink, but its simply not true!

I can only go on the years of surveys I was involved with and we definately found that, when otters re-established in an area, the mink numbers dropped considerably but I accept your personal findings.

Eddie B

Bonedigger wrote: »

The stretch of Grand Canal I was referring to is technically a feeder which comes directly from Pollardstown Fen.The fen is fed by calcareous springs(very rich in calcium) which are in turn fed by the Curragh Aquifer.That's why the crayfish can live and breed quite happily there,ie. the requisite minerals are there in the water to help maintain their carapaced exoskeletons.There are Otters on this stretch of waterway too.I've submitted sighting records on a number of occasions to the National Biodiversity Data Centre(in fact,one was only six or seven weeks ago).I've not seen mink on this stretch of water yet,and I've been walking it for more than 30 years,but I'm sure they're there.I'm going on the law of averages here - you've seen several sightings of an Otter,no sightings of a mink,ergo,I think it's more than likely the actions of an Otter.

I forgot to mention that my last sighting of an Otter was about 300-400 metres downstream of where the dog found this crayfish last night.

Sounds like a good healthy haven for wildlife, and its nice to see the Otters!

Be worth taking a walk, checking muddy area's for mink tracks, just out of curiousity, to see if their present! Not many waterways in this country thats escaped their presence!

Bonedigger

Eddie B wrote: »

Sounds like a good healthy haven for wildlife, and its nice to see the Otters!

Be worth taking a walk, checking muddy area's for mink tracks, just out of curiousity, to see if their present! Not many waterways in this country thats escaped their presence!

I knew Otters were definitely present on that stretch of waterway,but just as surprised as you to learn that there are crayfish there too.The info. billboards at Pollardstown fen make no mention of their presence in the surrounding waters either.I thought the dog had a frog in her gob last night and obviously told her to drop it,and only that curiosity got the better of me,I would still today be oblivious to the fact that crayfish are there.I'll certainly keep my eyes peeled for the presence of mink,and you know what they say "absence of evidence,is not evidence of absence".

splish

Winter-cress Barbarea vulgaris


Trapezonotus sp possibly T. arenarius

bernard0368

I have seen people fish and barbecue crayfish quite a bit on the grand canal granted a little closer to Dublin down by lock 14. There does seem to be a healthy population.
One elderly local I was talking to referred to lock 15 as the crawfish lock.

I have seen otters between Sallins and the leinster Aquaduct. These I always presumed came up out of the liffey as I have seen them on the liffey quite a lot. One brave lad will come up close if you are fishing looking for a fish.
The mink around this area, well there are loads

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

bernard0368 wrote: »

I have seen people fish and barbecue crayfish quite a bit on the grand canal granted a little closer to Dublin down by lock 14. There does seem to be a healthy population.
One elderly local I was talking to referred to lock 15 as the crawfish lock.

I have seen otters between Sallins and the leinster Aquaduct. These I always presumed came up out of the liffey as I have seen them on the liffey quite a lot. One brave lad will come up close if you are fishing looking for a fish.
The mink around this area, well there are loads

The white clawed crayfish is protected in Ireland under the wildlife act. If you see people barbecuing them again report it at once please.

keps

The blackbird was seemingly intent on water-proofing the nest:)

vandriver

Greenfinch by Vandriver, on Flickr

bernard0368

@ Srameen, I was not aware of that. I suppose you would report that to NPWS?

splish

The leaf mine of the micromoth Stigmella aurella in a bramble leaf.


Orange ladybird

whyulittle

The Ravens were nesting close by and their young have fledged.

splish

Juvenile Robin

splish

Cleavers


Cut-leaved Crane's-bill


Dove's-foot Crane's-bill


Garlic Mustard


Guelder Rose


Hartstongue fern


Wood Avens

splish

More pics from Oak Forest Park, Carlow.

Hybrid Bluebell


Wood speedwell

Fries-With-That

I took this picture with my phone, the vibrant red colour caught my eye and I just had to preserve it in a picture.

allthedoyles