Some pictures I took recently

Woodville56 · 10-08-2015 12:03am

Great work there Capercaillie !

Nightforce 65X55 · 10-08-2015 1:16am

Reports of flying ants everywhere , here is a close look at them....

Thargor · 10-08-2015 10:19am

Whats the nettle bed for?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 10-08-2015 10:30am

Thargor wrote: »

Whats the nettle bed for?

Nettle beds offer great cover. In general nettles provide food for the caterpillars of many butterfly species, they give birds and small mammals cover. In thjs specific case, they are important cover for Corncrake.

Every garden should leave an area of nettles if at all possible.

Thargor · 10-08-2015 10:38am

Thats good to know, my parents farm down in Galway must be better habitat than I thought then, all the borders are thick nettle beds.

keps · 10-08-2015 2:52pm

After the rain

Eyepatch · 10-08-2015 8:43pm

I have a nettle bed in my suburban garden. I pick the leaves and soak them in water. Makes an excellent tonic for my plants. Diluted down 1 to 10.

Capercaillie · 10-08-2015 9:14pm

Jazlyn Incalculable Yo-yo wrote: »

Nettle beds offer great cover. In general nettles provide food for the caterpillars of many butterfly species, they give birds and small mammals cover. In thjs specific case, they are important cover for Corncrake.

Every garden should leave an area of nettles if at all possible.

Spot on Jazlyn Incalculable Yo-yo. The general area is also an important wintering site for twite . They feed on nettles seeds. Hopefully they will be attracted to the improved nettle beds. Planting around .25 acre of quinoa for them next spring. An eNGO are supposed to plant a crop of linseed for the twite but haven't for the last ten years. Will try and correct that.

Interslice · 11-08-2015 10:38am

Capercaillie wrote: »

That eyebright plant is interesting( I think

). Aswell as from the soil, its taking some nutrients from the roots of the plaintain, clover and grasses that are there.

Capercaillie · 11-08-2015 10:56am

Interslice wrote: »

That eyebright plant is interesting( I think ). Aswell as from the soil, its taking some nutrients from the roots of the plaintain, clover and grasses that are there.

Never knew that, great thing to know. Thanks interslice:)

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 11-08-2015 11:48am

Capercaillie wrote: »

Never knew that, great thing to know. Thanks interslice:)

Yes, it's a semi parasitic plant. But that's no reason not to have it. It's our natural biodiversity. Good to have it.

Capercaillie · 11-08-2015 12:15pm

Jazlyn Incalculable Yo-yo wrote: »

Yes, it's a semi parasitic plant. But that's no reason not to have it. It's our natural biodiversity. Good to have it.

x2
Corncrake prefer mixed species meadows. More invertebrates to feed on. The lad taking the silage off me commented that I should spray the weeds and reseed. I told him I generally do the complete opposite to conventional farmers. I want mixed wildflower/grasses meadows, they want ryegrass. They cut silage early in year, I cut the latest in the area (mid-september). I plant Iris/nettles, they get rid of them. I spray to kill grass to promote nettles, they spray to kill nettles to promote grass.

keps · 11-08-2015 12:29pm

Diving

keps · 12-08-2015 1:23pm

Lucan Demesne

I'm guessing( from comparisons) that this is a 'peacock'

and that this is a 'gatekeeper'

Added later after OpenYourEyes pointed out that the last photo above is a Meadow Brown ( Thanks OYE)

Now hopefully I'm safe saying this is a Green-Veined White

OpenYourEyes · 12-08-2015 1:33pm

keps wrote: »

and that this is a 'gatekeeper'

Meadow Brown - gatekeeper has two white 'pupils' in those black spots on the wings, and I think is a bit more orange in general.

dodderangler · 12-08-2015 11:04pm

Came across this lad earlier while in the park with my daughter
Only a baby. Anyone guess his age?
Should he be with his mammy now?

tisgrand · 12-08-2015 11:48pm

dodderangler wrote: »

Came across this lad earlier while in the park with my daughter
Only a baby. Anyone guess his age?
Should he be with his mammy now?

it looks too small to me to be out on its own yet. Was it found in the afternoon or just before dark? Out in the open or close to cover?

dodderangler · 13-08-2015 12:06am

tisgrand wrote: »

it looks too small to me to be out on its own yet. Was it found in the afternoon or just before dark? Out in the open or close to cover?

Out in middle of a football pitch. At bout half 8 this evening.
A lot of dogs about and didn't wanna leave him out so took him closer to the ditches. No sign of mammy or other siblings about