Ohh a hornwort! Sad to miss this one Cian

Thanks for having me! It was great to see the interest in turloughs, and to have such engaging and thoughtful questions from so many people at the end

We're excited to welcome @hannahmul.bsky.social as our speaker at next month's Green Drinks! She will speak about turloughs & their importance to local biodiversity. Reg @ eventbrite.com/e/1979983195036?aff=oddtdtcreator

90% of Ireland's habitats deemed in poor condition A new report has found that 90% of Ireland's EU-protected habitats are in 'unfavourable' conservation status, with 51% showing deteriorating trends across their national ranges.

A lot of work to do in Ireland as we look towards Nature Restoration, with 90% of our protected habitats in bad or unfavourable condition, with 51% of these deteriorated since last report in 2018.

www.npws.ie/publications...

Wildcat bones found in Co Clare dated to 5,500 years ago The first directly dated wildcat bones found in Ireland have been identified, confirming that the species inhabited the island more than 5,500 years ago.

Wildcat bones dating back over 5,500 years ago uncovered during dig in the Burren #Ireland

Marion Dowd of ATU Sligo & team found partial skeleton of a male wild cat in a cave in west of Ireland, from the middle Neolithic.

#cats 🏺🦣

www.rte.ie/news/munster...

Wood-name townlands of Clonderlaw barony Co. Clare

Trees in the placenames are Oak (Doire/Derry); Alder (Fearnán/Fearnóg) & Holly (Cuileann)

In 1655 there were 1670 acres of wooded lands recorded consisting of

-Timber trees 701 a
-Young Wood 304 a
-Old Wood 361 a
-Shrubs 324 a

Typical habitat

Tiny and rare- my first encounter with Mudwort (Limosella aquatica) at The Gearagh, Co. Cork.

Growing on freshly exposed mud, the water levels are controlled by ESB for the hydrolectric dam downstream on the Lee.

This plant is protected in Ireland (FPO) and also occurs on turloughs

A treat this week to find Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) near Clonakilty, Co. Cork 🌼
With its stronghold in the south, it’s not something I often see in Clare. Sadly, this plant is has suffered larges declines in Britain and Ireland

ha snap on GOP!

One of my #FavouritePlant has to be Grass-of-Parnassus (Parnassia palustris). I’m lucky to see it regularly in the west of Ireland.

But it was a real joy to meet this familiar plant on a trip to the Swedish Arctic, in Abisko National Park

#wildflowerhour @wildflowerhour.bsky.social

This was an immediately obvious problem when I visited in 2022, within the first hour off the boat I witnessed three children attempting to approach hauled out seals on the beach by crawling towards them. The story of the poor dead pup was still fresh that summer. Sad to hear this is still an issue

Who else gets excited when its finally Grass of Parnassus (Parnassia palustris) season?

One of the loveliest late summer flowers ✨

📍Tullanafrankagh turlough, Co Galway

Challenges, motivations, and perspectives of practitioners on forest restoration across seven European countries Forest restoration is crucial in addressing nature degradation, enhancing climate adaptation and mitigation, supporting ecosystem services, and reducing disaster risk. Understanding practitioners' pe...

Our new paper is just out! @restorationecology.bsky.social It covers the challenges, motivations and perspectives of forest restoration practitioners in 7 European countries. Thanks to all co-authors and colleagues who contributed through the #SUPERB project onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Ah surely they will still be out looking for food in September - go for it!

Water Germander Teucrium scordium from Knockaunroe Turlough

A gorgeous rare plant that seems to like hiding among equally purple-leaved Water-mint

📍Burren National Park

Unexpected places where bats turn up - I recorded pipistrelles on the Great Blasket around the old village few years ago.

Dodder (Cuscuta epithymum) flowering on fixed dune, a wholly parasitic plant.

It seems to particularly enjoy parasitising Sea sandwort (Honckenya peploides) which has turned yellow from stress.

📍Maharees, Co Kerry

Pyramidal orchids Anacamptis pyramidalis still going strong and vibrant, despite the gloomy start to August.

📍Maharees, Co Kerry

Yeah even with exact grid ref, its hard. It might be a tad easier when its not quite so flooded. Really its best to go out with someone who knows what they are looking for - Rory Hodd and Mike WJ pointed it out to me 😇

Pillwort Pilularia globulifera from Upper Lake, Killarney, Co Kerry

Tiny, rare, protected, aquatic.. FERN?!

This is a hard plant to find not only is it rare but it grows with its equally thread-like companion bulbous rush, both growing side by side in this photo

Ahh that feeling when you can sit down anywhere you like, lie down for lunch, and no fear of dropping your phone into water😊

A great year for Spiranthes spiralis Autumn lady's-tresses in Maharees, Co Kerry.

Strawberry clover (Trifolium fragiferum) in fixed dune, Maharees, Co Kerry.
Always a cheerful one to see!

Year 3 of growing a meadow in my back garden and this year I bought my own scythe - now I'm fully committed!

I quickly learned rule no. 1 of scything: keep the blade super sharp and it’ll slice like butter. Then it’s a fun job and you could go forever.

I went searching for Orange Foxtail (Alopecurus aequalis) in Lough Gash, Newmarket-on-Fergus. This elegant and colour grass is only present in a handful of sites in Ireland, it is protected under Wildlife Acts.
Pleased to have found it doing well!

#Turloughs

Carex pulicaris Flea Sedge, Carex canina White Sedge, Carex dioica Dioecious Sedge, Carex leporina Oval Sedge. Glenshee area, Aberdeenshire/Angus. @bsbibotany.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social

Yellow-eyed-grass (Sisyrinchium californicum) from the shores of Lough Corrib, Co Galway.

Native of west coast North America, introduced to Ireland.

@wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

At last, I have introduced myself to the rare and beautiful Irish Lady’s-tresses (Spiranthes romanzoffiana) — found at a well-known site along Lough Corrib, Co. Galway.

#WildflowerHour @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

More hen corncrake and chicks from the farm!!