NATURE IN OUR PLACE

BIRDS IN THE AREA

Many of us go for a relaxing walk along by the Red Path possibly without noticing what grows under our feet, but if you are a nature lover you will surely look up, look down and look around and very soon you will tune into the wonderful sights and sounds that can be seen and heard, you can be entertained by the sounds of birds singing softly,  the gentle rustling of the trees and the soothing sounds of the water flapping against the shore. 

SWANS, GEESE, GOSLINGS AND GULLS. Along a stretch of the Red Path you might catch sight of the Mallard duck, the Moorhen, the Heron wading gently through the reeds, the Dipper bobbing up and down, diving Tufted ducks, the mute Swan, Irelands largest bird, extremely elegant with its pure white plumage, long flexible neck and orange bill with black tip. Ducks and Geese meandering around the waters edge, Cormorants resting on the rocks, stretching and preening and drying their wings after fishing on the Shannon, Gulls keeping a safe distance, the Pied Wagtail, this constantly moving black and white bird, with its distinctive long tail bobbing up and down, many more can be seeen on the muddy waterlogged banks of the River Shannon.

WILD, WEIRD AND WONDERFUL At different times of the year, some of the most fascinating wild, weird and wonderful mushrooms, overnight, push their way up through the earth and weeds, I like to have my camera with me when I come across them, fearing that they might be “Magic Mushrooms” and do a disappearing act. I’m not tempted to pick them either, with names like “Death Cap” and “Destroying Angels”  I decide not to make a meal of  them.        

FUNGI AND LICHENS Fungi and Lichens also show up along our water paths walk, usually found at the bottom of old and rotting trees, interesting to find, but mostly, I have no idea what they are called.