Identifriday!

Identifriday- where we identify the wildlife we come across on our doorstep and on our travels and get into the habit of noticing and appreciating our local biodiversity!

Tegenaria domestica - Common House Spider

We have had a few visitors of the arachnid variety recently! I always forget just how big these guys seem when they're scurrying across your living room floor. But, as we tell Maisie, they are nice guys, just looking to get in from the cold for a while... This photo was taken a while back, we seemed to have had at least one a day in the house for a while but as Tegenaria domestica are widespread and common it's no surprise to see them often.

Have a nice weekend!

Harvest time....

We almost missed blackberry season! Not sure why, time just sometimes seems to race away from me....

But we did get out there a while ago and picked probably the last of the crop.

Picking and some eating at the same time!
 We also took the last of the apples from the apple trees. These were a happy discovery made after we had moved into our new house!

Maisie had a little taste of everything first. Actually she has picked an apple everytime we've gone into the garden since mid-summer, seeming unbothered about their bitterness!

Then it was onto the kitchen and a slight adaptation of the Blackberry Tart recipe from Dennis Cotter's Paradiso Seasons. If you've not been to his fantastic resturant in Cork, put it on your to-do-list!

 

Is there anything yummier than Blackberry and Apple Tart? Well at this time of the year when you've picked your own berries and apples....I don't think there is! 

Identifriday!

Identifriday- where we identify the wildlife we come across on our doorstep and on our travels and get into the habit of noticing and appreciating our local biodiversity!


Pararge aegeria- Speckled Wood

The Speckled Wood can be seen between late April and mid-October along hedgerows and woodland areas with dappled sunlight.  According to the wonderful Discovering Irish Butterflies by J.M. Harding it is one of our most common and widespread butterflies and our most abundant woodland species.
We spotted him on an unseasonably warm wednesday last week in the perfect dappled sunlight he loves!

Wishing you a lovely weekend!

New places.....

 We're still settling into the new house, there are still boxes to empty and furniture to move...and new walks to find. I've spend a good deal of time recently finding somewhere we can go for our everyday walk and also looking for places we can drive to easily.

We found this magic little place recently. It's very close to the house. It's a walk that starts on a small country road then goes off onto a trail over the mountains. But the best bit is the forested section at the beginning. Horse Chestnut and Beech mostly with the odd Oak. It's wonderful.

Maisie (and Murphy!) have become fascinated with conkers!

It's good for running, going on your trike, climbing on walls....

and tasting wild mint! 

Think it ticks all the boxes for a good family walk then!