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Dublin Wetland Survey - Brownsbarn North and South and Oldcourt Ponds
Some more survey images from the ponds located in various Dublin parks. Brownsbarn ponds in CityWest, and Oldcourt in Tallaght.
Ornamental ponds and reed beds at Brownsbarn South Ponds
Fringed water lily in water course at Brownsbarn South Ponds
Little Grebe with chicks. Brownsbarn South Ponds
Oldcourt Pond Tallaght
Mute Swan and cygnets at Oldcourt Pond
Dactylorhiza fuchsii on the edge of pond at Oldcourt
Reed bed community at Brownsbarn North pond
#MapofIrishWetlands
Dublin Wetland Survey - Rathcoole Park
As part of the project to survey the wetlands of County Dublin being undertaken by Foss Enviornmental Consulting, a recent site visit to Rathcoole Park in west Dublin revealed some interesting finds on the wetlands and grassland areas within the park.
One of the man made ponds in Rathcoole Park.
Alderfly (possibly Sialis lutaria) on Glyceria maxima leaf.
Alderfly eggs (possibly Sialis lutaria) on Glyceria maxima leaf. From Wikipedia... "The females lay a vast number of eggs upon grass stems near water. When the larvae are born they drop into the water or the ground nearby it and make their way into their new aquatic biome"
Tetragnatha extensa, a Stretch Spider egg case on Glyceria maxima leaves which mimics a bird dropping.
Female Mallard
Pink flowering form of Hawthorn, Crataegus monogyna.
Dactylorhiza majalis from area of orchid rich grassland within the park.
Dactylorhiza majalis from area of orchid rich grassland within the park.
Flag Iris around one of the ponds.
Ustilago filiformis on Glyceria maxima (Reed Sweet-grass). Rathcoole Park, Co. Dublin.
#MapofIrishWetlands
Impressions of Kildare
Some recent photographs from survey work in east Kildare.
Arable crops as far as the eye can see.
Silage cutting.
Cutover bogs and the Slieve Blooms.
Gorse shield bug.
Collared Dove.
Swallow.
Alderfly.
Great tit.
Micro moth find in Kildare
During recent survey work in Kildare at Graiguepottle west of Celbridge (287676 235555) I came across a tiny, chocolate-brown moth, marked with lemon-yellow (about the size of a rice grain). It rests with its antennae held forward, which are marked with a white band about two-thirds along their length. The species is Esperia sulphurella (thanks to Dave Allen in Moths Ireland for the identification).
It flies during the day, in May and June, and the larvae feed on dead wood. The image above shows it resting on an elderberry leaf. Based on data in the National Biodiversity Data Centre this would appear to be a new county record for Kildare (red square below - map courtesy and copyright of the NBDC).
