Tag: Life
Nature on our doorsteps: Autumn Chestnuts
The chestnut, or the conker, is one of the iconic fruits of autumn. When it falls from the tree and splits from ...
Nature on our doorsteps: Galls galore
Galls are unusual growths that occur on the buds, stems, leaves and fruit of many plant species. They are caused by an ...
Nature on our doorsteps: Brambles, a treasure trove for biodiversity
By Rosaleen Dwyer In autumntime, we make delicious jams and tarts from blackberries. Throughout the entire year however, dense patches of thorny ...
Nature on our Doorstep: Hiding in plain sight …
IN NATURE, every creature has its place in a food chain. It either hunts and eats other creatures or it is prey ...
Nature on our doorsteps: Earwigs are useful!
Earwigs are distinctive insects with long, flattened, brown bodies tipped with pincers. Female Earwigs have straight pincers while the male’s pincers are ...
Nature on our doorsteps: Wasps, but not as we know them
While we are most familiar with the yellow and black stripey wasp which often causes panic when it buzzes around us, there ...
Nature on our doorsteps: Butterfly visitors
Thirty five species of butterfly are recorded in Ireland. Of these, the Red Admiral and the Painted Lady are referred to as ...
Nature on our door steps: Hoverflies
Hoverflies are flies that avoid predators by pretending to be wasps or bees, by Rosaleen Dwyer. Many hoverflies have bands of yellow, ...
Nature on our Doorsteps: Ragwort’s changing image
By Rosaleen Dwyer In August, Ragwort’s bright yellow daisy-like flowers are noticeable along roadsides, in grassy meadows, and on abandoned urban sites. ...
Nature on our doorsteps: Flying Ants
When the weather in late July and early August is humid and still, swarms of flying ants can occur. While these annual ...