Ecology of the Lough Carra Limestone Region

Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus)

The Lough Carra limestone region is one of those special places to take a walk, where you are likely to encounter many plants and animals which once filled the countryside but, sadly, in many areas, have long since disappeared. There are masses of flowers, many rare, of all colours and fragrances. Accompanying these is an abundance of butterflies and all sorts of interesting insects. The ecology and biodiversity of the area has been studied in great detail by Chris and Lynda Huxley and more information can be found on their website www.loughcarra.org

Lough Carra, Co. Mayo, situated 5km north of the town of Ballinrobe, is one of Ireland’s best examples of a hard water marl lake. The lake is a Special Protection Area and is part of the Lough Carra/Mask Complex Special Area of Conservation (SAC). The underlying rock is Carboniferous limestone and the surrounding land contains quite large areas of open limestone paving. This limestone pavement represents the northern limit of the limestone of County Clare and Galway. Limestone pavement is classed as a priority Annex I habitat under the EU Habitats Directive.

Flowers of note are dense-flowered orchid (Neotinea maculata) and birds nest orchid (Neottia nidus-avis). 17 species of orchid have been recorded. 23 species of butterfly have been identified, notably the dingy skipper (Erynnis tages), holly blue (Celastrina argiolus), marsh fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia) and grayling (Hipparchia semele). 14 species of Odonata have been recorded and of particular interest is a large population of black tailed skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum).


Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamnii)


Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca)


Rustyback Fern (Ceterach officinarum)


Ruddy Darter (Sympetrum sanguineum)


Wood Anemone (Anemone nemorosa)


Puff Ball Fungus


Peacock (Inachis io)


Orange Tip (Anthocharis cardamines)


Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia)


Dog Violet (Viola riviniana)


Devils Bit Scabious (Succisa pratensis)


Green Tiger Beetle (Cicindela campestris)


Carline Thistle (Carlina vulgaris)


Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)


Fossil Ammonite

Garden Birds

Male Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)

After a long, cold winter, spring is well underway now in this part of the world. Over the past few days we have had glorious sunshine and you soon forget those tough wintry days. My garden is a busy place at the moment with lots of birds carrying out their courtship rituals and collecting nest material. The bird feeders are attracting many different species and there is constant activity. I haven’t seen any wrens yet though. I thought my cat Lucky was retired but during one frosty night in January she managed to massacre 6 poor little wrens. The wrens had been nesting together, to keep warm, in a house martin nest at the apex of my house. They would gather in the evening and chirp and flit around the ground as they organised themselves for their nights sleep. And then the cat pounced!


Male Siskin (Carduelis spinus) and Male Lesser Redpoll (Carduelis cabaret)



Male Lesser Redpoll (Carduelis cabaret)



Male House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)



Great Tit (Parus major)



Female Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus)



Female Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus)



Female Lesser Redpoll (Carduelis cabaret)



Female Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)



Coal Tit (Parus ater)



Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus)

Inishmurray Island

Eider (Somateria mollissima)

Inishmurray is a mystical island 4 miles off the Sligo coast in Donegal Bay. A well preserved 6th century monastic settlement dominates the centre of the island. The last inhabitants deserted the island for the comforts of the mainland in 1957. Inishmurray is a low lying island composed of Carboniferous shale/sandstone rocks, 1 mile long and 0.5 mile wide at its broadest point, comprising of 233 acres. There are no trees and few shrubs on the island. Due to the fact that there are no people, foxes or rats living on the island, ground nesting birds breed successfully with minimal predation. The island is an important wintering ground for barnacle geese (100-500 individuals). During the summer the breeding population comprises of varying numbers of Arctic and common tern, shag (100+ pairs), herring gull (100+ pairs), great black backed gull (100+ pairs), and eider (100+ individuals), black guillemot (10+ individuals), storm petrels (100+ pairs), lesser black-backed gull (35+ pairs) and fulmar (80+ pairs).


Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis)


Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis)


Fulmar (Fulmaris glacialis)


Fulmar (Fulmaris glacialis)


Fulmar (Fulmaris glacialis)


Fulmar (Fulmaris glacialis)


Eider (Somateria mollissima)


Black Guillemot (Cepphus grylle)

The Beauty and Biodiversity of The Burren

The Burren, in north County Clare, is a magical place. The region is dotted with Neolithic tombs, vast underground cave networks and a unique assemblage of plants and animals. This limestone Karst region was formed at the bottom of a warm, shallow sea at the end of the Lower Carboniferous period around 340 million years ago, the many marine fossils scattered throughout the rocks bearing witness to this. From a distance the Burren looks barren and lifeless, almost lunar in appearance. However, this could not be further from the truth as the region has an incredibly species rich flora, of international importance. But the real draw of the region is the shear abundance of flowering plants and the vast feast of colour. The Burren is renowned for its unique assemblages of rare plants – Arctic/Alpine plants (spring gentians, mountain avens), growing alongside plants normally found in the Mediterranean (maidenhair fern). In association with these rare plants are equally rare insects such as the transparent burnet, a day flying moth, hundreds of which can be seen in a single field.


Transparent Burnet (Zygaena purpuralis)


Spring Gentian (Gentiana verna)


Wood White (Leptidea sinapsis)


Small Blue (Cupido minimus)


Mountain Avens (Dryas octopetala)


Hoary Rockrose (Helianthemum canum)


Fly Orchid (Ophrys insectifera)


Dingy Skipper (Erynnis tages)


Cowslip (Primula veris)


Common Milkwort (Polygala vulgaris)


Bloody Crane's Bill (Geranium sanguineum)

Photography Fellowship Panel

In November 2009 I was honoured with a Fellowship by the Irish Photographic Federation. Here are the 20 images I used in my panel entitled Insects and other arthropods of County Mayo.


White Legged Millipede (Tachypodoiulus niger)


Vine Weevil (Otiorhynchus sulcatus)


Tachinid Fly (Dexia rustica)


Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae)


Small Blue (Cupido minimus)


Peacock (Inachis io)


Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)


Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)


Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula)


Keeled Skimmer Male (Orthetrum coerulescens)


Keeled Skimmer Female (Orthetrum coerulescens)


Holly Blue (Celastina argiolus)


Dingy Skipper (Erynnis tages)


Dark Green Fritillary (Mesoacidalia agaia)


Common Rough Woodlice (Porcellio scaber)


Common Green Grasshopper (Omocestus viridulus)


Common Green Grasshopper (Omocestus viridulus)


Bumblebee (Bombus Sp.)


Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamnii)


Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo)