Garrettstown beach

We were very excited to see these: Blue-rayed limpets, Helcion pellucidum. Only 1.5 cm long, they attach themselves to kelp but can leave to ... explore (?). They leave a oval scar on the kelp frond and will return to this base. As they age, the blue rays darken and lose some of their vibrance.











Snakelocks anemone, Anemonia viridis. Like other anemone, Snakelocks stings its prey with its tenticle tips then uses them to pass the food toward its mouth. Unlike other anemone, snakelocks cannot retract its tenticles, thus it is vulnerable to death or injury caused by wave action and/or dehydration during low tide.



These folks are known as Beadlet anemone, or Actinia equina. When their tenticles are out-stretched, you would notice a series of bead-like nodules at the base of each.







These sand, shell, and gravel structures are built by the colonial Honeycomb Worm (Sabellaria alveolata). We never saw the worms, but they are 4 cm long and emerge from their combs during high tide to feast. This Beadlet anemone appears to like them enough.

Cork Lough

Which goose is this? Anser anser, the Greylag Goose





Black-headed gull in its winter plumage.





A male tufted duck





A female mallard















Columba livia, or Rock Dove.





Gallinula chloropus, aka the moorhen.

The coast near Nohoval

This is the coastline a few miles east of Kinsale. We'd been told that the seabirds were everywhere but we didn't get here in time - Fulmars, puffins, and guillemots all breed on the cliffs during the summer. We did catch a quick view of the chough, an increasingly rare corvid (crow-like bird) with a bright orange bill.















The countryside just back from the cliffs

Saving seeds in West Cork

We took a trip out to a farm in West Cork near the town of Skibbereen. The farm is called Ardagh and besides raising organic beef they are mainly occupied with their seed company Brown Envelope Seeds. It is one of only two company/farms that produce seed in Ireland. The other being the Irish Seed Savers Association. You can read more about them at their website www.brownenvelopeseeds.com

Drying onions from one of the two polytunnels.



Brassica seed. On all of our field trips we spend part of the day helping out with the projects taking place there. Here we were sifting through dry seed heads, to separate and collect the seeds.







Amaranth, a staple food of the Aztecs that has been cultivated as a grain for over 8,000 years. A beautiful plant.







I wish I could remember the name of this squash. Very interesting! At the farm they are always trying new varieties, experimenting to see what works well in the cool, wet Irish climate. They want to not only give growers more options but also the ability to be creative and have fun with their gardens.



Madeline McKeever, at center, owns Brown Envelope Seeds. Her and her partner were our hosts for the day.



Brassica seeds shells and dried flower stalks



Lunch time with (from left) Lizzie from Canada-Scotland-Oaklahoma...mainly Scotland, me, Michelle from Galway and Sinead from Cork city.
Story... on the first day I met Sinead she was telling me that she had been to America and had lived in the most red-neck town there was. I asked where. Ocean City, MD she said. Real funny.








There was some confusion for us when we got here and our zucchinis were being called marrows and courgettes. So these here are marrows. Apparently courgettes are marrows picked at an immature state and for a better taste. These ones were huge, left on the vine to produce good seeds.

The Birds of Cork continues

Difficult for us to identify, our ecology professor Philip believes this is a rock pipit, Anthus petrosus.











The local robin is not a thrush like ours in North America. Erithacus rubecula is a lot smaller, and has a pinker orange than our burnt orange 'turdus'. They are year-round residents in Ireland but the numbers swell with continental arrivals in the fall.




European goldfinches feeding on the seeds of teazle, a protocarnivorous (traps and kills insects but can't digest or absorb them) plant that looks a lot like thistle.

Some of the non-human stuff

The Gray heron perched on an old oyster stand



A young herring gull slowly de-clawing its prey



Mute swan in Kinsale Harbor



A Eurasian curlew, largest of the shorebirds we've seen





A pied wagtail. "Pied" we've learned means black and white. These sharp-looking passerines are darn common even on city streets.

Forest learning

We spent this class day frolicking in the forest, tuning into our more creative and child-like side. There were a variety of sensory activities. This one involving the close observation of leaves.










And here our palettes of woodland colors.




Our favorite. Searching out a spot in the woods and constructing a mini forest homestead. Of course trying to utilize our permaculture knowledge. Groups created all sorts of structures. Some of them large enough to get inside! We stuck to the miniature, it's only about 10 inches tall. Complete with moss roofing, water drainage, protective fencing and a wood pile! If money gets tight in Kinsale we can always move in here.