Flora and Fuana

Trees                                                      Top of page

Ash tree is a native Irish tree. It is a familiar board leaf deciduous tree   ( it sheds its leafs in winter), the wood is hard and strong used in the making of furniture.  In Ireland the hurley, which is used when playing the Irish game of hurling, is made from the wood of the ash tree.

Beech tree is a magnificent, large, deciduous tree, which can grow to a height of height of 40m. The wood is extensively used in making furniture and flooring. Old-fashioned clothes-pegs are also usually made of beech.

Birch is a tall graceful tree with deciduous leaves, growing to a height of 30 m. The trunk of the birch has a thin peeling bark. It is native to  Britain and to west and central Ireland.

Elm is a tall, deciduous tree growing to a height of 30 m. It is uses for its timber and its bark from which certain dyes can be made.  It is common in North and West of Britain and Ireland.

Hazel is a deciduous shrubs and small trees frequently used for hedges. It can grow to a maximum height of 6 meters and live for 70 - 80 years.  It is not very common in the bog as it prefers soil that is not acidic but can be found living there.

Oak is a large deciduous tree and probably our commonest tree growing to a  height of 30 - 40m, with an age of 1000 year or more. Oaks produce durable, tough wood and is important as a timber trees. The wood is used in cabinet-making and barrel-making.

Scots Pine is a large evergreen growing to a height of 40m. Its age is  typically up to 150 years but 300 possible.  It is important for their timber, pulp, tar, and turpentine, and for their use as ornamentals.

Plants                                                                        Top of page

Bog Cotton with its distinctive white, fluffy head can be found throughout the boglands of Ireland. On marshy upland bogs you will see bog cotton grass throughout the summer and autumn months.

Bul Rush a large type of glass like plant found all over the world. It can grow as large as 9ft tall in shallow waters.

Common Reed is a type of tall grass that grows in wetland throughout the world.  In Ireland common reed was traditionally used in the making of St Bridget's Crosses.

Heather is a hardy evergreen shrub, the small purple flowers grow in long dense clusters and bloom in late autumn. It is commonly found in areas of poor soil quality.

Irish Heath has small needle - like or narrow leaves and manly yellow flowers. The heath plant grows slowly but can be seen through our boglands as it covers large areas.

Purple Moor Grass occur on poorly drained, usually acidic soils in lowland areas of high rainfall in western Europe. T he purplish flowers are attractive all summer.

Sphagnum Mosses is a type of moss that loves wet conditions, it grows very well in the bog.  When large amounts of sphagum moss accumulate in a swamp, it gradually takes over a causing a swamp to change slowly into a bog.

Sundew: the leaves are covered in sticky hairs, small insects stick to the gland tips, or hairs, on the leaves.  The plant then has these for lunch.

Animals                                               Top of page

A variety of species of frog can be found in the boglands of Ireland. Irelands two native frogs are the natter jack toad and the smooth newt.  The common frog which was introduced to Ireland in the 1720's is frequently seen throughout the bogs.

Fox is a member of the dog family with sharp pointed nose, large erect ears and a long bushy tail.  It is very common in Ireland as it runs wild in all rural areas eating large quantities of insects, mice and rats.  They live in a den and have a life expectancy of about ten years

Hare is a mammal that is native to Ireland.  The hare is often confused with the rabbit but we can easily tell them apart as the hare has much longer ears, a short tail and very long limbs and feet.

Otter is a shy water animal seldom seen. However you may find its footprints in the soft bank of rivers or lakes near bogs. They have short limbs, webbed feet and a bushy tail.They mainly Eat fish.

Insects                                            Top of page

Black slug is a harmless animal that spends the day hidden in dense grass.  It comes out at night and after rain to feed primarily on decaying plant matter.The great black slug is related to the snail, but it does not have a shell. Usually only seen at  night but emerges after rain in day, it burrows underground in cold or dry weather.

Cranefly has a long narrow body, very delicate legs that break off easily at the points, and wings with many veins. The larvae feed on decaying plants and therefore the bog is a very suitable habitat,while crane fly feed on living plants.

Damselfly are commonly found by rivers, streams and marshlands. Damselflies are slender-bodied dragonflies with relatively weak powers of flight. There are eleven Irish species of damselfly which are rarely found far from water.

Dragonfly has a large head, composed mostly of eyes, a short thorax and a long body. They capture and eat other insects found in the bogland. The eggs of the dragon fly are laid on the surface of water or on plants living near water and they crawl from the water when fully grown.

Emperor Moth is a European moth that lives in wetlands.The male is smaller than the female with a wing span of 6.8cm compared to the females' 7.9cm.   The males fly around during the day while the females fly only at night.

Great Diving Beetle is a large insect that can grow up to 4 cm in length. They are aquatic insects and have adapted to spend nearly all of their lives in the water. They use their wide, hairy back legs as paddles to push themselves rapidly through the water. Great Diving Beetles like to live in quiet waters such as ponds that have a good supply of submerged vegetation.

Water Scorpion are not scorpions at all but are a predatory insect found commonly in slow moving water. They have long legs and a thin body and are confused with walking sticks by some people. Water scorpions do have wings and occasionally fly but are seldom seen doing so. They are often found among vegetation.

Birds                                                  Top of page

Curlew is a year-round resident in Britain and Ireland. The commonest large wader with a long, down curved bill. Mainly grey-brown in colour with streaked and spotted feathers. It breeds on damp grassland and bogs mainly in the north and west of Ireland.

Golden plover has excellent eyesight and hearing that let it find its way around easily. Their bill is swollen and hard and they feed on insects.   They usually breeds on upland moors and bogs, mainly in the north and west of the region.

Kestrel are members of the falcon family.  They hunt for food by flying over the bogland and hovering with their wings in search of prey such as insects, frogs and small rodents (mice and rats).

Mallard common name for one of the most widespread species of wild duck. Mallards are called dabbling ducks because they feed at the surface of the water. Their broad, flat bills are rounded at the tip, which helps them filter food from the surface of the water or just beneath it. They eat small plants, weeds, and invertebrates.

Meadow pipit can be seen searching for seeds and insects on open ground of the boglands.

Red Grouse a familiar game bird of heather bogs. Male has chestnut-brown plumage and conspicuous red wattle over eye. Female has marbled, grey-brown plumage affording excellent camouflage when sitting on nest.  In Britain, found only in north and west but more widespread in Ireland. Feeds mainly on young shoots of heather.

Skylark is best known for its beautiful music, while singing it rises its wings facing the wind, drifts in a wide sweep, and descends with wings stretched. It is one of the most common birds found in Europe, with many different species.  It is 7.5 inches long, feathers are black and brown  streaked with white outer tail feathers.

Snipe is approximately nine inches in length with a very long straight bill , stocky short-legged and pointed wings. It is found primarily in marshes and wetlands .
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