Today I went to Kilkenny Castle to receive an award from the Irish Heritage Council. The project received funding to assist with photography and for road-shows which bring the website content to a larger audience. I am grateful for this generous award which will enable me to continue to document our rich wildlife heritage.
Overcast.
Kilkenny is on limestone, so I managed to get a few pictures of species that I don't often see. First, the ripe fruit of the Cuckoo Pint.
Two specimens from the castle wall. On the left, Red Valerian, and on the right a little Ichneumon that was investigating small holes in the wall and then reversing into some of them, presumably to deposit her eggs via her stubby ovipositor.
I think this might be the first Yew berry I've seen. The castle had a large woodland leading down to the river.
This is a very interesting gall on Sycamore. Each of these little (4mm.) growths has a mite inside it. Maybe Aceria macrorhynchus.
This Field Scabious was very prominent on roadside verges around here.