Float like a Butterfly, Sting like a Bee.

When I’m selling my photos, one comment I get a lot is “Where did you take these? You never see them anymore”. What are they talking about? Butterflies!! It’s certainly true that these winged wonders have become less common in recent years but there are still quite a lot of them flying about if you know where to look.

Part of the problem is obviously down to the lack of meadows nowadays as more and more fields tend to be bought up for industrial or residential building work. Now that we’re in a recession and most building projects have stopped with little hope that they will start any time soon, it will be interesting to see if nature fights back and allows the kind of plants that insects need to grow back.

It’s not just butterflies of course. There is genuine worldwide concern over the plight of bees. The Honey Bee population in North America has declined by about 90% in the last half century and this trend has been observed in other parts of the world as well. It has been calculated that a third of all food consumed by humans is pollinated by bees. Some groups dismiss these claims, but even if they’re only partly true, this still represents an enormous amount of food that needs insect pollination in order for it to grow. Next time you have a salad sandwich ask yourself how much of what’s on your plate is there because of insect pollination. Chances are, all of it!

Fields that are concreted over and crops that are subject to heavy pesticide use won’t help bee and butterfly populations. And everybody can help. If every person in an entire suburb allowed part of their garden to grow wild and allowed the Dandelions, Clover and Daisies that should naturally grow there actually grow, then you would help with this problem enormously. By allowing part of my garden grow wild I’ve reaped the benefits and regularly have Meadow Browns, various Whites, Small Tortoiseshells, Carder Bees and many different species of Bumble Bee pop in for a sip of nectar.

The photos on this blog entry are of a Green Veined White on a Ribwort Plantain and the second is on a Cuckoo Flower. The photo of the bee is on a humble Buttercup. All three are plants that will happily grow in your garden if they are allowed. Not too much to ask then.

Until next week

www.davemcmanusphotography.com

County Clare

I have to say, driving doesn’t make it on to my list of 10 most desirable things to do before I die. I really hate it. Cars are a necessary evil that get me from A to B. I’m used to cycling or walking and being able to stop wherever you want and take in the sights and sounds around you. It’s hard to do that in a car, particularly when you have the eyes of a photographer in your head and you want to stop every time you see something out of the corner of your eye. Coming to a sudden stop while doing 120 on the motorway because a Kestrel is hovering over some poor Field Mouse in the blur of a field you’ve just passed probably isn’t a good idea. I’ve never done that. No, I’m not that bad. But still I hate driving.

It does get you to some lovely places though so I guess it’s worth it. Two weeks ago I braved the elements and headed west. Off to County Clare I went, on the west coast of Ireland. The scenery in this part of the country is truly spectacular. From the barren moonscape like landscape of the Burren to the huge Cliffs of Moher that jut out into the Atlantic.

The Burren is really something. 75% of all plants found in Ireland can be found in the Burren as can all 4 species of Fritillary Butterfly that make Ireland their home. A particular species of water beetle (Ochthebius nilssoni) is known from only 5 sites worldwide and 4 of them are found within the Burren (the other is in Sweden).

It’s an amazing environment to walk around and marvel at, as are the Cliffs of Moher. I had been here before but that was when I was 4 so the cliffs looked a little bit bigger then. Still, at over 200 metres, they’re still a pretty impressive sight. They are an extremely important site for seabirds on the west coast with large colonies of Razorbills, Shags and Puffins.

The reason for going to Clare was as a reconnaissance trip to try and locate some good marks for future photo trips. It worked in spades. I found plenty and am looking forward to a return trip in mid summer. Weather permitting of course. It is the west coast after all and rain is the west coasts favourite subject. But I would recommend a trip to Clare for anybody coming to Ireland for a holiday. It’s a magnificent place and the Burren really does take the breath away.

www.davemcmanusphotography.com

Time to take photos again.

Well, I have to say, that felt like a long difficult winter. I rarely shoot any wildlife photos in the winter time. My sports photography commitments rule out a lot of that, and I rarely do any wildlife work at all before the start of April. Now I’m back in the mix and I can get my blog up and running again.

This past winter has seen some extraordinary weather patterns worldwide, and here in Ireland we didn’t miss out. We got a blast of arctic air at the start of December which gave us 2 weeks of snowfall which brought the country to a standstill. A thaw then set in for about 5 minutes before another belt of snow came and covered us all again until just before new years eve. All that snow and ice has played havoc with the garden. The grass is in bits and I lost a lot of plants that just gave up the unequal struggle to adjust to the minus 8 temperature.

Well, thankfully that’s all behind us and we’ve had plenty of sunshine these past few weeks. Plants are springing up all over the place and when I was in Wexford during the week, there were swallows everywhere. There also seems to be plenty of butterflies already out and fluttering about. I’ve already spotted Small Tortoiseshells, Common Blue, Small Blue, Peacock, Small White and Orange Tip. That surely bodes well for the summer months ahead.

I was out in Howth a couple of weeks ago trying to get sum panoramic photos and I came across my old friends the Black Guillemots. I love these little birds. They always give me the impression that they enjoy life more than any other bird. I can understand that to be honest. A life of fishing and sunbathing would do us all a power of good so I can see why they like it.

The Black Guillemot is a small bird and a very obliging one for the photographer. At least, the ones that frequent the harbour walls in Howth, County Dublin are very obliging. At this time of year their minds start wandering and their thoughts turn towards family planning matters. With this obvious distraction on their minds, they tend to pay less attention than usual to people and this allows you to get a bit closer than normal to these little birds.

These particular birds in these photos were busy calling to each other and jumping off the harbour wall and flying around in circles which meant that I could photograph them without the use of big heavy lenses which is always a bonus. Big lenses may make you look good to the untrained eye but they aren’t always the most practical piece of equipment you can have in your bag. Whenever possible I always try to get closer to the animals I photograph and use a smaller lens. It’s just more comfortable.

So we’re half way through spring and summers around the corner. For the type of photography I do, things will now start to get quite busy. I’ll have to get busy with the blog as well. See you all next week

www.davemcmanusphotography.com

Why did the mushroom go to the party?

Why did the mushroom go to the party?

Because he was a fun guy! Ah yes, it’s the old ones that are definitely best. But what are Fungi? Well they’re Fungi. Mushrooms, Toadstools, Molds, Yeasts and Truffles are all organisms that belong to a group called Fungi. There are about 70,000 species of fungi but it has been estimated that when unidentified and potentially undiscovered fungi are taken into account, then the total could be up to 1.5 million. That’s a helluva lot of shrooms.

Fungi are thought to have evolved about 900 million years ago from an organism that also gave rise to animals. This means that the humble mushroom that sits atop your steak on the dinner plate is actually more closely related to the cow that the steak came from then the carrots and potatoes that sit beside it. What distinguishes fungi from plants (in simple terms) is that they can’t make their own food by photosynthesis.

Fungi are so diverse it defies belief at times. 37 species have been recorded in the ruins of the Chernobyl nuclear power station. They have been found in severely contaminated areas and research suggests that they may be biodestructors of extremely radioactive material. They have been found in areas that have levels of radiation that are10,000 times higher than the level that can kill humans.

In 2000, a species called Armillaria ostoyae was found in Oregon that had been working it’s way through the soil slowly growing to an unimaginable size and killing trees as it went about it’s business. It covered 2,200 acres and was thought to be 2,400 years old. This fungi started off life as a single spore so small that it could only be seen through a microscope, and slowly grew over time to become the largest living organism ever found.

Mind boggling!!

Here are a couple of shots of Irish Mushrooms I took the other day in Howth. I went there specifically to find mushrooms but I didn’t think I would find the amount I did. They were everywhere. I haven’t identified any yet, but my id book isn’t the greatest. It only covers the commonest species. I must ask Santa for a more concise one. It’s definitely the right time of year to go mushroom hunting. There are many, many photo opportunities out there at the moment with various fungi covering almost every grassy and wooded area you can come across. That reminds me of an old joke. Why did the Fungi leave the party? Because there wasn’t mush room!

Yep, as I said earlier, it’s the old ones that are best.

www.davemcmanusphotography.com

The Butterfly Bush

I’ve always known that Buddleja was a seriously important plant for insects, but until a couple of weeks ago when I saw the one growing in the garden of my mothers next door neighbour, I didn’t realise just how important it really is. To say the plant was alive with butterflies was a gross understatement. It’s for this very good reason that Buddleja davidii is known as the butterfly bush.

Buddleja is technically an invasive species and is commonly found on waste ground, but something that provides so much benefit to insect species can hardly be looked upon as a bad thing. It can grow out of control very quickly if it isn’t pruned and this is a major reason why it isn’t seen in many gardens but with only a small amount of effort it can be contained and once it starts flowering in the summer months, the rewards make the effort of pruning worthwhile. This plant attracts almost every species of nectar sipping butterfly and moth as well as a fine collection of bees and other pollen spreading insects.

The plant has a very attractive purple coloured flower and many people mistake it for Lilac. There are about 100 species of the plant but for photographers it’s the davidii variety we are interested in. It’s beginning to tail off now for the year but there are still good blooms to be found along rail sidings. That purple flower you keep seeing out the window as the train heads into town is Buddleja. It is a key plant to have on your side if you want to capture photos of Red Admirals, Peacocks and Painted Ladys. Due to a variety of commitments, I was unable to make the best use of the plant this year but I will be making it a priority next year so I can get that perfect image of a Peacock that I’ve been after for a while now. I’m planting it in the new garden as well so let’s hope it takes.

In the meantime, there are still flowering shrubs out there and butterflies looking for their last meal before they too tail off so best of luck. Maybe there’s still one final decent image of the year left too take.

www.davemcmanusphotography.com

Wasps - Public Enemy Number 1?

It’s that time of year again folks. That’s right, it’s Wasp Bashing Season!! Maybe a strange pursuit for an environmentally sensitive soul like me, but I hate them! Period! Full Stop! You may think I am exaggerating here, but I’ve always considered Wasps to be the terrorists of the insect world. They spend their day flying around looking for innocent humans to torment and pick on. And when they get annoyed by our flapping and flailing, they line up their sights and come in for the kill with Red Baron like precision.

Actually wasps, and quite specifically Vespula vulgaris, the Common Wasp, are quite interesting animals. They are a highly social animal and live in nests numbering 2000. They make a nest so complex and strong that it puts all our architectural attempts to shame and yet they scare a lot of people. I’m sure that this can be put down to their sting.

A feature unique to the wasps is that the venom with which they sting contains a pheromone which alarms all other wasps in the area and invites them to join the attack on the victim, a bit like the way sharks will home in on the scent of blood. Bees fly in swarms and have the reputation for attacking in swarms, (think of the Africanized Honey Bee in the U.S.) but a bee won’t attack you unless it has to. The mechanism of a bee sting is fatal to the bee as it can only use its sting once, whereas the wasp can sting multiple times. So if you do get stung by a wasp, then get out of the area fast because more will find you to protect their buddy and sting the hell out of you.

At this time of year, between August and October, worker wasps are attracted into houses by fruit and jams. They love the juice from plums and apples and once it’s hot you can expect a few visitors during the day. They will travel a distance to get to a food source so the presence of wasps doesn’t necessarily mean there is a nest nearby but there may well be. I once had one in the house next door and it was an impressive sight watching them come in and out of the hive like planes landing and taking off from an airport.

So what do you do if you have a nest in your house/garden? Well, personally, I’d have a nervous breakdown as wasps are my enemy number one but once I got over that I’d call in pest control because I wouldn’t go near one and my advice to you guys would be to do the same. You can buy powder, spray and a type of expanding foam, which is said to work very well, but professionals are there for a reason and that’s why I call the wasp busters.

One insect even scarier than a wasp and relatively uncommon in Ireland is their close cousin the Hornet (Vespa crabro). A big brown and yellow devil that would strike fear into a pillar of granite. But looks can be deceiving. The Hornet is actually much less aggressive than most smaller wasps and has been observed actually retreating backwards when approached. Along with bees and fruit it has been known to eat the odd wasp larvae or two and is partial to the adults as well. It is also totally benign to humans. It doesn’t seek us out at all and will land on you without putting you in any danger. Maybe what we need is more hornets. A non aggressive, scary eater of all things waspish. I love it. Of course, they do defend their nests. Aggressively. In fact if you get too close they will attack you and defend their home with extreme prejudice and leave you in ribbons. So we just need to give them a little space and point them in the direction of their dinner of ‘my’ choice.

Yes, I think I could live with a Hornet for a neighbour, but until I’m able to erect the “beware of hornet” sign in the garden I’ll have to make do with the rolled up newspaper. And even though I should be more tolerant, I will continue to exact my measure of revenge upon the winged demons that torment me so. I really hate wasps!!

Litter Bugs Me

I’ve been known to have a rant about the odd thing or two in my time but one thing that constantly annoys me is litter. It amazes me the lengths people will go to, to avoid disposing of their rubbish in a proper manner.

Up to a few years ago I spent a lot of time fishing Irelands beaches. I was convinced at the time that I was the only angler who took their waste fishing line and rubbish home with them. Rolled up balls of line and reams of crumpled newspaper littered beaches. It was despairing to look at.

Whenever I walk with our dog along Dollymount beach on North Bull Island, I get the same feeling. Rarely have I seen a beach as polluted as Dollymount. It really is in a shocking condition and Dublin City Council should be taken to task over it. I will soon be taken photos of this beach and sending them to the powers that be and looking for an explanation as to why it is never cleaned.

Anyway, last week I was down in Howth trying to take a decent photo of the Bailey Lghthouse (which I didn’t manage – light wrong, not enough cloud etc, etc) and I scrambled down the cliff walk to Jameson Beach. Now this ain’t easy to get to. It involves a bit of a camel hike along the cliff walk and then the way down to the beach is quite worn, and overgrown with foliage. It takes effort, and yet when I got down there I found the beach festooned in beer cans and in one area the remains of a barbeque was neatly piled in one corner.

Did the people responsible for this litter think that by stacking it neatly, it would simply disappear? Or that maybe the council do a cliff clean service. It beggars belief really, but then again, that’s the type of world we live in. One were a small selection of the population don’t mind ruining the natural environment we live in. I mean, surely the most difficult part of the day was bringing it all down there in the first place?

Anyway, litter bugs me.