Photos

All photos on this blog, Wildlife on Wheels, are taken by me. If you want to use any of my photos for anything other than personal use, send me an email and we'll talk about it. The email address is listed in the sidebar on the right .

Save Dunmanus Bay

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Two more springflowers

A few days ago, I spotted two wildflowers which I will be seeing everywhere until late summer.
One is of the Veronica family. The other is the Wild or Barren Strawberry, Potentilla sterilis.
Both flowers measured 8-10 mm. I like the Strawberry at this time of year, when they are very small and pretty . With my confidence still in shatters, I was unsure if it was the Barren Strawberry, Potentilla sterilis, or the Wild Strawberry, Fragaria vesca.

Talking to Zoƫ Devlin of Irish Wildflowers , she soon affirmed that it was indeed the Barren Strawberry, Potentilla sterilis. One of the easiest ways to distinguish the two species is the sepals showing between the -wide separated- petals.
So here are a cuople of pictures. Also thrown into the mix is a Germander Speedwell, Veronica Chamaedrys. Another spring flower of 8mm.

Barren Strawberry, Potentilla sterilis



Germander Speedwell, Veronica chamaedrys

And of course a Dandelion, Taraxachum off. peeping through!

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Macro Monday: Fruiting Fungi.

If you can tell me the name of this specie, please use the comment box, to let me know.

I spotted these gorgeous Fungi growing on a piece of tree; a thick piece of a tree trunk which is being used as a planter in the Rehabcare garden. It is the first time I have seen these here, and I wonder what they are. And what lyrical latin name is attached to them? I have looked on Irish Lichen and Fungi website by Jenny Seawright, but can only find one specie which looks similar, but there the bands are in reverse order; ie dark band on the outside.

It could be a variant of the Turkeytail, Tramestes versicolour








Next year I will plant a tree in memory of Francis. Most likely the native Ash/ Rowan,with it's beautiful finger like leaves and red berries. Apart from Birds, feeding on the fruit, there are loads of insect species linked to the Rowan, so that will be good. It will have to be planted into a pot of some sort, as we only got a few centimetres of soil on top of the rock here. Rowan is a medium sized tree anyway, so I very much doubt that a pot would be a problem. (apart from the cash needed for one of those!) I think planting it on his birthday, late January, would give a bare rooted tree a good chance too. His death came 4 days after his birthday after all.



The lovely little Bittercress, with its tiny flowers. Not fully opened yet. Immediately after I took my pictures, shovels of horse manure was dumped upon these weeds. i am sure I can find other specimens of the specie elsewhere, away from gardens. They grow all over the road verges, so I need to find a spot where I can take photos as well as stay out of harm's way from cars. not the easiest job.


Varigated Pepermint.

I forgot the name of these. Too much other stuff on my mind I guess.



Hellebore. The flower was facing in such a way that I could not get a good shot of it. The sleepers of the raised bed were preventing me from swinging around my wheels. Ah well, c'est la vie.



If you want to take part or know more about Macro Monday, please visit Lisa's blog.