Well, this was a disappointment. Is there an actually delicious brand, or are they all overhyped? The chocolate on this tasted so-so and the pistachio filling was nice enough, but nothing special. #DubaiChocolate #speirgorm #spéirghorm

There goes the Navy from Dun Laoghaire: LE George Bernard Shaw

There's a roundabout in Cork where even during the worst traffic, drivers unfailingly allow others to merge in a "zip" by local custom. Driving through it restores my faith in society, every time. I just found out it's known as the "soundabout", and that's just wonderful.

If you’re still up and have a clear sky to the east it’s worth paying your respects to the Moon (it’s a capital M moon tonight), Jupiter and Gemini. All within the width of a hand held at arm’s length. #speirgorm #spéirghorm

Nothing I watch this Halloween can compare with these lines about midges I just read in Jane Powers's "An Irish Nature Year"

This fellow cleared the garden pretty quickly 😱 🐦‍⬛🐦 😨 I’m delighted to see him on the premises again. Look at his yellow eye 😍 #sparrowhawk #urbannature #irishnature #speirgorm #spéirghorm

Catherine Connolly will be elected as Ireland’s next president. The second news item at present is the vast number of spoiled votes. My thoughts on spoiled votes in the ALT TEXT OF THE PHOTO #aras25 #aras2025 #spoiledvotes #spoiltvotes #speirgorm #Spéirghorm

They were too busy to go to the polling station. As you can see. We had to leave them behind. #DogsForCatherine

A superb nature book by Chloe Dalton. The writing is so simple and *restrained*, leaving space for the reader’s own feelings and imagination. You become as intimate as any human can with the curious workings of a hare’s fragile but joyous life. How anyone can support hare-coursing beats me.

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Quite a gorgeous day for the autumn equinox in #Dunlaoghaire Harbour.

Overnight oats! I’m bombarded by ads for them on social media. Now I’m going to have to try them. What’s the best recipe?

Excellent skies up there today and that's only right, seeing as it is #cloudappreciationday #lookup

My brain is tuned mostly to nature writing these days, but I still love writing garden visits (especially when the gardener is mad for nature). Here's my latest effort in Country Life www.countrylife.co.uk/gardens/coun...

Flower crab spider (Misumena vatia) tucking into a hoverfly for dinner. Isn't she just gorgeous? 😍 #urbannature #irishnature #speirgorm #spéirgorm

Seven-spot ladybirds making more ladybirds 😍🐞 Lots of aphids to sustain them on this teasel 😊 #urbannature #irishnature #speirgorm #spéirgorm

Eristalis pertinax hoverfly doing her grooming routine: getting all the pollen and other garden detritus off her elegant wings and legs. Isn’t she a beauty? The looped vein in her wing denotes that she was once a rat-tailed maggot, bless her. #urbannature #irishnature #speirgorm #spéirgorm

Midsummer in my bonkers front garden: it takes a lot of bashing around to make a place look this natural. Everything is drought-resistant & nearly all are friends of #pollinators Plant names in alt text #dunlaoghaire #Irishgarden #Gardening #flowergarden #pollinatorgarden #speirgorm #spéirgorm

#AshForFuture Ireland is requesting public reporting of healthy ash trees to help collect seed from plants that are tolerant/resilient to #AshDieback shorturl.at/vYbjZ "up to 10% of ash trees have some tolerance to the disease, with 1-3% showing a high level of tolerance."

@nicwilson.bsky.social I listened to your book. It is wonderfully honest and beautifully written. And you are a great reader. Well done on so many counts. (I also have those awful anxiety phone dreams. And also have a hag stone in my pocket to ground me!)

This monster of a Californian rose, Rosa nutkana ‘Plena’ flowers only once and it suckers everywhere, but I forgive it for a few weeks every summer. The scent is permeating my whole front garden.

It's #IndependentBookshopWeek across Ireland & the UK so show your indies a bit of love! Treat yourself to a new book, notebook or a few cards & bask in the glory of supporting a local business! #IndiesRock #BookshopsRock

I’m slowly and deliciously making my way through this #urbanplants book by @trevorthebotanist.bsky.social Piece by piece he puts together the extraordinarily layered puzzle that is our urban flora. I just love this book. Just published. I hope it’s okay to give it a plug on #wildflowerhour

I can’t resist two more #urbanplants for #wildflowerhour today Wall Rue (such a perfect little fern) Great Mullein (in my wall next to footpath — can’t believe a passerby hasn’t beheaded it) #urbannature #irishnature #speirgorm #spéirgorm

More #urbanplants for #wildflowerhour Dog-walk in #DunLaoghaire (where the council no longer sprays weedkiller! Hooray!) Field Poppy Long-headed Poppy Creeping Thistle Pineapple Weed + leaves of Broadleaf Plantain (swimming in blocked shore) #urbannature #irishnature #speirgorm #spéirgorm

#urbanplants for #wildflowerhour #DunLaoghaire Harbour this evening: Common Mallow Mexican Fleabane Buck’s-horn Plantain Rock Sea-Spurrey #urbannature #irishnature #speirgorm #spéirgorm

Is this #hoverfly Luniger sp? Don’t think it’s Scaeva — but could be wrong. Couldn’t get better pic. Wings look a bit cloudy. Can #entomology or #diptera person help ID? In Dun Laoghaire, Ireland. @jillwhitelock.bsky.social #insectID #invertebrate #urbannature #irishnature #speirgorm #spéirgorm

The current situation here. We got soaked on our walk (14mm rain so far) and this seemed the best idea.

Just got URBAN PLANTS by @trevorthebotanist.bsky.social Ecological, historical, social info, accessibly written. As an avid inspector of walls, pavements & other niches, this is perfect for me. You too, probably. Accompanying pics from this morning’s dog walk. More in alt text #urbannature

Perfect day in #DunLaoghaire

Baby starling season! #urbannature #irishnature #speirgorm #spéirgorm

And then, this just happened! I forgive the grey day everything. #speirgorm #spéirgorm

We’re back to grey old days now. But at least it’s grey until well into the evening #grandstretch And sometimes it’s madly colourful, if you know where to look. Here’s a lofty rainbow that appeared behind our house at 9.15pm the night before last. #speirgorm #spéirgorm

For #worldbeeday here’s a common carder BB I accidentally watered in glasshouse 😕 I put her on chives & she immediately probed the florets for nectar. After a minute she sat still to dry off. 20 minutes later she had flown off. #urbannature #irishnature #speirgorm #spéirgorm

And here we have the magpie on my office windowsill telling me that the window feeder is nearly empty. I forgot to put a sign on it that said ‘blue tits only’, so the hooded crows and magpies have been having a great time. #urbannature #irishnature #speirgorm #spéirgorm

Scenes from my birdfeeders, through the kitchen window. 1. Grey squirrel demonstrating how to get into a squirrel-proof feeder. 1. Bullfinch looking all gorgeous. He and his missus are here every day. #urbannature #irishnature #speirgorm #spéirgorm

Rescued this female Orange Tip butterfly from glasshouse. She was reluctant to leave my fingers. I hope she’s not injured from batting against the glass. Male Orange Tip in garden a few days ago. I hope they find each other 💕 🐛🐛🐛🐛 #urbannature #irishnature #speirgorm #spéirgorm

Adrian McKinty’s Sean Duffy series makes me so happy. In this book, our protagonist comes upon yet another July 12th bonfire in Northern Ireland: “More smoke, noise, people — and worst of all, accordion music.” (Audiobooks are read by Gerard Doyle, who is a complete delight.)

This pic popped up from seven years ago. We’d just finished a late breakfast in the garden. Spot the dog! #lurchersofbluesky #lurcher #adoptdontshop

Swifts have returned to Dun Laoghaire! I am so happy to see them back from their African travels.

Bullfinch pair appearing at feeder over the last week or so. Happy days! Phone pics through window. #urbannature #irishnature #speirgorm #spéirgorm

Woohoo! Another of Lin's fantastically well researched threads. Do give her a follow if you haven't already. #BotanySky #Gardening #Invertebrates #Entomology 💚🌱🌿

Silver-sided Sector Spider (try saying that quickly) aka Missing Sector Orb Weaver in my glasshouse with food package. Just a phone pic. #urbannature #irishnature #speirgorm #spéirgorm

Quick, if you’re in Dublin or anywhere around here with clear skies, look west!! The moon and Jupiter are exquisite. Crap pic just to grab your attention 🌙 ⭐️

Someone get this wren a wife, or several. He’s been singing almost nonstop for days. #urbannature #irishnature #speirgorm #spéirgorm

Strange things I see in my Dún Laoghaire garden: No idea where this lad came from. He stayed just long enough for me to snap the pic and then flew off. #urbannature #irishnature #speirgorm #spéirgorm

A PS to my post about the buzzard-mimicking starling. Here's the June 12 entry from my book, An Irish Nature Year (one nature observation for each day of the year 🐦🍃🐝🍄). Starlings are virtuosic mimics, and they pass their 'songs' on to their offspring. #urbannature #irishnature #speirgorm #spéirgorm

I’ve seen a buzzard once or twice over my house, and I was really excited to hear one just now. Turns out it was this handsome fellow giving a mimicry recital. #starling #urbannature #irishnature #speirgorm #spéirgorm

Bless all ‘my’ early birds for singing their socks off this morning. They’ll do it again tomorrow, and I’m grateful for that. #urbannature #irishnature #speirgorm #spéirgorm