Sun sun sun sun sun sun sun
This blog has been silent for a while and I blame the weather here in Ireland. No, really, it's been unbelievably hot and sunny EVERYDAY. We've had continuous rain-free epic weeks. The ground is so dry that I can kick dust with my summer shoes. I actually get to wear my sunglasses every day now. I am trying to spend every minute awake outside soaking up the rare Irish sun. Yesterday I got sunburned after we spent six hours swimming in natural pools at the foothills of the Maumtrasna mountains. River Strahnalong cascades down the steep slopes into the valley below in a series of waterfalls that create very deep pools. The pools are fantastic for swimming and jumping into. Only one needs to "clear the rocks and clench buttcheeks" as one girl put it before she plunged from the highest point into a pool. This place is a gem off the beaten track and it's where you can still see local lads journey to sample beer and talk about cars (my guess) in privacy after work.
Not sure if my phone camera captures how totally stupendous the views are, but here we go anyway.
Maumtrasna mountains
Maumtrasna mountains
We've been back to the nest in Sorrel Woods several times and the female is still sitting on eggs. But now it won't be long before the little sparrowhawks hatch and it will be time for our wild take! Because of this amazing hot early summer many of the passerines have hatched and even fledged and so the sparrowhawks' diet is changing too - from old birds to fresh meat. Last time we visited the nest we found this. Can you guess what this is?
Sparrowhawk plucking post
It's a wing from a fledgling that a musket snatched from a nest. It was left on one of the plucking posts and a slug was tucking in for its share of tender remains. Yum.
We've also been enjoying new foods in our diet - fresh summer salads from my veg patch!
Green salads from the garden
The long summer evenings are spent outdoors gardening, walking, swimming, foraging, bird watching, and frying things on fire with friends. This blog might be silent for a while, but soon, hopefully, I will post an update with photos of the wild sparrowhawk chick.
Happy summer frolicking!
x.