Pre-famine cabins

MY EARLY MORNING WALK

| gaiainaction
A few mornings ago I awoke real early and immediately decided to go for a walk. The sun was still only just reaching over the hills to the East. A walk around the block, and a little bit further seemed very inviting. We live almost on top of a hill, the walk would take me along the top of this hill and then down toward the town centre and up again taking the path called the ‘rock’ which overlooks the centre of the town and the river Ilen in a most fantastic way. Some hundred years ago people used to live there in small cabins. The remains of these pre-famine cabins have been excavated. In some places the rock face had actually been used as a wall, even some niches were cut into the rock wall. See my earlier blog about this dig at:
https://gaiainaction.blog/2015/07/09/an-interesting-dig-in-skibbereen
This morning’s walk did not take me quite as far as the site of the rock cabins. However, the lane leading up to them is a wonderful bit of woodland, birds were singing beautifully, it was an awesome moment to listen to them there.
  • Vicia cracca – tufted vetch
  • Succisa pratensis – Devil’s bit scabious
  • Fly on yarrow flowers
  • Hoverfly on blackberry flowers
  • Senecio jacobaea – common ragwort

These are only some of the wild flowers that I find growing along the roadside, and in the Boreen along this walk. We are experiencing rather warm and dry weather in the past week or two and it shows in the abundance of flowers. And though insects in general are on the decline, I’ve seen several butterflies recently, among them a few painted ladies and one meadow brown.

And so the walk goes on, along the road leading down into the town. I have always admired this scenery.
  • Malva sylvestris – common mallow
  • Calystegia sepium – hedge bindweed
  • Lythrum salicaria – purple-loosestrife
  • Cochleria officinalis – common scurvy grass
  • Unidentified speedwell
  • Ladybird on thistle
  • Anthyllis vulneraria – kidney vetch
  • Another view looking down at the town of Skibbereen
  • Path to the rock, very quiet apart from birdsong, and very beautiful, tranquil and peaceful.
  • Ferns grow here under the trees
  • Amazing rocks, shale or slate
So my walk carried on along all the many beautiful and interesting wild plants and flowers. The speedwell which I could not identify I have seen growing in a little brook along the road for many years. I think that it might be either creeping speedwell or thyme-leaved speedwell. Its leaves are glossy and they grow differently along the stem from most speedwells. A mystery to me! The common scurvy grass, also newly identified, grows in the same brook.
  • Erica cinerea – bell heather
  • And more rocks
  • Scrophularia nodose – common figwort
  • Trifolium pratense – red clover
  • C.nigra – Black knapweed

The abundance of wild plants and flowers is amazing and wonderful, while making the walks interesting and ever changing. Always something new to find and explore or look up after coming home. I am not sure about the bird that I hear singing but if you would tell me that it was a nightingale, then I would believe you, it was quite magical. The other bird was a chiffchaff.

Have you had an interesting walk recently? I know that many of my followers and the friends that I follow are into walking and enjoying it very much. May I wish you happy times.