A Voyage Around A Garden - Danny McCaughan
On Friday 30th October club member Daniel Mc Caughan enthralled those present taking them on a photographic tour of his garden and its diverse ecological environments. A wildflower section .a pond .a wet and bog like area .
Commencing with an ariel photograph of his dwelling and then returning to earth the journey was essentially about the ecology and about how best to attract the myriad of life by providing a habitat that encourages their existence .
Here the planting regime was established to attract bees of which there are many different types native to Ireland and the UK including Bumble bees ,honey bee , masonry bee buff-tailed bumble bee and red tailed bee to name a few . Wasps hover flys drone flys and butterflies are frequent visitors to our gardens .
Frog species are attracted to the pond area and here Danny provided a ladder to enable these creatures to easily leave their water world .Danny kept fish species in his pond but unfortunately these were taken by predatory birds .
Common bird species visitors to our gardens include Starling , Robin ,Blackbird,Goldfinch, Blue Tit, and Great Tit all are attracted and can be encouraged with the application of mulch material to plant areas as this will provide a home for the insects on which small birds relay .
Danny has not forgotten the needs of the Hedgehog for a safe and secure habitat for this shy and attractive creature . Danny recommends that setting out logs that have holes drilled in them provides a home for a myriad of insects.
Lavender with their fragrant purple blooms attract the pollinating insects essential to our wellbeing as well as Verbena,Buddleia and Echinacea are recommended . Danny made a point of advising not to use insecticides and allow nature to take its course and even allow beneficial weeds to exist.
In the natural world predation of one creature onto another is always present
and here Danny related how a species of wasp that injects its eggs into a bee and later when the wasp larvae emerge they consume the unfortunate bee.
Danny advised that installing a trail camera will provide unexpected insights into visiting creatures .The urban fox ,a prowling cat and a badger all captured. A jay consuming the larvae in a wasp nest was a significant and previously unknown event photographed by Danny
For the photographer it was Danny's flower and bird photography that excelled some of which are reproduced here for your appreciation .
Many thanks to Danny for this not only instructive but also photographic odyssey of his garden environment and some other locations here at home and in England .
Edward McCavana BPS Information Officer
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