With our trusty copy of “The Wildflowers of Ireland” tucked under her arm, and a camera over mine, we headed out to the marshy area next to our house. The plan was simple - we would pretend to be tourists at home, practicing the art of seeing our surroundings as though we were experiencing everything for the first time. We would walk slowly, I explained to our eight year old. We would take our time, and see what we could find.
Marsh Helleborine
Our plan to be pretend to be tourists, at home, had been inspired by reading “The Crossbills Guide to Ireland". The first part of the guide book explains Ireland's geology, climate, flora, and fauna. The second half suggests routes and sites for exploring wildlife, with tips on how to find and watch different species. Each evening, the week previously, I had been picking my way through the book and plotting future adventures across Ireland.
And from my reading I had begun to realise that we didn't need to travel too far afield. I began to suspect that the area next to our house - a field that we refer to as “the marsh” - might actually be a what the book refers to as a “nutrient-rich alkaline fen".
“Fens have a constant water supply from an underground well or nearby river ... Unlike rainwater, this water delivers a range of nutrients that support a wide variety of plant life".
“Fens are different from both raised and blanket bog" I read. “While raised and blanket bogs get their water from precipitation, fens have a constant water supply from an underground well or nearby river. Unlike rainwater, this water supply delivers a range of minerals and nutrients that support a wide variety of plant life".
Our “marsh" has peat-like soil and is fed by a natural spring, I thought. Further along I discovered the bit that really piqued my interest.. “Rich fens (alkaline fens) are found in areas overlying limestone [...] They are one of the most species-rich habitats in Ireland." This tracked also.
“Rich alkaline fens are one of the most species-rich habitats in Ireland."
If this is an “alkaline fen" I explained to the mildly curious 8 year old, the guide says that we could expect to find numerous wildflowers and orchids - like Grass of Parnassus, Water Mint, Purple Loosestrife, Marsh Cinquefoil, Fen Thistle, Early Marsh Orchid, Fly Orchid, and Broad-Leaved Helleborine. “And!" I said, in my mother-trying-to-enthuse-child-in-the-rain voice, “we might spot butterflies and moths and dragonflies!".
What started as a slightly damp evening slowly evolved into a soaking wet one. One of those west of Ireland evenings where the clouds lay so low they touched the ground. It wasn't raining exactly - but we were in the clouds.
Yet, we persisted. And, we were rewarded. When we stopped to drink it in, the mist/cloud had a beauty all of its own. We watched the fresh mist settle softly on spiderwebs, moisture dripping from the bog rushes and the frothy water mint glistened. Sky and land were becoming one.
Here is some of what we saw.
Devil's-Bit Scabious
The very elegant Grass-of-Parnassus
Common Spotted Orchid - One of a number of different wild orchids we came across
Lesser Spearwort
Water Mint along the lake shore
Purple Loosestrife and Water Mint
Five Spotted Burnet Moth
Author: Jo Anne Butler
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“The Crossbills Guide to Ireland"
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