Most people associate hares with March; think of the expression “mad as a March hare” and the hare in ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’. So this is a bit early, but because of what I have seen and heard recently, I couldn’t wait another month. The madness, by the way, refers […]
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In 2024, I collected 51.74 kilograms of litter from the cove at the end of our lane. That is more than in 2022 and 2023, but a little less than in 2021. Fishing gear such as ropes and hard plastic floats were the heaviest items, but plastic bottle pieces were, […]
Following on from the last two instalments on insulation, this month I’m going to talk about ventilation. Ventilation is an important part of any retrofit but I find it is often overlooked and misunderstood. Hopefully, I can help dispel it here! A key part of any retrofit is reducing drafts, […]
This month branch committee member Karl Woods tells us about the Black Redstart ‘Phoenicurus ochruros’ (Irish name – ‘Earrdheargán dubh’), a lovely but scarce little bird that some people may not realise we get in Ireland. However there seems to be an increasing number of winter sightings and so now […]
As you carve that big roasted turkey on Christmas Day, I wonder how many will ask: why is a bird from America named after a country in Asia Minor? Turkeys belong to the family Phasianidae, along with pheasants, peacocks, chickens, partridges, grouse and quails. This family is part of a […]
Last month we covered the basics of insulating your home and the low hanging fruit that can be tackled relatively easily; insulating your attic, pumping cavity walls and draught-proofing. However, we are not all fortunate enough to live in homes that are that easy to upgrade. On my trips around […]