John Smyth

This sounds lovely- roasting the garlic beforehand is also an option. Also, using capers instead of garlic - great in a coleslaw

The Barn Owl continues to rule the night in the meadow (despite the rain), but last week, it had to share the perch with another predator. First appearance of a Long Eared Owl this year. #BarnOwl #LongEaredOwl #Rahugh #Westmeath #Ireland @birdwatchireland.bsky.social

I feel the same way about wine!

Finally, the Common Snipe is back - it's been calling to this flooded part of the meadow at around the same time every night for the last 2 weeks. Those are willow saplings in the background that I planted over the winter. #Rahugh #CommonSnipe @birdwatchireland.bsky.social

The last Magdalen Laundry only closed in late 1996!

There was no sign of frogspawn in the mountain pools in the Maumturk mountains in Connemara yesterday, but I did spot a frog swimming for cover in one pool, so they are getting ready to spawn soon. It was hard to spot frogspawn since many of the pools were covered in melting snow/hail

The frogs began spawning in the wildlife pond a week later than last year (it was Feb 5th in 2025 and Feb 12th this year), but this is the first time I got to witness the froggy lovefest in person, and just in time for Valentine's Day. #Galway #wildlifePond #frogspawn #Ireland #ValentinesDay

I was wondering when the first frogspawn might appear in the meadow drain, and it looks like it might be a while longer... @birdwatchireland.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social #barnowl #frog #Rahugh #Westmeath #Ireland

You would need to be a Navy SEAL to survive a stag weekend in Carrick on Shannon

First hike of the year yesterday, to Ben Gorm and Ben Creggan (South Top) near Leenaun. The cloud parted briefly for a view of Doo Lough and the Sheeffries, and we also spotted a Common Snipe, a pair of Ravens and an Irish Hare #hiking #GalwayWalkingclub #Ireland #Connemara

Relax, Ian - they are not channeling Nazis , just the Crusaders who were completely diff… oh, I see.

Yellowhammers chilling on the 'Pea Perch' in the meadow in Rahugh earlier this winter. #yellowhammer #perch #Rahugh #Westmeath

Xmas lights in the Claddagh looked great this morning as the holiday period draws to a close #Xmas #Galway #Claddagh #Ireland

After a bit of an absence, the barn owl has returned to using the high perch in the meadow, and has been hunting from it over the Xmas period. #BarnOwl #Rahugh #Westmeath #wildlife @birdwatchireland.bsky.social

14th century painting of St. Margaret of Antioch attacking a devil woman in a virid dress hitting a demon with a hammer

Just making sure that 2025 is definitely over

As usual, the most interesting birds visit the garden when I don't have my main camera near at hand. I don't have big enough trees in my garden to attract treecreepers but this one paid no attention to me as it foraged on the tree outside my house on the street (iPhone, from 2 meters away)

Happy Christmas, everyone. It's felt like a long year (especially as we had the builders in). Pic below of the front garden before and after (I had to temporarily transplant a hedge from the back to the front during the build - it's replanted now). #Xmas #Galway #Ireland

Well, that’s the end of the shopping #CraneBar #Galway

Watching the rain dripping off the branches of the small stand of oak trees near Ben Lettery reminded me of @irishrainforest.bsky.social description of his own forest in Kerry. The foothills of the Twelve Bens were once oak forests. I did collect some acorns, so these trees will live on.

The old ladder-type stile (which no longer traverses the fence. We had previously repaired and moved this stile, but we had to replace it once the sheep learned how to use it

The new type style - pictures taken before the covers for the barbed wire were added

A bunch of us from Mountain Meitheal West put up a new stile that cross the fence behind the Ben Lettery in the Twelve Bens on Sunday. Why ? Because the sheep had learned how to climb over the old ladder-style one. #mountainmeithealwest #stile #TwelveBens

It's amazing how much forestry was gone by the time the Cromwellians mapped the country to divide up among their settlers. In my own country, Westmeath, it's not that much different from today (admittedly, a lot of the county was bog which they had no use for)

Full moon over Galway city - all calm for now

Facebook memory reminds me that it is 6 years since @tg4.bsky.social did a story on our volunteer work on Mám Éan (and we’re still there!) #MountainMeithealWest #trailmaintenance #MámÉan #Galway #WesternWay #Ireland

Keeping the trail dry (and encouraging hikers to stay on the trail) is an essential conservation measure, to protect the surrounding bog. And the task is a journey rather than a destination, because as soon as we clean out a drain, the bog starts growing back over it again. And so on.

When there are puddles on the trail, walkers tend to walk at the edge, creating a new path (visible on the left of the track). Since the 'new' path is on bog, it will quickly erode and become muddy, encouraging walkers to inadvertently create yet another path to avoid the mud. And so on

The last Mountain Meitheal West volunteer day of 2025 took place last Saturday, repairing drainage along a section of the Western Way near Letterbreckaun (Binn Bhriocáin) mountain, the 2nd highest of the Maumturks. The weather was kind, and we made good progress. #MountainMeithealWest

I've a trailcam set up by a wet area in the meadow to record Common snipe but they haven't appeared yet. But it captured a thrush and a fieldfare - a winter migrant from Scandinavia. #fieldfare #thrush #westmeath #ireland #rahugh #wildmeadow

China's diesel trucks shift to electric. This could change global LNG and diesel demand. China is replacing its diesel trucks with electric models faster than expected, potentially reshaping global fuel demand and the future of heavy transport.

China's electrification transition is dramatic, and leaving us in the dust.

So much for LNG-powered trucks! China and soon India are leapfrogging to the new. And our leaders pushing LNG and retreating on ZEVs look sad & vision-less in comparison.

www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/19/n...

Half an hour before sunrise #UniversityofGalway