Author Archives: @julforres

The Alder fills the U of the sky at the hatch and I see my first cuckoo flower on 22.04 of 2022 at the metal bridge The lilac of the flower is said to coincide with the arrival of the cuckoo from Africa… I haven’t ever heard a cuckoo in the Glen. The cuckoo flowerContinue reading “Alder and cuckoo end days of April 2022”

These days I have been entering the Glen via the ZigZag, too early for Sunview East (which is still under lock & key till the Council begin their day) It’s been some time since I walked this path – the way is lush with Winter heliotrope ruffling the borders of my descent, an audience ofContinue reading “Sun and cycles of repopulation 18-22.04.2022”

I am early to the Glen today my intention to walk the legs begins with moving fast and soon slows as the valley weaves its magic around me. I greet the Dipper in her usual spot by the Fleischmann residence, moving on without stopping so as not to disturb her hunting – but she fliesContinue reading “Easter Monday 18.04.2022 Rope Walk Daffodils”

The burnings come in cycles, looking back over 3 springs of Glen photos I see the blackening is very much an element of April and March – and always the greening follows and the re-population, shoots are emerging now, bees now passing in and out of holes and spiders’ webs now joining stone to stalkContinue reading “April aftermath reconciliation and new beginnings 26.03.2022 – 15.04.2022”

The Glen is a place of Alders whose shapes populate the valley, darkly red against the doming grey-greens of Willow. Right now the male flowers of the Alders are dangling from all branches and strewn across the ground after the winds; these catkins, named from the dutch word for kitten. Alders produce male and femaleContinue reading “Alder….Saturday 9.04.2022”

The weather has been good for the last few days with blue skies and warm sun. We had a site visit for Gleann na Phúca today (Saturday 26) a pair of buzzards watch over us winging high and silent in the blue, making their elegant circles in the air. It’s good to see them inContinue reading “birds of prey, burnings and blue skies 16 -26 March”

They have been man- i-curing the Glen – they on machines leaving tyre tracks, heavy in the mud, pointing to the places of decimation where limbs of branches pile up or lay strewn across the undergrowth, mashed up and ground down. There will be no more bird callings from the bare branched elms, the lumberContinue reading “manicuring the Glen – culling the elms – adieu adieu 1-16.03.2022”

It’s a greyish morning early as I stroll down Sunview East into the park. I am appreciating the bareness before the promise of Spring growth, it’s the first week of hedgrow protections and from now until September is the official time of respect for nesting birds and animal life. On the way to the FleischmannsContinue reading “Findings and leavings in the first week of hedgerow protection Monday 7.03.2022”

Dudley was only whispering as he passed overhead but Eunice reached us howling, bringing down trees and gusty Franklin buffeted in her trail, all shape shifting their ways through the Glen and beyond. This morning we have snow, the warm earth kisses away the cold white touch as blue skies open and close letting inContinue reading “After the storms…14-24.02.2022”

My walks in February have been sporadic yet each one yields a new drama… and in between there have been postings about the brown waters running through the Glen despite the lack of rain. on Saturday the fifth I was one of a booted group of water warriors/worriers looking on as Simon from UCC demonstratedContinue reading “onto the 13th day of February – pink skies, brown waters and the appearance of strange quiver like objects 13.02.2022”