2026-07-05T14:26:52Z

#Photography #Ireland #Antrim #Nature
🧵1/3 Trip down to Antrim this morning to see what wildlife is around. It’s very concerning to see such a complete and total absence of insects in the flower gardens; and this seems to be the case in many parts of Ireland Upper this year.

Ivy leafed toadflax; a very pretty little plant that grows on walls. It has green ivy shaped leaves, reddish stems and small pinky coloured flowers.

The inevitable Grey Squirrel. I suspect this was a youngster, as its tail was quite scant, it was fairly small and thin, and didn’t seem to be particularly aware of humans, or dogs. It is sitting on a gravel path and almost blends with the path.

A standard wood pigeon in the grass and daisies beside a gravel path. It has a pink breast, white collar, and soft blue-gray colouring over its wings and back.

A view across some of the flower beds in the formal gardens at Clotworthy. There are no insects to be seen at all in this photo, despite a large assortment of different colours and shaped flowers, many of which are insect attractants.

2026-07-05T14:33:12Z

HarriettMB@HarriettMB@toot.wales

18h

Replying to @HarriettMB@toot.wales

#Photography #Ireland #Antrim #Nature
🧵 2/3 Continued photos from Antrim…
The literal two bees I saw this morning - a honey bee - the first one I’ve seen this year, and what I think is a white tailed bumblebee.
Then there’s the two parent ducks with their almost adult ducklings who are getting their adult plumage, although it’s still quite pale.

A honeybee leaving an open flat petalled blue flower, after checking for any nectar or pollen.

A white-tailed bumblebee on a vertical stem of bugle shaped blue flowers.

An adult duck on the left with its head underwater as it searches for food. Another duck stands in shallow water with its beak in the water, also looking for food. Two ‘teenage’. Ducklings are growing in their adult plumage in the background. They are quite pale coloured compared to the adults.

2026-07-05T14:39:07Z

HarriettMB@HarriettMB@toot.wales

18h

Replying to @HarriettMB@toot.wales

#Photography #Ireland #Antrim #Nature
🧵3/3 Continued photos from Antrim….
Heron drama. The heron had a rough time this morning. First it was mobbed on the sports field by a gull, who kept on dive-bombing it. So it flew into the trees, but that wasn’t enough. It came down to the river, and the gull followed, sitting a few feet way, just watching it. Finally it moved up the river a bit, then some person with a mobile phone got too close trying to photograph it, so it flew off again.

A Grey Heron flying into the trees, to try and escape being mobbed by a gull.

A grey heron stands on a rock, waiting to fish in the river, but the gull is in the forground watching it.

The grey heron moves again, and is in a different part of the stream, hoping to catch something to eat. A person with a mobile phone came down the bank close to it, so it had to fly off _again_. The bird is looking to the right, and looks rather irritated.

Jul 5, 2026, 14:39 UTCen