There are two species of squirrel currently in Ireland.  The red squirrel is a native species that has been found on the island since before the last ice age.  It is totally dependent on woodland as a habitat, and through deforestation has suffered a number of troughs, including almost complete extinction in the 17th century.  The current population mainly derives from reintroductions that took place in a number of locations during the 19th century.  The second squirrel species is the American grey squirrel Sciurus carolinensis that was introduced on just one occasion in 1911 to Co. Longford.  The establishment and subsequent spread of this alien species has resulted in competition with the red squirrel for food resources, with the red squirrel invariably losing out to the grey. 

Red squirrels are distinctly smaller, weighing approximately half that of a grey squirrel.  Reds can be distinguished from greys by their long ear tufts and fur colour, although grey squirrels can be a brown-red colour in the summer, and reds sometimes taking on a greyish hue in the winter, leading to some confusion.  Red squirrels spend the majority of their foraging time in the tree canopy, whereas greys feed more frequently on the ground.  Red squirrels are particularly elusive, often hiding against the opposite side of the tree trunk from intruders, whereas the brash grey squirrels display less wariness of humans.

Red squirrels feed mainly on tree seeds, although they can utilise fungi, fruit and buds as they become available in the woodland.  Grey squirrels have a broader diet, making greater use of alternative food sources and also including grain, flowers, eggs and tree bark in their diet.  Both species depend predominantly on nuts and seeds though, hence the fierce competition between them.

Record your own sighting to the National Biodiversity Data Center here 

Credit : http://www.mammals-in-ireland.ie/species/red-squirrel

So today I happened to be in Inistioge to help get a Men's Shed started - more about that next week . After a good meeting with some of Inistioge's locals , I managed a walk down along the river and back into the village . 

What a wonderful place - and well worth a visit 

Inistioge - walking along the River Barrow to the Bat Cave 

Saw this in the next town  Had to stop and get a snap - amazing what some people will put in their gardens 

Last week , 8th August , we put these bottle around the apairy to stop wasps from robbing the honey and causing mischief with our bee's . 

Literally one minute after putting the wasp traps out, they began generating interest from the wasps .
Today (13th August ) we called back for our regular inspection of the beehives .

What a result !! 

If you would like to make a wasp trap to remove wasps from around your house or garden , you will need some basic ingredients easily found around the house :

• Sugar 
  
• Water 
  
• Vinegar 
• Half a Banana skin 
  
• A plastic bottle with a small hole cut into it 

Follow the instructions from this post or download by clicking the button below 

If you have being stung by a wasp - you might want to read this post to see how to get the best treatment for your sting 

If you would like to order some local honey , click here 

Delighted with the post this morning 

There has been a rare opportunity to witness a unique lunar event in the night sky, a so-called "blue moon".

When two full moons are seen within a single calendar month, the second is called a blue moon.

It is a quirk arising from the interaction of the lunar cycle - around 29.5 days - and the human calendar in which months range from 28 to 31 days long.

The next blue moon is not due until 2018

Credit :BBC.com

One of our trips out on the Greenway

An absolute stunning place to visit - find out more at http://www.ballycroynationalpark.ie/

Some of the images and views to be seeing on Achill Island , the Deserted Village and around Mayo