Oh to be in Cabragh as evenings lenghten

I wonder how things are in Cabragh?

This time of the year with the first heat of the sun it is usually our natural destination and even though the wetlands have yet to burst into life, the sheltered spots beneath the hedgerow, the nooks and crannies on the cosmic walk, the river bank and the fen carr are about to burst into bloom.

In Cabragh we take this kaleidoscope of colour as a whole unit passing from habitat to habitat, fifteen in all and soaking up the diversity and the promise of new life for another year. But, now, confined to garden or perhaps road verge, it is the individuality of plants and species that catches the eye and reminds us that, despite all, nature carries on regardless.
In some parts of the world such as that town in India whose inhabitants saw the Himalayas for the first time because the fog of industrial pollution had cleared, Covid 19 has effected a sea change in nature.

This is the season of firsts and one early plant that is taking my fancy is Lords and Ladies now coming into bloom. It grows in a wide range of habitats and is known by many local names including cuckoo pint and wild arum and it thrives at the foot of hedgerows. It has an ingenious mechanism for pollination. Presently we only see the tall spike emerging from the dark leaves but soon, a large bright green single leaf will provide a backdrop for a yellow fat spike. This heats up and emits the smell of rotten meat which attracts insects. On entering the flower, they are lured to its base, passing through downward facing hairs to reach the lower chamber which contain the male flowers. Once inside,the flies are prevented from escaping by these same hairs until the male flowers have shed pollen all over them. When this is accomplished, the bristly hairs wilt, allowing the flies to emerge and pollinate other flowers in the area.

We are so accustomed to dandelions that we don’t take much notice except for the nickname. Dandelions and hawkweeds are found in nearly every habitat. They are members of the compositae family which includes daisies, thistles, ragwort and marigold. They were once favoured as a salad vegetable and are still eaten as a delicacy today. Even though they are found in a huge range of habitats, closer study shows that most species are restricted to a particular habitat or soil type. The common dandelion is replaced in very wet ground by the marsh dandelion. The hawkweeds are also differentiated and marshes have their own species.

If there is one moment in April that I miss in Cabragh, it is the arrival of the first butterflies of the year and early on in the month, particularly with the recent warm spell, Cabragh must have been thronged with two species - the orange tip and green veined white. The most distinctive is the orange tip - the name perfectly matches the description although it is only the male that sports the orange tips on the wings. Its larval food plant is the cuckoo flower on which it lays one egg - the caterpliiars are cannibalistic!

In the pond the rise in water temperature and the increase in length of day triggers the urge to breed in many pond creatures. The three spined stickleback has a fascinating courtship behaviour. On a bare patch in the territory, the male builds a cone shaped nest of plant debris to which he lures the female with a zig-zag dance. After she has entered the nest and laid the eggs, the male fertilises them and then tends them until the young hatch. As he comes into breeding condition, the male three spined stickleback assumes vivid colours of red and blue in an attempt to attract a mate and he fiercely defends his territory against rivals.

In some respects, the magic of a Cabragh April is recreated on an individual basis in our gardens and backyards while in other areas we are coming to realise that the magic of Cabragh is irreplaceable.
Hopefully we will return soon and when we do we must all pause a while and thank the heroes and heroines of the health service who will be the first and foremost reason why we will once again delight in this awe inspiring world of nature in Cabragh Wetlands.

Stay safe.
Slán go fóill.