Kim L
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mikekally.bsky.social
Kim L
@mikekally.bsky.social
Love nature, learning about ecology. Based in Ireland. All pictures except reposts or otherwise credited are my own, and my phone's not great so don't expect too much 😉
Today, we learned about conifer identification in the grounds of Castlewellan Forest Park's stunning walled garden. Thanks to Charles Shier for such an educational day! @bsbiireland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social
November 11, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Visited Castlewellan, Co Down, and saw the multistemmed Sequoiadendron giganteum, a redwood grown from seed brought back from California and planted as a single sapling in 1856. It sports an amazing 19 trunks and is absolutely mind-blowing!
October 2, 2025 at 6:00 AM
I was delighted to see the Belvoir Oak yesterday during a visit to Lagan Valley yesterday. This stunning Oak is approx 500 years old, with an 8m girth. An ancient pollarded pedunculate oak, now missing most of its upper branches and its heartwood, it's still putting on a show and producing acorns.
September 29, 2025 at 6:28 AM
A quick visit to the allotment for some tomatoes and remembered my onions and garlic hadn't been plaited up. A few are starting to bolt, so we'll use those first.
August 13, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Saw my first Holly Blue today!
August 11, 2025 at 7:57 PM
(Round-leaved?) Sundew and Lesser Clubmoss from Slieve Foye today, and Rock Samphire from Donabate beach earlier this week. Plus a gorgeous Common Carder Bee on a Spear Thistle, a late entry for #wildflowerhour !
August 10, 2025 at 8:40 PM
A fun first day of late season bramble hunting in County Tyrone today with @bsbiireland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social
August 8, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Today @jen-farrar-bsbi-ni.bsky.social ran a beginner's fern workshop for @bsbiireland.bsky.social in Peatlands Park in Armagh where we found Royal fern, Male fern, Scaly male fern, Borrer's Scaly Male Fern, Common polypody, Lady fern, Hart's-tongue fern and Bracken.
July 28, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Plenty of gorgeous broad-leaved helleborine spotted today during a recce in Drumcairne Forest in #CountyTyrone #NorthernIreland @bsbiireland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social #botany
July 16, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Silver-washed fritillary in Crom, fermanagh this week

#butterfly #biodiversity
July 13, 2025 at 8:43 AM
Robert leading a fantastic day learning about sedges in Crom, Fermanagh as part of the @bsbiireland.bsky.social #BotanicSkillsProject #NorthernIreland. Beautiful weather and a fantastic location to boot! @bsbibotany.bsky.social
July 11, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Today @jen-farrar-bsbi-ni.bsky.social led saltmarsh plant identification at St Cooey's Well in Newtownards. Highlights: Procumbent Pearlwort, Samphire, Sea-milkwort, English Stonecrop, Sea Lavender.
#Botany @ulsterwildlife.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social @bsbiireland.bsky.social
July 7, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Flea sedge #wildflowerhour
June 29, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Some grasses for #wildflowerhour - Matgrass, Crested Dogstail, Wall Barley and Wavy Hair-grass

@wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social @bsbiireland.bsky.social
June 29, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Today's berry haul from the allotment ... I see jam making in my immediate future
June 29, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Sunday morning down the #allotment is my favourite weekend treat... today was mostly sponsored by snoozing #bumblebees, #phacelia appearing out of nowhere, and absolute chaos in the #lavender bed that's gotten away from me a bit!

#biodiversity
June 29, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Despite the wet start, today yielded plenty of finds on our heathland walk in Divis with @belfasthills.bsky.social - including Brooklime, Marsh Ragwort, Common Eyebright and Bog Asphodel

@bsbibotany.bsky.social #botany #wildflowers #NorthernIreland #BotanicalSkills @jen-farrar-bsbi-ni.bsky.social
June 28, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Joined @jen-farrar-bsbi-ni.bsky.social and some of the @nationaltrust.org.uk team at Castle Coole in Enniskillen today, learning to identify the various grasses onsite

#BotanicalSkills #NorthernIreland #botany #GrassIdentification @bsbibotany.bsky.social @bsbiireland.bsky.social
June 25, 2025 at 8:58 PM
June 21, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Still struggling to separate my catsears, hawkbits, hawkweeds, hawksbeards, nippleworts and sow thistles. They're all just dandelions, tell the truth... #wildflowerhour #botany
June 21, 2025 at 4:56 PM
A very peaceful afternoon spent on a botanical survey along the Portrane cliff walk today for my #npws small recorder grant

#botany #wildflowerhour #biodiversity @bsbiireland.bsky.social
June 20, 2025 at 11:58 PM
Last week, we visited Lathkill Dale near Bakewell in Derbyshire to see #JacobsLadder (Polemonium caeruleum), also spotting #MossySaxifrage (Saxifraga hypnoides) and #HoaryMullein (Verbascum pulverulentum) amongst many others. #botany #Wildflowers @bsbiireland.bsky.social
June 16, 2025 at 7:57 AM
A selection of #SpottedOrchid photos from our wet meadow walk in Kilkenny yesterday - possibly all Marsh Orchid, not 100% #biodiversity #wildflowers #orchid #ireland #botany
June 8, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Some small garlic that regrew from last year's forgotten crop, some lollo rossa lettuce and onions harvested #allotment #organic #GrowYourOwn
June 8, 2025 at 6:21 PM
A great turnout for our #DublinBatGroup walk in Ballyboughal on Sunday - we saw 3 species of bat: Leislers, Soprano and Common Pips.

#biodiversity #bats #batwalk
June 3, 2025 at 4:07 PM