fishycps Posted July 7, 2011 Report Share Posted July 7, 2011 I was down in Co. Cork for work on Tuesday and detoured to the Healy Pass on my way home the following day tcheck out the CPs there. I had been describing the site to a number of people at EEE and they seemed sceptical at my descriptions of the abundance of P. grandiflora in particular so hopefully this will give an idea of how it is almost a weed in some spots it grows in such profusion, even in car parking areas! Unfortunately I was so wrecked after a late return from EEE I forgot my camera and wellies, the latter proved a sorry loss on one of the wettest days of the year! THe photos are from my phone so they aren't great (rain on the lens didn't help either) which really annoyed me as it proved the first time that I have come across a P. lusitanica out in the open asking to be photographed. THe previous year I failed miserably even with a macro lens as they were so well hidden in the grass and rushes. Luckily this time the sheep had helped and cropped back the vegetation! Anyhow apologes for the pic quality but hopefully you'll get an idea of this beautiful spot. The first pics are taken at a spot only 10m from the road, a few km from the top of the pass D. rotundifolia - this was a particularly big one [/img] D. intermedia - lots of it in the wetter spots [/img] [/img] [/img] The elusive P. lusitanica, saying: Photograph me! Photograph me! [/img] P. grandiflora was fairly common here, generally in the characteristic bright green clumps, often on grassy areas [/img] I then went a km further up the pass to the area where the grandiflora grow really thickly. This is a car parking area so you can view a particularly pretty little waterfall. The car there before me missed them by 30cm. [/img] THis is what appears to be a man made cutting just off the road and the area from which the grandiflora are washed out onto the road in heavy winter rains [/img] I suppose I'd better show thar waterfall I mentioned Just a view down the valley with a cutaway blanket bog on the far side Another view, you can see why it's rated as a classic drive. I promise next time I'll bring my good camera! But if you are ever in Ireland you should visit. Cheers, Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miloslav Macháček Posted July 7, 2011 Report Share Posted July 7, 2011 Looks like nice and rich in genera - thanks for good field report P. grandiflora on the "parking place" looks pretty well grown . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheInactiveMoth Posted July 8, 2011 Report Share Posted July 8, 2011 Looks like a beautiful place! Some of those sundews look near impossible to spot though.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thez_yo Posted July 8, 2011 Report Share Posted July 8, 2011 Oh wow, that's a gorgeous landscape! Thanks for sharing.. I have a friend who's currently studying for her PhD in Ireland so if I go visit again one of these days I'll have to check out some CP sites too of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishycps Posted July 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2011 Drop me a line if you do and I'll give you directions. You should see the Conor Pass near Dingle in Co. Kerry, the grandiflora get to 7 inches! The landscape is spectacular too. P. grandiflora is the one CP you can reliably spot while driving by, sure lime green starfish do stand out! Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trev Posted July 8, 2011 Report Share Posted July 8, 2011 I'm just across the bay from where you were, you were really unlucky with the weather that day. I often find them growing in the middle of the road to my house, though I think all the ones here are vulgaris - I'm no good at telling the difference. Trev Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishycps Posted July 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 Ah yes, Kilcrohane, my first job after I finished my PhD was in 1995 and it involved a lot of diving in Dunmanus Bay. We used to stay in Kilcrohane in a B&B run by Sheehans I think. Kilcrohane also sticks in my memory as on one student trip down to Schull some years previous (early 90s) a number of our group drove from Schull into Ballydehop for chips after having had a few pints (Very bold, I know). They spotted the local police squad car on the way out of the town and dived off down a side road fearing being done for drink driving. THe rest of us were all just back at the house in Schull when we heard the phone ring, we couldn't find the keys as the missing group had them so one of us climbed in a window and anwered the phone to be greeted with what became immortal and oft repeated words: 'PT, where in hell is Kilcrohane?'. THe lads had run out of petrol in Kilcrohane, woken up the proprietor of the petrol station and headed off back to Schull. The proprietor had, probably wisely, rung the police, and the lads were intercepted. After a dresing down they very kindly showed them the way home! I don't think that would happen in this day and age! Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trev Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 Sounds like fun times, Ian. Kilcrohane would be one of the last places you'd probably still get that kind of treatment, though they've closed most of the police stations since then so you probably wouldn't meet one anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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