Gerard Walshe

INHFA calls for dedicated research into farming in uplands INHFA's National Chair, Michael McDonnell has called on Teagasc to commit to dedicated long-term research into farming in Ireland’s uplands.

www.agriland.ie/farming-news...

As i travel this week, Ryan Murdock's @roadwisdom podcast "Personal Landscapes" wonderful immersion in explorations of people place travel geography culture Just finished Lance Richardson's wonderful biography of 'The Snow Leopard' author Peter Matthiessen open.spotify.com/show/1biWNjK...

ebird.org/checklist/S2...

Lovely day yesterday Inis Méain. Circumabulation of island by bike & foot, counting birds. Nice to see a Redwing amongst small movement of Blackbird & Brent goose on Trá Leitreach, ringed Iceland May 2014 seen by myself in same location in March last year. ebird.org/checklist/S292…

#Belties are 1st class foragers amongst cattle breeds. Searching out Ivy, can involve hazzards such as deep drains. They learn dangers & I believe pass these learnings on to calves. New unfamiliar cattle can get themselves in trouble. Today i played safe, & let them into the last bit of grass

Buff bellied Pipit from North America at Frenchman's beach, Árainn, Galway, a Rock Pipit for comparison & a colour ringed Curlew, likely ringed Shropshire, England (Awaiting details). 5th weekend in a row seaching out migrant birds on
our Atlantic islands. A Pied Flycatcher also

Took this group off the higher hill today. Took the bull away, and let Cows & calves onto upland heath for a week or two, before moving on to lower grassland. Doing a good job grazing out the different parcels #HighNatureValueFarming #ConservationGrazing

Its probably in their nature, which would only manifest later if no opportunity offered earlier, but breeds like Belties are more natural foragers, so probably these traits more emphasised in more traditional breeds like Belties

Cattle eat more than grass. Trees and shrubs are an integral part of their diet. They learn this foraging from a young age. It provides the natural balance in their diet, creating the diversity they need for health & wellbeing. Giving them an only Perenial ryegrass option is not health promoting

Great to welcome you here Eoghan, and to chat on rewilding, and how we take more care of our land, and make more place for nature. Thank you and all the best

Wonderful to meet and talk farming and rewilding with High Nature Value farmer Gerard Walshe @beltie1.bsky.social near Moycullen, Galway, on Friday.

Some truly inspiring stuff happening in his land. Nature needs more of this!!

A fragment of Irish rainforest near Moycullen, Galway. These places are so rare, so deeply enchanting, yet still so undervalued.

What sort of nation cares so little about the natural side of its heritage?

Wonderful day out, chance to go dolphin surveying/watching, lots of Common but no Bottle nosed today, started out in Cleggan, a curcumambulation of out western atlantic islands, from Clare to Turbot sth, and up Killary, a new approach towards Rosroe, good weather & good company

After a week away with work, real nice to go around the different groups this evening - Speddoch Belle born in Galloway, Heath spotted & Lesser butterfly Orchids & a Hare's form - #NatureCure

Summer meadows, hares nests, and badger feeding scrapes. Thinking of John Moriarty placing his head down in the Hare's form, to heal his head ....

Beautiful day walking & birding on Inis Meáin. Lovely to see Summer visitors like Cuckoo, Wheatear, Arctic Little & Sandwich tern, Swallow and also passage birds, like, Sanderling (65) Dunlin & Bar tailed Godwit

Lovely day to be out & about. Signs of life. Wood anemone & Bog myrtle

Lovely day yesterday Inis Meáin, Galway. Dry, bright & cold with light NE wind. 41 species of birds seen, including 2 male Wheatear, 1st for year, a colour ringed Brent goose, amongst 125 present (Ringed Iceland 11 yrs ago), 6 Purple Sandpiper, and 30 Black Guillemot pairing off for breeding season

Beautiful moon rising over Lough Corrib tonight - A beautiful firey red as it emeged above the horizon as a checked the cows on the hill - a little less dramatic but ever beautiful when i had returned home

Hopefully see you in Oxford. Plan to be there. Best wishes

Thanks Nicholas. Andrew encouraged me to write about what i see from day to day. I think its your compilation/reader that brought it to my attention initially. The essays & pictures bring me home ....

Journal 'Archipelago' is a sea road of wonder, a word wave washing north from Skellig, through Srúthan to Sula Sgeir, rippling & sparkling up the shore east to Selborne & SE1. To be allowed on board the 'good ship' recent edition is a joy.Thank you Skipper www.clutagpress.com/2024/11/24/a...

A beautiful morning to be out checking the different groups. A bit wetter in recent weeks but still very mild with grass & clover still coming. Its also lovely to see the associating pipits, thrushes and finches aided through the winter by the disturbance of the cattle

Learn how best to manage your land, in a way that enhances habitats, increases wildlife, harnesses natural processes, protects profits, and safeguards our natural environment and rural communities for future generations. Go get #FarmingForNature new book www.farmingfornature.ie/product/farm...

Wouldnt say only allomenteer Greg. If everyone knew the difficulty, energy, work & time in growing vegetables, particularly organically & had to grow some of their own supply,i believe we would have a more appreciative food system. Also i do believe if farmers growing own vegetables put food central

We are experiencing an ecological decline in nature or biodiversity in our landscape. In 2019 I was delighted to be nominated & receive a 'Farming for Nature Ambassador' award. The following video from the award outlines some of the practices here at home youtu.be/pp5MEfyWd_g