Our spell of fine weather continues to wash the landscape with colour and life. Summer's paintbrush has glossened the grasslands with pinks and yellows, blues and whites. The early bloomers like Daffodils and Primrose were the first to bring colour after our winter. Now we have brilliant pink from Ragged Robin, deep purple from Early Purple Orchids and wonderful yellows in our Buttercups and impressive Yellow Flag Iris.
With all these flowers in bloom, we are also treated to the audible triumph that is the dawn chorus. With all this action on the ground and in the air, why not take the opportunity to record the species you see and hear? You don't need to be an expert, just record the species that you are comfortable with identifying and voila, you have a species list! You can submit your list to the National Biodiversity Data Centre www.biodiversityireland.ie. This method of data collection is known as Citizen Science. Citizen Science is an important contribution to biodiversity as it enables scientists to map the distribution and frequency of a species, which is an invaluable asset. Sadly, a species that may once have been common, or commonly occurs now, may suffer declines in the future and knowing the range and distribution of the species will be a huge asset. It can be a fun activity also, and has become fairly competitive in my own household, with my ecology background I have a distinct advantage, but that's life!!
