HAS the cuckoo disappeared from the fields surrounding Belfast? There was a time when the famous call used to carry down from the mountain into Dúlra’s old street in Ramoan Gardens. It was probably calling from a mile away – and you had to stay still and strain your young ears to definitely hear […]
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Has the cuckoo disappeared from West Belfast’s hills?
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Robin redbreast makes that garden leap of faith
IT’S the pinnacle of Dulra’s career – the payback for a lifetime of dedication to nature. Because no matter how much you devote yourself to caring for our animals, birds and countryside, there’s an invisible border separating us from every other wild thing. The natural world has learned the hard way to be wary of […]
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Dúlra’s feeling so lucky as the majestic jay graces his garden
IT’S a shy, retiring creature with stunning good looks – a bit like Dúlra himself, some would say. And Dúlra feels as lucky as a lottery winner to have the jay grace his garden. He took this photograph at the weekend as the bird simply rested on the wire feeder in the back garden. It’s […]
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Creaking gates in the dark of night
It was the type of field trip Dúlra had been dreaming of. The patrons of the Roddy’s on Glen Road had been hearing some strange sounds of late – no, not the karaoke – but from amid the huge, dark trees that surround the club. As the smokers were enjoying the fresh mountain air, […]
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Count your starling blessings
It’s a bird that many people have in their gardens, but to be truthful, few appreciate. Starlings are noisy, aggressive and certainly aren’t house-proud when it comes to building a nest. They’re common – at the last count there were half a million of them in Ireland – but for some reason they have just […]
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There’s one fine county in Ireland
When you’re a city person, sights like this can really surprise you. Rows upon rows of gnarled, old trees, branches heavy with big, awkwardly shaped apples. Dúlra was in the heart of the Orchard Country, but he was still surprised that people actually make a living from growing these fruit. And a good living, it […]
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