Madonna of the Wayside

Shrines and grottoes abound, in towns, in the countryside, in gardens. This shrine I especially like. She is to be found on a wild and lonely stretch of wayside on the road to Castletownbere. There is a little layby, a stream, some bog, an occasional sheep. She is well tended though and the array of plastic flowers are colourful against her white and blue.

I have been up since 5am!!! Actually I woke at 4.30 and just dozed - Chirp was the first to actually get up and start singing! I didn't sing but fed the bewildered cats then headed off to Knocknataggart to do my bird survey. The morning was calm and grey and the hedgerows loud with wrens and willow warblers. I also saw four ravens and two ducks which are new for my patch. Other than that there was the usual suspects of pheasants, robins, blackbirds, starlings, jackdaws, swallows, chiffchaffs etc. It was quite busy. A farmer was already ploughing, the milk lorry was about making collections, the usual dog wagged is tail,  a white cat crossed my path and in the distance I heard a cuckoo.

Another fairly early start tomorrow for the rendezvous in Kew - only four of us now sadly, the main organiser has just come down with pneumonia. It will be a full on day and I should arrive home at around 1am all being well. Wednesday I sleep!

Oh and a new blog - a very unusual well