So who are the Guardians of Blessington? Well they are our local wildlife, native and non-native, insects and animals that live amongst us here in the local area. Thirteen ‘guardians’ have been selected from our native species for a very special interactive trail along the Main Street in Blessington. Each of the selected guardians has their own tree, on this tree there is a special ceramic sculpture designed and created by local artist Jean Cleary. The ceramic sculpture piece incorporates each animal with a door/portal and a ‘guardian’ badge…
For this project the artist Jean Cleary was interested in using the local native wildlife to create an awareness of the importance of these living creatures in our lives and our environment. These creatures are real and important to our biodiversity to create a balance in nature. Every living thing is connected. If even just one organism becomes threatened or extinct, it has a domino effect on an entire ecosystem. The ceramic sculptures are a take on the idea of the ‘fairy trail’ but the idea was to create something different and in a way, have some meaning and an educational aspect to it.
Guardian #1 – The “Long Eared Owl” [an Ceann Cait] is found widespread throughout Ireland. It is recognised by its bright yellow eyes, long ears and dark shades of brown and beige feathers. It is a nocturnal animal (active at night) hunting small mammals, frogs and birds. For more detailed information you can check out BirdWatch Irelands Long-Eared Owl Page
Click Here To Find The Owls Location
Guardian #2 – The “Hedgehog” is found widespread across Ireland. It is generally a nocturnal animal. Hedgehogs come out at night to feed on insects such as beetles and other small creatures like millipedes and snails. Hedgehogs are hibernators – they hibernate (rest and are inactive) during the winter months. If hedgehogs encounter danger, they will roll into a ball and put out their spines to protect themselves. Adult hedgehogs measure between 15cm and 30 cm and weigh up to 2kg. They like places to live that have good cover of bushes and hedgerows which provide them with shelter, food and corridors to travel through the countryside. For even more information check out The Vincent Wildlife Trust Page
Click Here To Find The Hedgehogs Location
Guardian #3 – The “Irish Field Mouse” or ‘Luch féir’ as gaeilge which means ‘grass’ or ‘field’ mouse, has brown fur covering its back and has a white underbelly (the house mouse is a more greyish-brown for instance). It has large eyes and ears, long hindfeet and a long, slender tail. The field mouse is a mostly nocturnal animal, with a rise in daytime activity occurring during the summer. For more information you can check out the Conserve Ireland page
Click Here To Find The Field Mouses Location
Guardian #4 – The “BumbleBee” – Ireland has 21 species of bumblebees and they are our best wild pollinator. What is a pollinator? A pollinator is an animal that moves pollen from the male part of a flower to the female part of a flower. Pollination is a very important part of the life cycle of plants. Insects, birds, bats and the wind take pollen between flowering plants, which means the plants can make seeds and reproduce. Most species of bumble bee emerge from hibernation over March and April. For all the info you can check out the All-Ireland Pollinator Plans (pollinators.ie) page
Click Here To Find The Bumble Bees Location
Guardian #5 – The “Bat” – Bats are mammals, they are warm blooded and give birth to live young. Mothers feed their new-born babies milk. Many bat species, including all of the species found in Ireland, use sound to find their way around in the dark and to catch prey to eat. Bats usually use very high pitched sounds beyond the range of human hearing (i.e. ultrasound). An Irish bat typically becomes active in late spring and early summer. As the days and nights warm up a bat flies out to forage for insects for progressively longer periods at night. Some bats prefer to roost in the attic spaces of occupied dwellings, although churches, ruined buildings or disused out-buildings can also be used. Sometimes bats roost by hanging from the roof or nestled between roof timbers, although they can also roost in walls, in crevices between stonework. See the Bat Conservation Ireland page for even more info.
Click Here To Find The Bats Location
Guardian #6 – The “Sika Deer” – the word ‘Sika’ is Japanese for deer. In 1860 the seventh Lord Powerscourt introduced one stag and three hinds to his estate near Enniskerry in Co. Wicklow. Today they number 20,000. Sika deer are our now our most common non-native deer species and originated from North eastern Asia (Japan). There are six subspecies of Sika deer with the Japanese Sika deer the common subspecies present in Ireland, there is also evidence of Manchurian Sika in the North West of Ireland. The summer coat is a light-reddish brown colour with white spots. In contrast the winter coat is dark grey with the white spots virtually disappearing, a white rump patch is something that you can recognise the deer with. Sika deer are predominantly grazers, feeding upon grasses, tree buds and shoots and heather. For all things deer check out the Irish Deer Commission page
Click Here To Find The Deers Location
Guardian #7 – The “Ladybird” which is a type of beetle. A ladybird’s habitat can be a variety of vegetation such as hedgerows, trees and grasslands. Food preference may vary between different species but most ladybirds enjoy aphids e.g. greenfly. The bright colours of many ladybirds are to warn predators that they are toxic and foul to taste. They eat pest insects so gardeners and farmers love them, as they are a natural pest controller of plant. Further info can be found on the Irish Wildlife Trusts (iwt.ie) page
Click Here To Find The Ladybirds Location
Guardian #8 – The “DragonFly” or as gaeilge Snáthaid Mhór are among the most attractive of insects, with rainbow-like colouring and dazzling displays of mid-air acrobatics. They are aquatic insects, spending most of their lives as larval stages in freshwater habitats. Both as nymphs and as adults, they are greedy hunters. Despite this they are harmless to humans and as adults can be safely held in the hand. More info can be found here on the National Biodiversity Data Centre (biodiversityireland.ie) page
Click Here To Find The Dragonflies Location
Guardian #9 – The “KingFisher” or as gaeilge An Cruidín has brightly coloured feathers. Underneath the feathers are a bright orange-red, while the wings and back of the head are dark blue. The back, rump and tail are a bright, almost “electric” blue and usually draw attention to a flying bird. Despite these bright colours, can be easily overlooked perched motionless on a branch beside a stream or river on the look-out for fish. During the breeding season, females have a small red patch at the base of the bill, which is not shown by adult males. Detailed information can be found here on the BirdWatch Ireland page.
Click Here To Find The Kingfishers Location
Guardian #10 – The “Fox” or as gaeilge An Sionnach are small to medium-sized mammals which eat both plants and meat. Foxes have a flattened skull, upright triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail. Twelve species belong to the “true foxes” group. Foxes are members of the dog family. A female fox is called a “vixen”, a male fox is called a “dog fox” or a “tod” and baby foxes are called “pups”, “kits” or “cubs”. A group of foxes is called a “skulk” or a “leash”. You can access more detailed info on the Conserve Ireland page
Click Here To Find The Foxes Location
Guardian #11 – The “Badger” or as gaeilge Broc is the largest terrestrial carnivore in Ireland, instantly recognisable by its white head with eye-catching dark stripes through the eyes. They eat both plants and meat and have no natural predators in Ireland. Badgers are powerfully built; their bodies are stocky, with a small head, a short thick neck, short muscular legs and a bushy tail. The hair is black and white, but overall, the body appears grey when seen at a distance. They are widespread throughout Ireland, but, being secretive and principally nocturnal, they are seldom encountered in the wild. More info on the Vincent Wildlife Trust page
Click Here To Find The Badgers Location
Guardian #12 – The “Butterfly” or as gaeilge Féileacán – Ireland has 32 resident and 3 common migrant butterfly species. Butterflies are beautiful, flying insects with large scaly wings. Like all insects, they have six jointed legs, 3 body parts, a pair of antennae, compound eyes, and an exoskeleton. The three body parts are the head, thorax (the chest), and abdomen (the tail end). The butterfly’s body is covered by tiny sensory hairs. The four wings and the six legs of the butterfly are attached to the thorax. The thorax contains the muscles that make the legs and wings move. For detailed info take a look at the Butterflies of Ireland page
Click Here To Find The Butterflies Location
Guardian #13 – The “Red Squirrel” or as gaeilge An Iora Rua – there are two species of squirrel currently in Ireland. The red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) is a native species that has been present since before the last ice age. Red squirrels spend the majority of their foraging time in the tree canopy, whereas non-native greys feed more frequently on the ground. Squirrels nest in dreys, which are round structures built of sticks and foliage against the trunks of trees. Dreys can also be built in hollows in trees. Red squirrels feed mainly on tree seeds, although they can utilise fungi, fruit and buds as they become available in the woodland. Grey squirrels have a broader diet, making greater use of alternative food sources and also including grain, flowers, eggs and tree bark in their diet. Both species depend predominantly on nuts and seeds though, hence the fierce competition between them. Further info is available on the Vincent Wildlife Trust page
Click Here To Find The Squirrels Location
