Once again we have completed our very successful “Space for Nature” photo competition, the winners of which were selected at the Ploughing Championships 2024. Please read on for the full story………………….
1st prize went to Annette Nyland, a Co. Tipperary farmer for her very colourful photo of a designated wildlife area which she planted on her farm in late April early May. The area consists of a pollinating mix of phacelia, buckwheat, vetch and various other wildflowers. The wildflower area currently provides pollen and food to a variety of insects such as bees and butterflies and will in the future provide a hunting ground for the owls currently living in an owl box which Annette placed in a tree on her farm in February 2022. Annette spotted an owl on the farm in early November 2023. Two months later the first owl found a mate and they declared Annettes owl box their home The couple, named Storm & Cloud subsequently witnessed the birth of 4 owlets in their new home which first came to Annettes attention in July when she heard them calling for food at night. They continued to feed their young until they fled the nest in early September. Below left you can see Annettes winning entry, below middle is a photo of two of the four owlets patiently awaiting the return of their parents from a nightime hunt which Annette captured on her nocturnal wildlife camera and below right last years runner up photo from Annette. Well done Annette on this huge success story, its a fabulous story start to finish and great effort from yourself setting up the owl box and camera and patiently monitoring progress and not least a great example to us all that nature and farming can live in harmony with each other.
2nd prize went to Jennifer Ahern from County Limerick for this fabulous photo of her cattle posing in front of a dense area of vegetation complete with a small stream and a lovely orange sky.
3rd prize went to Seamus McGlynn a farmer from county Donegal for his photo of a snipe nest concealed in a grassy tussock which he discovered in Spring 2024 while checking the progress of his 200 trees which he single-handedly planted on a 0.4 hectare plot in October & November 2023 as part of his ACRES scheme. The native tree plantation consists of a mixture of Rowan Hazel and Alder. As part of this scheme Seamus also planted 100m of whitethorn and blackthorn hedging. Well done Seamus, another fine example of nature and farming living in harmony with each other. Below is Seamus winning entry of the Snipe nest and a picture of his 200 tree plantation.
4th prize was won by regular entrant Tony Mullins from County Cork. A lovely photo of a bee at work.
And some other entries by some very talented photographers………..
