Howth Foraging

24/01/2026

Nice to see we come up first in the search for Foraging on the Discover Ireland website 😀

23/01/2026

People are being invited to join a nationwide survey mapping the distribution of red and grey squirrels, and pine martens to mark Red Squirrel Appreciation Day.

22/01/2026

Irish restaurant named as one of Europe's top fine-dining spots

Dublin seafood restaurant SOLE has been named as one of the best fine dining spots in Europe by Tripadvisor's Travellers' Choice Best of the Best Awards.

21/01/2026

Squirrel, our daily visitor, has been visiting right through the winter since September! Very fond of nuts, seeds & dried fruits!

A grey Squirrel we have named Pebbles!

Have you ever noticed the smaller birds following a Squirrel about in the trees? Something I've noted of late.

In particular wrens & treecreepers

Squirrels disturb insects, larvae, and seeds in bark and leaf litter, which small birds then sn**ch up. Smaller birds will also follow squirrels who've collected nuts, seeds, and fruits that the birds would have fed on otherwise. There are certain clever little birds who will stalk the squirrels and see where they hide their stash, the birds will then rob the squirrels stash once the coast is clear! I wonder if this is happening with our Pebbles?

You cannot blame the birds in having a little revenge, as the eggs of smaller birds are a welcome delicacy to a squirrels diet!

Red vs Grey squirrels, we used to only have Red squirrels in Howth, however it's a least three years since one has been sighted. Pine martens have been reintroduced in many parts of Ireland to curb the non-native Grey squirrels. The Pine martens and Red Squirrels evolved together over many years, so the native red squirrel can out smarten & escape a Pine marten, yet the grey squirrel, is the perfect bate!

We saw a pine marten in Howth, two years ago, although they weren't directly reintroduced to Howth. There have been definite sightings around Malahide estuary and the odd one in St Anne's Raheny. I've noticed a decline in the grey Squirrel population here, yet I can't be exactly sure of the exact reasons! All information welcomed ☺️

21/01/2026

Howth Aurora chasing through the trees 🌳 last post of the beautiful skies! We could only see a little last night - Tuesday but I believe it was fantastic later!

20/01/2026

Howth Harbour, Aurora night, 19-01-26

What a show

20/01/2026

Somethings are worth the wait, Howth was covered in cloud last night. Eagerly waiting at the window the night sky cleared!
My son & I went aurora chasing, from Deerpark to the harbour and the old Abbey, churchyard.

It was amazing with pinks & greens that could be seen with the naked eye!

18/01/2026

Trametes versicolor) Turkey tail - not all mushrooms in the cover photo are Turkey tail, just thought the blushing polypore, woodears & witches butter looked so pretty together with the stunning Turkey tail!! On to >
Turkey tail >

The bands of colours on the cap make the "true" turkey tail easy to recognise. The margin is always lightest in colour. The underside is made up of many tiny pores. They remind me of a sea coral. The fresher the turkey tail the snowier the underside.
If you find false turkey tail mushroom by mistake, there's no need to panic: None of the turkey tail lookalikes are poisonous 😊

Why use Turkey tail?
Trametes versicolor has been used around the world for centuries to treat various conditions.
Good for your gut, turkey tail contains prebiotic.
Contains Immune-boosting polysaccharide peptides.
Has antibacterial qualities.
Reduces blood sugar and improves insulin.
Has anti-inflammatory properties.

Just a few of it's benefits 😉 Tip as Turkey tail contain potent antioxidants that combat harmful reactive oxygen species (ROS) and protect against oxidative stress, which helps deliver oxygen and nutrients to the body;
Taking turkey tail can also cause gas - flatulence, so not one to take before your first date 🤣 If you make a stock and freeze it in a bottle it's likely to explode due to oxygen contained in the inner walls of the cells!
Some varieties of Turkey tail even host algae that photosynthesize and release oxygen in a symbiotic relationship benefiting the environment!

Want to know more on how to use Turkey tail stay tuned. I'll do a post update on ways & methods to extract the essential properties. I've several posts up on my grid already from over the years with recipe & remedy suggestions x

16/01/2026

January is a killer to get going, days are short, nights are long and a warm bed is more appealing than the traipsing through the undergrowth and coming home with wet socks!

It was worth the foraging walk today gathering extra ingredients to fill my stirfry!

A mix of woodland treats, woodears, witches butter, three cornered leeks, alexander, dandelion leaves 🍃

A mix of old leftover vegetables from Christmas, and some freshly bought vegetables from Howth Country Market.

My marinade recipe 😋

20 grams of ginger peeled
6 cloves of garlic
A healthy handful of coriander
1 fresh large red chilli whole
200ml of toasted sesame oil
200ml of light soya
150ml of sweet chilli sauce
150 ml seasoning sauce
A pinch of black pepper
A pinch of dried parsley

Enough for 6-8 portions of stirfry vegetables

Blend it all together to a smooth consistency and add to your stir fry vegetables after stirfrying them, with a tiny amount of olive after 5 minutes. Stirfry for a further 5-10 minutes! You can use whatever vegetables you want & meat sliced thinly.

We even had enough to give my parents thier dinner 🍽 the marinade will keep in the fridge for two weeks if you want to double the recipe.