Little Island II

We resume our walk along the straight Queen’s Channel. Our first stop is a tower painted in black and white bands that stands at the end of a drying mud spit and guards the dangerous entrance to the King’s Channel. At low tide, the depth here can be just 0.5 m because of the deposits of silt, however the tidal currents can be very strong. The western end of the King’s Channel is as dangerous, but it is very well marked.

Across the water from the beacon tower there is Faithlegg House hotel and golf course. Another lovely place to visit some day.

A look back to where we walked from – the river from one side and the golf course from the other.

And this is where we are heading now –  around the mudflat, towards the wood.

Some butterflies land on the path and fly away as we come closer – Peacock, Painted Lady and Comma.

Looking back you see the Belview Port on Kilkenny side of the river…

… and our familiar light tower with Sliabh Coillte hill in background.

I have read that the island is densely populated with badgers. It may be so but I have never seen any evidence – not even a tuft of badger hair somewhere in the brambles. The article was almost two decades old – perhaps most of the badgers have since been relocated or died from infections. According to the article, the island is divided into six territories. There are at least three badger latrines along this stretch of path – I had a map with me, yet didn’t see or smell anything.

Man-made ponds provide a safe home for swans, ducks and shy Little grebes.

This gorgeous heron couldn’t make up his mind about me. How dangerous could I be when standing on the other side of the pond? He got out of the water, took off, circled over me, assessed and returned back to the same place. Safe enough!

A short walk through the silent wood isn’t exactly peaceful – this place gives me the willies…

I don’t recall having any more pictures taken in the wood, and I always breathe a sigh of relief when I see the light again.

A picturesque barge makes a great prop. Her best days are behind her though.

The rest of the walk is lovely and peaceful. Some old, strangely shaped trees and winding ropes of ivy along the path look peculiar yet harmless.

Birds and insects provide a soundtrack.

Silver-washed fritillary – another beauty to add to our list of butterflies found in the Little Island.

We walk to the ferry point and back to the castle.

One more look around.

We drive downhill past the golf club and cottages. It was a great visit, something to remember.

I hope you enjoyed being transported back to a warmer season.

Hope to see you again in a couple of weeks.

  Have a wonderful weekend!

90 comments

  3. I always enjoy your walks. That heavily trimmed old tree alongside the trail catches my eye. I also like the creepy woods and would probably have to spend a few hours there talking to my Muse.

    1. Thank you so much! I am sure you would love the little wood. I am not a fan though. There are no birds for some reason; it has a reputation for being haunted; it looks haunted.

    1. Thank you so much for walking around the island! I have already got two butterflies in my apartment. Had to release them – they were not interested in any surrogate food…

  10. Inese, I’ve been waiting for the second of your posts about the island and it was lovely to join you on this traverse!😀 The nature is so pretty and I love the wildlife … the butterflies a sparkle of colour this grey winter! Even the rusty barge looks picturesque and majestic. As for the badgers, you should have seen some sign, the sets are quite big and easily visible … like you say an old article that is sadly no longer relevant!

    Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend and that the storms have now all blown out … may it soon be spring weather! Xx

    1. Thank you so much, Annika! This storm was very mild in where I live. I hope it did no harm to your area either.

      There is a place, very close to the castle, that is marked as a badgers’ sett, but it looks quite desolate, and it is situated right next to the path which also doesn’t add to the credibility.. I don’t argue with the castle website – there might be a few badgers still present, and if so, I do hope they are happy and healthy. Farmers hate badgers and kill them whenever they show up. The island would be a haven for them… xx

      1. Inese, I too hope the badgers are present and well! One year in Sweden during the summer holiday I was up very early and saw a badger cross the land! An astonishing and awesome sight! Later that day I found the sett ..l haven’t seen any since but fingers crosssed they’re still there!

    1. Thank you Cindy! I use an old Nikon D700, now discontinued. A great quality camera but who knows how long it will last 🙂

    1. Mike – just imagine for a minute that you, Shirl and young Zoolon stay in a cottage on the island, play golf and look for the badgers with me. I think it would be such fun! 🙂

      1. One wonders just how much blood for multiple testing can a charming nurse heralding from Croatia extract from an arm that knew nothing of the world at large? The answer, I decided, was three buckets full and a pint mug’s worth. Tests of this and that left the probing super chap, a Muslim doc to conclude…thankfully in the global plan of things where others suffer far more than I do/did/still do a tad…‘tis most likely Brexit ‘stress’. My ongoing battles with racists and those so dumb as to be referred to much worse were I impolite have been my undoing. Yes, Inese, an escape to a gentle land would be a marvellous thing indeed. Although, back in day a cricketer and half decent squash player, I can’t do the golf thing. I love the game yet the clothes the chaps wear are alien to me…wouldn’t be seen dead in them (I jest), although they do have my respect! Lovely to hear from you once more, Regards, The Old Fool

  17. I look forward to your pictures & the commentary, which conveys so much about the locale.
    There is a brilliant journalist in you Inese. Perhaps, in time you would have them published?l

    1. Thank you! Since the time I started the blog, many other similar blogs have been created throughout the internet. Online content is copied and pasted – a modern kind of ‘research’ 🙂 I don’t think there is anything worth publishing in this blog. It is only my observations and the bits of history I find amusing.

    1. George, thank you! The beauty is not always obvious and has to be discovered 🙂 The patrons of the golf course and hotel seldom walk around the island. They have many other activities on their schedule, and then they leave…

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