Gerry Byrne
@gerry-byrne.bsky.social
Facebook refugee, Irish coastal dweller, Science and Aviation writer, gardener, dinghy sailor, local geology blogger, spider and insect nerd.
This wee robin took a great interest in my turning over the compost bin. It landed right beside me and hunted spiders, earwigs, beetles, worms and various other creepy crawlies that I had disturbed. I suspect it is a juvenile, possibly even reared in my garden this summer.
August 4, 2025 at 9:14 AM
This wee robin took a great interest in my turning over the compost bin. It landed right beside me and hunted spiders, earwigs, beetles, worms and various other creepy crawlies that I had disturbed. I suspect it is a juvenile, possibly even reared in my garden this summer.
My research into the crash of Flight 427 (still in print!) showed what a thin line separates air safety and disaster. With DOGE dismantling the FAA and NTSB that line is being erased.
March 8, 2025 at 7:37 PM
My research into the crash of Flight 427 (still in print!) showed what a thin line separates air safety and disaster. With DOGE dismantling the FAA and NTSB that line is being erased.
A starling checks out the camera (and the accommodation) in our large nestbox in Balbriggan, Ireland, yesterday. Four youngsters were successfully fledged there last year and I had cleaned the box and the camera only the evening before this new potential tenant came prospecting.
March 8, 2025 at 5:20 PM
A starling checks out the camera (and the accommodation) in our large nestbox in Balbriggan, Ireland, yesterday. Four youngsters were successfully fledged there last year and I had cleaned the box and the camera only the evening before this new potential tenant came prospecting.
Irish buff tailed bumble bee emerging from hibernation sunbathes to get energy to fly. Her only defence until she's warm enough is to threaten me with her sting while I take closeup.
March 5, 2025 at 7:09 AM
Irish buff tailed bumble bee emerging from hibernation sunbathes to get energy to fly. Her only defence until she's warm enough is to threaten me with her sting while I take closeup.
I've grown some of mine, including these, from seed. I subsequently lost these ones in a bad frost (despite being in the porch) although I was able get enough material for two cuttings of the beautiful red one (the name of which I vividly forget). Looking forward to it flowering again.
February 19, 2025 at 4:07 PM
I've grown some of mine, including these, from seed. I subsequently lost these ones in a bad frost (despite being in the porch) although I was able get enough material for two cuttings of the beautiful red one (the name of which I vividly forget). Looking forward to it flowering again.
As an atheist, I rarely write to bishops, let alone thank them. For Bishop Budde, I gladly made an exception.
February 17, 2025 at 4:04 PM
As an atheist, I rarely write to bishops, let alone thank them. For Bishop Budde, I gladly made an exception.
Eagerly reading David McWilliams fascinating history of money titled "Money: A Story of Humanity". His attitude to crypto currency mirrors my own. "Most of the crypto currency hype feels like little more than digital counterfeiting for the tick-tock age."
February 11, 2025 at 11:03 AM
Eagerly reading David McWilliams fascinating history of money titled "Money: A Story of Humanity". His attitude to crypto currency mirrors my own. "Most of the crypto currency hype feels like little more than digital counterfeiting for the tick-tock age."
The late Charles Corr's famed Balbriggan hardware store, which has been closed for several years, is now finally up for sale. It is unlikely that it will ever reopen as a hardware store. It was the only place in North Dublin, and perhaps further afield, that one could buy gas mantles.
January 28, 2025 at 12:12 AM
The late Charles Corr's famed Balbriggan hardware store, which has been closed for several years, is now finally up for sale. It is unlikely that it will ever reopen as a hardware store. It was the only place in North Dublin, and perhaps further afield, that one could buy gas mantles.
Worst windstorm in decades hit Ireland and the North of the UK yesterday. Hurricane strength winds in places. We got off relatively lightly here on the East coast, just north of Dublin. Some fence damage.
January 25, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Worst windstorm in decades hit Ireland and the North of the UK yesterday. Hurricane strength winds in places. We got off relatively lightly here on the East coast, just north of Dublin. Some fence damage.