Birds and Bygone Days

 Yesterday I showed you all the insects I found at Micheal and Vi's garden and cottages but just before I move on from here I want to show you these Maran hens with her chicks.  Vi keeps a number of varieties of hens.   Also as I walked round the meadows at the cottages, I hear quite a number of birds but was not able to photograph them as they seemed to want to hide deep in the hedgerows.

 

 

 

 

There were a couple of Willow Warblers flitting about.

 

 

 

 

At the brough of a hill in one of the meadows, Michael had erected a viewing platform and as I approached it, I saw about 50  Sparrows having a 'meeting'.  By the time I was able to get close enough for this photograph, most of them flew into the hedge but the Chair person is still there on the right post and some the the audience are brave enough to have remained!

 

 

On leaving the property, I saw these 2 Pheasants (above)

hiding in the long grass.

 

 

Not long after I left the cottages, I saw this Yellowhammer and I wondered if it was one of the ones that had breed on the meadows this year.

 

 

 

 

On my way home, I had to pass through a beautiful small village called Greyabbey and decided to go and look at the very old historic Grey Abbey.  Throughout the photos I will tell you a little bit about the Abbey.

 

 

Grey Abbey is a Cisstercian monastery that was founded in 1193 by Affreca, wife of the Anglo-Norman invader John de Courcy.    It is the only Cistercian monastery in Ireland known to have been founded by a woman.

 

These splendid ruins of a Cistercian Abbey church and buildings are the finest example of Anglo-Norman ecclesiastical architecture in Northern Ireland.

 

 

The Latin name of this Cistercian abbey is Iugum Dei, which when translated means Yoke of God. Architecturally it is important as the first fully Gothic-Style building in Ireland, it is the first large stone church in which almost every window arch and door was pointed rather than round headed. The monks who came from Holm Cultram in Cumbria introduced this new style and the abbey bears a notable resemblance to Lanercost, an Augustinian Priory built in the Lake District around the same period.

 

The monks would have had a frugal diet, mainly vegetarian with bread and meat was forbidden except to the sick.  Fish and eggs would be served on feat days only.

The monks had great knowledge of plants and made use of them in their practise of medicine. One of the great features of Grey Abbey today is a carefully recreated Herb Garden, containing over fifty varieties of medicinal plants and herbs that you are free to stroll through.

 

They grow over 50 different herbs here now and this is Tansy flowers.

 

 

Now I am going to have a stab at IDing this 'fly! 

Banded Hoverfly - Syrhus ribesil

Experts please let me know.

 

 

Fennel Flowers

 

 

The Abbey was colonised by Cistercian monks from Cumbria. The French background of the Cistercian Order and the English origins of Grey Abbey resulted in an elegant Gothic building with tall pointed lancet windows, the first truly Gothic structure in Ireland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It had declined by the late Middle Ages and was dissolved in 1541. In the early 17th century it was granted to Sir Hugh Montgomery and the nave was refurbished and used for parish worship until the late 18th century.

 

Life for the choir monks would have had a very structured day with around 8 services I contrast to the lay monks would have only attended 2 services but spent more time doing manual and agricultural work which was such an important art of  abbey life.

 

 

 

The remains consist of a church with cloister and surrounding buildings to the south. Entry is through an elaborate west door (above), into an aisle less nave, transepts with two chapels in each and a short chancel with tall lancet windows. The buildings around the cloister include an aisled chapter house and a refectory with reader's pulpit, although the west range and cloister walks have disappeared. Three buttresses on the south wall of the nave are part of a conservation programme carried out early in the 20th century.

 

 

The peace and tranquillity of its green setting, the bold outline of the church and cloister, the quality of its stone carving, the ruined state of the buildings today all of these contribute to the beauty of Grey Abbey as it can be seen now over 800 years after its foundation.  As I walked around the grounds I noticed these beautiful fir cones above.

 

This dead branch catch my eye (above) as did this old stump of a tree (below)

 

 

 

 

These Rowan berries had now got their colour showing that autumn is not far away.

 

 

A last look at this wonderful abbey and cemetery before continuing my journey home.  The tide was in so not a lot of birds were seen.

 

 

Redshank

 

 

Herring Gull juvenile 

 

 

Black headed Gull Juvenile

 

I hope you have enjoyed, not only today's post but the last few days when I took you to Michael and Vi's garden, farm and cottages.

Thank you for visiting.

MANY THANKS TO ALL who left comments and emailed me with help with IDing some of the insects.