ANGLING is a strange pastime, surrounded by fashions, conventions and an odd set of laws and bye-laws.

WALKING through a rough field with lots of furze bushes, rushes and tussocky grass. Suddenly the dog’s behaviour changed.

IT’S BEEN a fairly wet autumn but, so far, not particularly cold. These are ideal conditions for many species of fungus and when I take the dog for a walk in the woods they’re everywhere, in a multitude of different shapes, colours and sizes.

I SUBSCRIBE to an internet mailing list to do with boating on Ireland’s inland waterways.

“THERE’S A hummingbird hawk moth on the patio!” I burst into the house to spread the exciting news.

THERE'S quite a lot going on in the world of trees at present. The leaves of deciduous trees in Ireland change colour and drop to the ground quite late in the autumn.

I TOOK the dog for a walk through an old deciduous wood the other day. I watched him chase squirrels and sniff the traces of badgers while trying to imagine what the walk would have been like back in the days when this sort of forest covered most of Ireland.

IN MY part of the country the grain harvest has been under way for several weeks now.

I HAVE TO protect the seed beds in my vegetable garden with hoops of plastic water pipe covered in netting. This is to try to keep blackbirds out.

DURING the recent Lough Ree Environmental Summer School, I guided boatloads of people around the north end of this beautiful lake.