Alluring call of the wild

DON’T be too surprised if you see David Bellamy peering over the hedges at Gearagh Cottage – the eco-man is a regular visitor to the wildlife habitat on the doorstep.

The ancient alluvial oak forest, flooded by the ESB in the 1950s at the Gearagh, is a wintering spot for migratory birds and a conduit for quacks of delight from new arrivals.

And, the moody, starkly beautiful landscape of flooded ancient tree stumps is a sight to behold at any time of the year, as well as being part of the Lee Valley waterways.