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Knocksink
woods are a narrow strip of wooded wetlands
on either side of the
Glencullen river. The woods are beside Enniskerry village. The
facilities consist of a sealed roadway to a parking area and
education complex. The woods are further entered - now by a gravel/mud
road and after a short distance, excess to a parallel path the other
side of the river can be achieved by a foot bridge. The two paths are
again linked by a foot bridge further upstream. For those who want a
gentle short stroll no better interesting walk could be found -
starting from the
car park. The paths follow the level of the river and are extremely
flat. The terrain is difficulty to go any further upstream and so the
second bridge will mark the full extent of the outward part of the
walk.
Some people extended the walk by leaving their cars
at the entrance to
the woods, and using the sealed road as part of their walk.
Directions
The
directions to the woods are very simple. Coming to Enniskerry on the
Bray Road keep straight pass the Clock-tower on your left at the next
crossroads turn right into Church Hill, cross the bridge and the
woods are on your left.
The
walk can be further extended (and this I would suggest) by leaving
your car in the car park at Bog Meadow. The directions to Bog Meadow is
simple. Turn
right before the Clock-tower over the bridge and
Bog Meadows
is mediately on your left.
Bog
Meadows is a sporting complex with parking area. A nature trail
starts just before the tennis courts and goes along the river, then
turns
at a right angle to go parallel to Church Hill road, before
exiting
just opposite the entrance to Knocksink Woods. There is also a return
track to take you back to the car-park by a different route. Although
the nature tail has been damaged by rot and vandal is is still quite
usable.
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This
is an easy to moderate walk with a climb of 30 metres and a duration
of about one hour.
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| Bog Meadow |
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The
combination of long term water erosion on the rocks
and flowing water
together with the vigor of plant life
and the engineering abilities
of a past age
has produced a scene of grandeur
and beauty.
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| Knocksink Woods |
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Birdlife in Knocksink Woods
Quoting Maurice Bryan from a
brochure produced for the National Environmental Education Centre,
Knocksink Wood
"Spring
is the very best time to visit, when the migrants have returned and the
wood resounds with song.
The Blackbird's
mellow notes lead the orchestra, matched by the Robin's flute-like
song, both easy birds to see. The lovely Song Thrush sounds like
the Blackbird, but repeats his notes, while the bigger Mistle Thrush
can be seen shouting out his song from a treetop in the teeth of a
March gale, giving him his nickname of "Stormcock". Two more thrushes
visit from Scandinavia in winter, the Fieldfare and the Redwing, and both
will be found here in harsh weather.
The Wren, a tiny brown bundle of energy with a cocked-up tail,
surprises us with his loud rattling, chirring song, a tremendous noise
for such a little bird, while dainty Goldcrests,
our smallest birds, tinkle continuously in the tree canopy as they
search for their insect food. They are accompanied by Tits, of which
There are four species in the wood: The Great Tit,
whose monotonous two-note song is described as "teacher, teacher",
handsome with his shiny black head, white cheeks and black belly
stripe: His cousins, the Coal
Tit, very similar but without the belly stripe and with a
white nape to his neck, and the familiar Blue Tit,
with a blue cap and white cheeks. All will be busy hunting for insects
to feed their chicks! If we are lucky we may come across a party of Long-tailed Tits,
tiny acrobats with tails longer than their bodies, beautifully coloured
in black and white with pastel pink shading, as they forage from tree
to tree, or spot a mouse-like Treecreeper as he works his way busily up
a tree trunk, balancing with his spiny tail, as his long, curved bill
probes the bark for hidden insects.
The Finches
are a family with a
different life style, who are predominantly seed-eaters, as you can
tell by their strong bills, like little tweezers for extracting and
crushing seeds. You will certainly see the Chaffinch,
one of our most common birds, the male with a lovely pink breast and
grey-capped head, his mate a littie less colourful, but both with
distinctive white wing bars. Also to be found are stout Greenfinches, the
males very green in summer plumage, with yellow wing bars and white
beaks. Somewhat less common are the spectacular Goldfinches,
which were formerly much in demand as cage birds because of their
lovely plumage and tinkling song like little bells. Luckily it is now
illegal to capture wild birds to keep in cages, as birds need their
freedom. The Goldfinch also has yellow wing bars, but is fawn, black
and white, with a wonderful crimson face, and will often feed at the
edge of the wood on seeds of thistle and dock... "
complete
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A
notable feature of these woods
are
the springs and seepage
areas.
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The
Glencullen river flows
through
an woodland
of Sessile Oak, Oak,Ash,
Beech,
Holly and Hazel
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While Great
Wood-rush and ferns
(Hart's
Tongue and Soft Shield)
together with Ivy and
Brambles
carpet
the ground.
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Mentioning
birds reminded me that many years ago I say a unbelievable sight. Two
crows were attaching a large dog. He was of absolutely no threat to
them but he had long hair (the breed of dog were the hair covers
their head right down over their eyes) and it was nest making season.
He moved up against the wall of a house and one bird began trying to
entice him into the centre of the road by the damaged wing trick.
Either through indifference or wisdom he was not taking the bait and
finally the birds flew off in disgust.
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When
through the woods and forest glades I wander
and
hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
when I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
and hear the brook, and feel the
gentle breeze;
Then sings my soul, my Saviour
God, to thee,
how great thou art! how great
thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour
God, to thee,
how great
thou art! how great thou art!
Russian Hymn
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The
woods are home to such animals as the Red Squirrel, Badger, Rabbit
and Deer. You may be fortunate enough if not to see one of these
animals then to see their tracts or a badger sett which is like a big
rabbit hole.
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