When there is a bite to the air and the winds begin to take most of the leaves, it’s time for new visitors to appear in the hedgerows north of Doolin. One recent newcomer to this part of the world is the Upturned Walkers Sign. This hardy brown and white species spends most of the year sitting atop an eight foot metal pole but this year has chosen to spend the early winter perched in the hedge, so that it can’t be seen (especially by passing walkers). Fortunately, other indigenous creatures do benefit from the shy habits of the Upturned Walkers Sign – such as landowners who don’t want people tramping all over their fields and paths.
But Upturned Walkers Sign is not alone. Lower down the hedge at the edge of the verge sits Two Litre Plastic Milk Container. This is a semi-domesticated import that spends most of its time snug in a fridge or pantry. But every now and then one or two escape from their normal habitat and decide to leap, empty of their contents, from the open windows of passing cars in the early hours of the morning (usually a Sunday). Experts are still baffled as to the meaning of this new sighting – is it a shift in climate paterns or a futile attempt to get rid of a hangover before mass?
