Plants and animals at Lough Atalia
Lough Atalia is home to a variety of plants and animals. This is the life you can see at the lake:
Birds
This is something all year round at the lake. The duck in this photo is a gadwall. It is very common in Ireland. According to Sean Walsh, he observed 46 species of birds at Lough Atalia, such as mute swans, eurasian wigeons, mallards and greater scaups.
For more information about the birds at Lough Atalia, please refer to https://ebird.org/checklist/S52292932
Japanesse Knotweed
Japanesse knotweed has been found along the banks of the lake. It originated from Asia. However, this made its way to Europe in the 19th century. This type of weed is invasive, which means it can destroyed the ecosystem of other plants around it. It can grow an inch a day and it can grow through concrete, which can cause damage to buildings. It grows quicker in Britain and Ireland as it's climate is perfect for it to grow. It also has a big root system, which means when you cut it, it will regenerate itself again.
Wild flowers
Wildflowers are plants that grow freely without being planted by humans. The wild flowers I found at Lough Atalia is a red clover, which can be seen as above. It has a very high population and can be found anywhere around the world in different shapes, sizes and forms. Red clover is also a health remedy, which can be used to help with menopause, high cholesterol and many more
Trees
Lough Atalia is home to a variety of different deciduous trees, such as oak and sycamore, and coniferous trees, such as fir and red spruce.
Seaweed
Seaweed is an algae that can be found around Ireland. I found an Irish type of seaweed around the banks of the Lough Atalia. Some types of Irish seaweed can be used as health remedies, as some of them are filled with nutrients and minerals.
