Tree wasps on Ben Gorm.
It was a hot day for hiking last Sunday. I was on Ben Gorm – the mountain on the north bank of Killary Fjord near Aasleagh Falls. When I stopped for lunch by the cairn that marks the summit, I noticed some wasps basking in the sun. There were at least five, though there were never more than three at rest at any time.
They look to be tree wasps (Dolichovespula (Pseudovespula) sylvestris), which is a bit ironic, since there isn’t a bush or a tree on the montain. The cairn is 700 meters above sea level, though there is woodland along the Erriff river around the waterfall.
The cairn at the summit of Ben Gorm – that’s Clare Island and Achill Island in the background.