blog

May 28th 2023
Emperor Moth.
Emperor Moth
 



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May 27th 2023
Irish Hare on lush natural pasture.
Irish Hare
 



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May 26th 2023
Blue Tit tending to her brood.
Blue Tit feeding young at the nest (under NPWS permit)
 



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May 25th 2023
Cuckoo male using a power line perch to broadcast his distinctive call.
Cuckoo
 



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May 24th 2023
Ring Necked Pheasant in flight.
Ring Necked Pheasant in flight
 



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May 23rd 2023
Red Squirrel in the tree tops.
Red Squirrel
 



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May 22nd 2023
A Starling's iridescent plumage, it's superb ability to mimic other birds and ambient sounds,
and it's murmurations during Autumn, easily make it our most fascinating bird to observe
and photograph.
Starling
 



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May 21st 2023
Swallow in flight.
Barn Swallow in mid flight
 



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May 20th 2023
A Bumblebee searches for nectar from the last few Bluebell blooms
in the wood for this year.
Bluebells and Bumblebee
 



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May 19th 2023
Small Tortoiseshell butterfly in flight.
Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly in flight.
 



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May 18th 2023
A Mayfly seeks cover to complete the final stage of metamorphosis.
Mayfly
 



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May 17th 2023
Male Stonechat singing from a territorial song post of May blossom.
Stonechat male
 



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May 16th 2023
Mating Hairy Dragonflies.
Hairy Dragonflies mating
 



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May 15th 2023
Maybugs are attracted to flourescent lighting at this time of year. Their noisy,
whirring flight is common to hear on warmer nights.
Cockchafer Beetle
 



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May 14th 2023
Hairy Dragonfly laying eggs in vegetation under the water surface.
Hairy Dragonfly layng eggs.
 



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May 13th 2023
The Hairy Dragonfly earns it's name from the hair coverd thorax on it's body,
probably an evolutionary adaptation which allows it to emerge in cooler Spring
weather, a month or two before Summer dragonfly species. This prevents
similar species from competing for the same food supply and breeding ponds.
Hairy Dragonfly
 



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May 12th 2023
Ireland's smallest breeding bird, The Goldcrest.
Goldcrest
 



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May 11th 2023
Swallow in mid flight.
Swallow in flight
 



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May 10th 2023
Irish Hare.
Irish Hare
 



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May 9th 2023
Hooded Crows play a crucial role in the countryside, by scavenging on dead animals
and afterbirths they keep the spread of diseases in check.
Hooded Crow
 



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May 8th 2023
Red Fox at first light.
Red Fox
 



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May 7th 2023
Mayfly, seconds after emerging from it's larval skin.
Hatching Mayfly
 



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May 6th 2023
Unfurling Fern.
Unfurling Fern
 



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May 5th 2023
Irish Hare in lush pasture.
Irish Hare
 



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May 4th 2023
Great Tit feeding young at the nest (Photographed with a NPWS permit)
Great Tit feeding chicks at the nest (under NPWS permit)
 



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May 3rd 2023
Robin feeding young at the nest (Photographed with a NPWS permit)
Robin at the nest (under NPWS permit)
 



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May 2nd 2023
House Martin in mid flight.
House Martin in flight
 



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May Day 2023
Male Blackbird feeding young on the nest.
(Photographed under a NPWS permit)
Blackbird feeding chicks at the nest. (under NPWS permit)
 



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April 30th 2023
Male and Female Blue Tits feeding young on the nest.
(Photographed under a NPWS permit)
Blue Tits feeding chicks at the nest (under NPWS permit)
 



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April 29th 2023
An article in the Guardian newspaper by Brian May, featuring one of my Badger photographs.

Badger Protection Article



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April 28th 2023
Female Blackbird feeding young on the nest.
(Photographed under a NPWS permit)
Blackbird feeding chicks at the nest. (under NPWS permit)
 


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April 27th 2023
If you have Ants in your garden, leave them be, they are great at pest control.
Red Ant
 



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April 26th 2023
Blue Tit photographed in mid flight with a high speed external shutter setup.
Blue Tit
 


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April 25th 2023
Speckled Wood Butterfly in flight.
Speckled Wood Butterfly in flight.
 


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April 24th 2023
Pine Marten can easily climb up to the nests of Magpies and Hooded Crows
under cover of darkness to eat the eggs.
Pine Marten
 


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April 23nd 2023
Bumblebee and Bluebell.
Bumblebee in mid flight.
 


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April 22nd 2023
Orange Tip Butterfly in flight.
Orange Tip Butterfly in flight
 


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April 21st 2023
Swallow in mid flight.
Swallow in mid-flight
 


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April 20th 2023
The caterpillar of the Drinker Moth on a Cuckoo flower..
Drinker Moth Caterpillar on a Cuckoo Flower
 


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April 19th 2023
The caterpillar of the Drinker Moth is a favourite food of the Cuckoo.
Drinker Moth Caterpillar
 


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April 18th 2023
Mixed deciduous woodland with Bluebells in Spring sunlight..
Spring sunlight in an Irish wood.
 


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April 17th 2023
Bluebells.
Bluebell
 


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April 16th 2023
Bluebells.
Bluebells
 


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April 15th 2023
Forest Bluebells.
Bluebell
 


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April 14th 2023
Bluebells.
Bluebells (abstract)
 


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April 13th 2023
Bluebell trail.
A woodland trail in Spring, County Cavan, Ireland.
 


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April 12th 2023
Woodland Bluebell.
Bluebell
 


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April 11th 2023
Bluebell explosion.
Bluebell Explosion
 


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April 10th 2023
Bluebell.
Bluebell
 


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April 9th 2023
Great to see the first of the Swallows return to the farm..
Swallows in flight
 


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April 8th 2023
Starling returning to the nest with food.
Starling in mid flight
 


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April 7th 2023
Irish Hare.
Irish Hare
 


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April 6th 2023
Grey Heron in flight.
Grey Heron in flight
 


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April 5th 2023
The ever colourful Goldfinch.
Goldfinch
 


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April 4th 2023
Pine Marten searching the forest floor at night.
Pine Marten
 


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April 3rd 2023
Many bird species contribute to the dawn and dusk choruses, including the male Blackcap,
sometimes known as the northern Nightingale.
Blackcap
 


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April 2nd 2023
Bumblebee searching around Lesser Celandine for pollen and nectar.
Bumblebee in mid flight.
 


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April 1st 2023
Standing on top of other people's expensive vehicles makes for
an ideal raised viewing platform. Mercedes and Teslas in particular
have a good solid roof.
B
 







March 31st 2023
One of Ireland's largest dung beetles called The Dor Beetle can be found flying
around on warm Spring nights.

The Dor Beetle
 


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March 30th 2023
There are around 1500 species of Moth to be found in Ireland.
This one was attracted to the light from a tv screen.
MOthon a Tv screen.
 


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March 29th 2023
Red Squirrel collecting nesting material for a new drey.
Red Squirrel collecting nesting material
 


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March 28th 2023
Song Thrush on a territorial song post.
Song Thrush
 


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March 27th 2023
A wedge shaped tail and larger size distinguish the Raven from other
members of the crow family.
Raven
 


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March 26th 2023
Hover flies like this Drone Fly, maintain territories in mid air by hovering in one spot,
then darting off to drive away any competitors and then returning to the exact same
position as before.
Drone Fly in mid flight.
 


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March 25th 2023
A Pine Marten takes a break from foraging in woodland under the cover of darkness.
Pine Marten
 


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March 24th 2023
Ivy berries are a crucial food source for many bird species in Spring,
including this male Blackcap.
Blackcap feeding on Ivy berries
 


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March 23rd 2023
Lesser Celandine flowers are an important pollen and nectar source for the
insects emerging from their Winter hibernation.
Bumblebee in mid flight.
 


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March 22nd 2023
Brown Long Eared Bat hunting gnats and mosquitoes.
Brown Long Eared Bat hunting mosquitoes.
 


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March 21st 2023
Whooper Swans fly in a V formation to reduce drag and conserve fat reserves
on long migration flights.
Whooper Swans
 


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March 20th 2023
Collared Dove and new leaves breaking out of their buds.
Collared Dove
 


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March 19th 2023
Winter visiting birds to Ireland like the Fieldfare and Redwing start their return
migration, around now, to Scandinavia for the breeding season.
Fieldfare.
 


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March 18th 2023
Starling collecting grubs and bugs.
Starling
 


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March 17th 2023
Lesser Celandine dazzle damp and shaded areas with their intense
yellow in Spring. Easily more vibrant than any variety of primrose or daffodil.
Lesser Celandine in bloom.
 


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March 16th 2023
The small, acrobatic Treecreeper is a woodland specialist.
It's curved beak is the perfect tool for winkling out tiny larvae from
tree bark crevices.
Treecreeper
 


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March 15th 2023
A Badger out and about foraging in woodland at night.
Badger
 


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March 14th 2023
Canada Geese were first introduced to wild fowl collections in Ireland in
the early 19th century. Escapees eventually established a breeding population.
Canada Geese
 


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March 13th 2023
Ring Necked Pheasants were first introduced to Ireland in the 16th century.
This male has his full breeding plumage on display.
Ring Necked Pheasant
 


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March 12th 2023
Courtship rituals for Common Buzzards take place in mid air.
Buzzard pair.
 


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March 11th 2023
Ivy produces berries in Spring and nectar filled flowers in Autumn.
At this time of year these ripening berries are a crucial food source
for many birds and mammals.
Blackbird feeding on Ivy berries.
 


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March 10th 2023
Badger out foraging in woodland on a snowy night.
Badger foraging in winter.
 


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March 9th 2023
This photograph was taken on a snowy day a few Winters ago. As well as being a
highly effective controller of rodent populations, the Red Fox is a fine looking animal
especially when it has it's full Winter coat of fur.
Red Fox in Winter
 


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March 8th 2023
Irish Hares start competing for the right to mate in early Spring, this is when
they can be commonly seen. Once the growth of Summer conceals their
movements, they are more difficult to observe and photograph.
Irish Hares
 


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March 7th 2023
Usually 2 or 3 hours after nightfall at this time of year, the courtship
calls of Long Eared Owls can be heard.
Long Eared Owl
 


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March 6th 2023
A female Kingfisher after catching a good sized Perch.
Kingfisher after catching a small perch.
 


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March 5th 2023
Animals die from a variety of natural causes, scavenging birds like
the Hooded Crow play a crucial role in disposing of the remains.
Otherwise diseases of many kinds would effect animal populations
in a bad way.
Hooded Crow
 


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March 4th 2023
A male Reed Bunting. Reed Buntings like wetland habitats and also areas
of farmland that have rough grazing with Rush and other long grassy cover.
Reed Bunting
 


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March 3rd 2023
A Red Fox can catch approximately 3,500 rats and mice every year.
A very useful animal to anybody who grows food or stores food commercially.
Red Fox
 


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March 2nd 2023
A Jay searches the forest floor for acorns cached last Autumn.
Jay
 


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March 1st 2023
The Grey Heron always has that avian dinosaur appearance about it.
Grey Heron in flight.
 


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February 28th 2023
The Sunfly (a species of hoverfly) rests on a Spruce twig to warm up in the Spring sunshine.
Sunfly
 


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February 27th 2023
Pipistrelle Bats photographed in my backyard.
This is a multiple exposure image, meaning there's 5 photographs blended into one.
Pipistrelle Bats in flight (5 exposures)
 


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February 26th 2023
A Dunnock or Hedge Sparrow (Prunella modularis).
Dunnock
 


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February 25th 2023
A Coal Tit (Parus ater) rests for a moment.
Coal Tit
 


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February 24th 2023
Hoverflies like Eristalis tenax are the first pollinaters to emerge in Spring.
Hoverflies are widely regarded by entomologists as being more important
for food production than bees.
Drone Fly in Flight
 


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February 23rd 2023
Panoramic view of Frog breeding activity in a wildlife pond.
Spawning Frogs panorama.
 


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February 22nd 2023
Frog and reflection.
Common Frog
 


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February 21st 2023
Wildlife ponds not only attract Common Frogs, Smooth Newts also rely on them
for breeding sites. They emerge from their over wintering cover during the first
warming days of Spring. The spotted skin pattern on this particular Newt means
it's a male.
Male Smooth Newt on his way to a breeding pond.
 


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February 20th 2023
Skin pigmentation changes during spawning time in Common Frogs mean that
green, yellow, brown, red and bronze coloured individuals are regularly found.
Frogs at Spawning time
 


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February 19th 2023
The mating frenzy of Common Frogs continues, it usually lasts a week or so
if it's not interrupted by sub zero temperatures.
Common Frogs mating.
 


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February 18th 2023
A chaotic scrum of Common Frogs at breeding time. The competition to mate is so fierce
that fatalities are common for both males and females.
Frogs at Spawning time.
 


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February 17th 2023
A trio of Common Frogs at breeding time.
A trio of Frogs
 


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February 16th 2023
Common Frog at a breeding pond.
Common Frog.
 


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February 15th 2023
Common Frog, photographed mid-leap.
Common Frog
 


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February 14th 2023
Frogs are currently making their way from their hibernating cover to ponds and
ditches to breed.
European Frog
 


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February 13th 2023
Rooks in flight. Along with Magpie, Jay, Jackdaw, Raven, Hooded Crow and Carrion Crow
and Chough, the Corvids, have proven to be the most intelligent and adaptive of all birds.
Rooks in flight
 


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February 12th 2023
Irish Hares will sometimes approach to within 3 meters of my camera.
Irish Hare
 


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February 11th 2023
Male Bullfinch.
Bullfinch (male)
 


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February 10th 2023
Female and male House Sparrows quench their thirst from a farmyard puddle.
House Sparrows
 


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February 9th 2023
Rival male Goldcrests fight ferociously to keep or take over a territory.
Goldcrests fighting
 


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February 8th 2023
A Coal Tit (Parus Ater).
Coal Tit
 


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February 7th 2023
The largest impact crater on the Moon is The South Pole–Aitken basin.
It is 2500km in diameter and 8.3 km deep.
Full Moon
 


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February 6th 2023
Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus).
Blue Tit
 


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February 5th 2023
Photographing into the Sun can give interesting lighting effects like this
gilt edged Kingfisher.
Kingfisher
 


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February 4th 2023
A baby Irish Hare ,or leveret, waits in the grass for it's mother to return.
Irish Hare leveret
 


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February 3rd 2023
Common Buzzard ground level flight.
Common Buzzard
 


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February 2nd 2023
Goldcrest on Spruce..
Goldcrest
 


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February 1st 2023
When a Puffball Fungus first emerges it is snow white in colour.
As it matures it turns brown and the outer skin breaks down, releasing
millions of spores into the air.
Puffball Fungus
 


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January 31st 2023
A male Siskin is a regular visitor to birdfeeding stations in Winter.
Siskin (male)
 


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January 30th 2023
A Grey Heron waits in the half light just before nightfall.
Grey Heron
 


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January 29th 2023
High in the tree tops a Rook nesting colony awaits this year's
breeding pairs.
Rookery
 


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January 28th 2023
On mild Winter nights any Mosquitoes on the wing are preyed on by Bats.
Mosquito in mid flight.
 


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January 27th 2023
Equal to the Red Fox in expertise at catching rodents is the Pine Marten.
In this image a Brown rat is the prey.

Pine Marten preying on a rat.
 


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January 26th 2023
The last days of a once mighty Ash tree. Rotten roots infected by
the Chalara fungus eventually gave way in a wind storm.

Leafless Ash Tree
 


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January 25th 2023
Great Crested Grebe with a good catch.
Great Crested Grebe catching fish
 


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January 24th 2023
A typical Red Fox can catch between 3000 and 4000 rats and mice every year, a useful predator to
any food grower who has stores of grain, fruit or vegetables to protect.
Red Fox in Winter
 


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January 23rd 2023
The full wingspan of a Grey Heron.
Grey Heron
 


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January 22nd 2023
Winter is a good season to observe the Treecreeper. They can
be found in most deciduous woodlands, large and small.
Treecreeper
 


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January 21st 2023
Coal Tit in flight.
Coal Tit in flight
 


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January 20th 2023
Low Winter Sun.
Sunset
 


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January 19th 2023
Sparrowhawk on a wood pigeon kill.
Sparrowhawk on a kill.
 


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January 18th 2023
Irish Stoat on a rabbit kill.
Stoat at rabbit kill.
 


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January 17th 2023
Blackbird male and female on the forest floor before sunrise.
Blackbird male and female
 


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January 16th 2023
Long Tailed Tit.
Irish Hare
 


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January 14th 2023
A Raven's wing span.
Raven
 


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January 13th 2023
Grey Wagtails sorting out territorial rights.
Fighting Grey Wagtails
 


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January 12th 2023
Water Rail.
Water Rail
 


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January 11th 2023
Snowdrop.
Snowdrop
 


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January 10th 2023
Pipistrelle Bat.
Pipistrelle Bat
 


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January 9th 2023
Robin on a song perch.
Robin
 


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January 8th 2023
Robin rivalry.
Rival Robins.
 


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January 7th 2023
A Wren sings for territory.
Wren's territorial song.
 


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January 6th 2023
A Badger appears out of the darkness.
Badger
 


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January 5th 2023
Pied Wagtail chasing insects.
Pied Wagtail chasing insects
 


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January 4th 2023
Song Thrush at sunrise.
Song Thrush in woodland at sunrise.
 


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January 3rd 2023
Irelands smallest breeding bird, the Goldcrest.
Goldcrest
 


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January 2nd 2023
Collared Dove in flight.
Collared Dove in flight
 


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January 1st 2023
A single Red Fox can catch THREE THOUSAND rats and mice
on average farmland habitats. A really valuable animal to food
growers everywhere.
Red Fox in woodland.
 


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December 31st 2022
The ever colourful Goldfinch.
Goldfinch
 


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December 30th 2022
Curlews.
Curlews in flight
 


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December 29th 2022
Crescent Moon.
Crescent Moon
 


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December 28th 2022
The blues of a Kingfisher brighten everything.
Kingfisher
 


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December 27th 2022
Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn the small creatures are always at work.
Earth Worm
 


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December 26th 2022
Red Squirrel on a favourite log.
Red Squirrel
 


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December 25th 2022
Raven flight.
Raven
 


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December 24th 2022
Goldcrests battle it out for foraging teritory.
Goldcrests fighting
 


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December 23rd 2022
A Mouse house.
Wood Mouse
 


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December 22nd 2022
Ring Necked Pheasant.
pheasant
 


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December 21st 2022
Muddied muzzle Badger.
Badger
 


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December 20th 2022
Flight.
Rook in flight (abstract)
 


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December 19th 2022
A Treecreeper ascends tree trunks in a spiral pattern in a never ending
search for grubs and tiny bugs.
Treecreeper
 


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December 18th 2022
Barnacle Geese by the hundred.
Barnacle Geese in flight.
 


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December 17th 2022
A typical Red Fox can kill THREE THOUSAND rats and mice every year.
A very valuable animal to food growers everywhere.
Red Fox in Winter
 


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December 16th 2022
A Robin in Winter.
Robin in WInter
 


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December 15th 2022
A Dunnock foraging about on hard frozen ground.
Dunnock or Hedge Sparrow
 


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December 14th 2022
Male Siskin.
Siskin
 


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December 13th 2022
Badger foraging in woodland on a chilly Winters night.
Badger foraging in winter.
 


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December 12th 2022
The Winter Sun.
Sunset and Tree silhouette.
 


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December 11th 2022
A Robins fluffed up feathers produces a trapped layer of warm air
allowing it to survive chilly Winter days and nights.
Robin
 


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December 10th 2022
When lighting conditions aren't good enough for full colour photographs,
silhouettes are a saleable compromise.
Red Squirrel in silhouette
 


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December 9th 2022
Frost hardened ground makes foraging difficult for all creatures.
Ring Necked Pheasant
 


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December 8th 2022
A Goldcrest forages for tiny insects on the last of the leaves.
Goldcrest
 


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December 7th 2022
Mute Swans approach flight.
Mute Swans' approach flight
 


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December 6th 2022
A typical Red Fox can kill around 3000 rats and mice every year.

As they are a useful ally to food growers, there is no need to hunt foxes in Ireland.

Also modern fencing technology can easily protect poultry and rare wild bird nesting areas.
Red Fox
 


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December 5th 2022
Common Buzzard soaring high.
Common Buzzard
 


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December 4th 2022
Red Deer Stag resting.
Red Deer Stag
 


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December 3rd 2022
Grey Wagtail searching for insects by a waterfall.
Grey Wagtail
 


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December 2nd 2022
Kingfisher.
Kingfisher female
 


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December 1st 2022
Red Deer stag in silhouette.
Red Deer Stag
 


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November 30th 2022
Siskin on Scots Pine.
Siskin (male)
 


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November 29th 2022
A male Bullfinch.
Bullfinch (male)
 


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November 28th 2022
An arachnid beauty.
Orb Web Spider
 


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November 27th 2022
A pair of Badgers foraging in woodland at night. These particular
Badgers have been vaccinated against bTB, a measure that's proving
effective with co-operative livestock owners.
Badger Cubs
 


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November 26th 2022
A Smooth Newt searches a log pile for the perfect secure place to hibernate.
Smooth Newt
 


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November 25th 2022
Invertebrate animals like this Black Snake Millipede are at work all year round in
woodlands, hedgerows and herbicide free fields, breaking down organic matter
into a natural fertilizer.
Black Snake Millipede
 


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November 24th 2022
Red Squirrel staying alert for danger on the forest floor.
Red Squirrel
 


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November 23rd 2022
A Long Eared Owl sentinel waits for prey in the bitter watches of the night.
Long Eared Owl
 


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November 22nd 2022
Pine Marten foraging in forest leaf litter at night.
Pine Marten
 


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November 21st 2022
Whooper Swans flying to their favourite grazing field.
Whooper Swans
 


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November 20th 2022
A keen swimmer and teacher of swimming for most of her life and always
in our thoughts and happy memories. Happy Birthday Mam.
Sleeping Mute Swan
 


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November 19th 2022
As a keen game shooter my Father also enjoyed rearing and releasing
pheasants to keep their numbers stable. Happy 89th Birthday Dad.
Ring Necked Pheasant (female and male)
 


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November 18th 2022
Modern digital cameras make night sky photography a lot easier
than it used to be. The Plough constellation
The Plough constellation.
 


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November 17th 2022
Fieldfare feeding on windfall orchard apples.
Fieldfare.
 


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November 16th 2022
Brown Long Eared Bat hunting Mosquitoes.
Brown Long Eared Bat hunting mosquitoes.
 


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November 15th 2022
Mute Swan stretching its wings in Autumn light.
Mute Swan
 


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November 14th 2022
The Goldcrest, being a small fast moving bird, is a challenge for nature photographers
of all skill levels.
Goldcrest
 


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November 13th 2022
The ever colourful Bullfinch.
Bullfinch (male)
 


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November 12th 2022
The Dipper, photographed on a small fast flowing mountain
river in West Cavan.
Dipper
 


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November 11th 2022
Irish Hare among Rushes.
Irish Hare
 


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November 10th 2022
Hooded Crow in Autumn mist. Crows and other scavengers are important
in the countryside. By consuming carrion they help prevent the spread of disease.
Hooded Crow
 


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November 9th 2022
Photograph from a very close encounter (3 meters) with a
completely wild Common Buzzard.
Common Buzzard
 


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November 8th 2022
Fields and meadows that are free from herbicides and chemical fertilizers
attract many bird species. Among them is the Meadow Pipit. The thick tangle of
Summer grass is perfect for nest building and rearing their young, while the
abundance of fallen seeds feeds them in Winter.
Meadow Pipit
 


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November 7th 2022
Brown Long Eared Bat out hunting in Oak woodland.
Brown Long Eared Bat.
 


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November 6th 2022
To attract Hedgehogs to your garden, build a pile of branches,
twigs, and leaves in a hidden cornor. Hedgehogs are great at
controlling slugs and snails.
Hedgehog
 


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November 5th 2022
Male Ring Necked Pheasant.
Ring Necked Pheasant
 


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November 4th 2022
Grey Heron in mid flight.


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November 3rd 2022
Pipistrelle Bat on the wing.
Pipistrelle Bat
 


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November 2nd 2022
Wet, warm Autumns encourage a wide variety of fungi to flourish
like this Orange Spot Fungus.
Orange Spot Fungus
 


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November 1st 2022
The Wood Mouse.
Wood Mouse
 


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October 31st 2022
Red Ant using its antennae to detect the air for pheromones of fellow ants
or the scent of food.
Red Ant
 


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October 30th 2022
Common Snipe concealing itself in a grassy tussock.
Common Snipe
 


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October 29th 2022
Grey Heron taking flight.
Grey Heron Taking flight.
 


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October 28th 2022
Initial trials in vaccinating Badgers against Bovine TB have proven successful,
hopefully it can be targeted in bTB prone areas of the country.
Badger in Autumn
 


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October 27th 2022
Sparrowhawk on the forest floor after a failed attempt at catching a finch.
Sparrowhawk (male).
 


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October 26th 2022
Mild and wet Autumn weather is perfect for Frogs to move around and find the
perfect place to hibernate.
Common Frog
 


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October 25th 2022
Red Squirrel in the leaf litter.
Red Squirrel
 


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October 24th 2022
A female Reed Bunting in a Willow thicket.
Reed Bunting (female)
 


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October 23rd 2022
Silken sorcery by an Orb Web Spider.
Spider's silken web
 


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October 22nd 2022
Shafts of sunlight pierce a hedgerow on a classic Autumn morning.
Autumn sunlight.
 


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October 21st 2022
Acute senses of hearing and smell allow a typical Red Fox to catch approximately
3000 rats and mice every year. An important ally for anybody who grows and stores
food on a commercial scale.
Red Fox
 


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October 20th 2022
Autumn colour of Beech leaves.
Autumn's palette.
 


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October 19th 2022
Red Squirrel foraging in a Walnut tree.
Red Squirrel
 


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October 18th 2022
A Red Admiral Butterfly feeding on a decaying orchard apple. Spoiled and windfall
fruit shouldn't get tidied away as it is an important food source for many animals
over late Autumn and early Winter.
Red Admiral butterfly on a rotten windfall apple.
 


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October 17th 2022
Woodlands in Autumn have a definite aroma of decomposition.. As leaves
descend onto the forest floor, earth worms wait for them in their burrows.
Earth Worm
 


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October 16th 2022
A Kestrel keeps watch from a Pine tree for unsuspecting prey.
Kestrel (juvenile)
 


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October 15th 2022
Sparrowhawk high up in an Ash tree.
Sparrowhawk in woodland.
 


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October 14th 2022
Common Frogs seek out safe places to hibernate at this time of year.
Log piles, compost heaps, tussocks of grass and dry stone walls are
all favourite places.
European Frog
 


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October 13th 2022
Irish Hare in dappled Autumn light on a cow pass.
irsh hare
 


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October 12th 2022
A fine specimen of a Garden Spider.
Garden Spider
 


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October 11th 2022
An intricate Spider's web, made useless by morning dew. Once the dew drys off,
then it becomes an invisible trap for any unwary flying insect.
Orb Web Spider's web.
 


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October 10th 2022
Acute senses of hearing and smell allow a typical Red Fox to catch approximately
3000 rats and mice every year. An important ally for anybody who grows and stores
food on a commercial scale.
Red Fox
 


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October 9th 2022
Red Admiral Butterfly on windfall apples.
Red Admiral Butterfly on rotten windfall apples.
 


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October 8th 2022
A Kestrel in flight.
Kestrel
 


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October 7th 2022
Bullfinch feeding on Blackberries.
Bullfinch feeding on Blackberries.
 


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October 6th 2022
Fourteen Spot Ladybirds mating.
14 Spot Ladybirds mating.
 


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October 5th 2022
Long Tailed Tit in Scots Pine.
Long Tailed Tit in Scots Pine
 


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October 4th 2022
Red Squirrel in deciduous woodland.
Red Squirrel
 


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October 3rd 2022
Kingfisher on a favourite fishing perch.
Kingfisher
 


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October 2nd 2022
Our last few Swallows fatten up on swarms of Midges before heading
south to warmer climes where insects are abundant.
Swallows in flight
 


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October 1st 2022
Ichneumon Wasp.
Ichneumon Wasp
 


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September 30th 2022
Plenty of sweet, fresh water today.
Dew drops on grass
 


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September 29th 2022
Parasol mushroom, very tasty indeed.
Parasol Mushroom
 


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September 28th 2022
Brown Hawker Dragonfly resting in Autumn sunshine.
Brown Hawker Dragonfly
 


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September 27th 2022
A woodland Jay foraging on the forest floor.
Jay
 


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September 26th 2022
A huge Fly Agaric mushroom. (35cm in diameter).
Fly Agaric Fungus.
 


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September 25th 2022
A Bolete species of mushroom.
Bolette Fungus
 


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September 24th 2022
Autumn light on fungi.
Autumn light on fungi
 


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September 23rd 2022
Woodland Fungi.
Woodland Fungi
 


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September 22nd 2022
Fly Agaric Fungi.
Fly Agaric Fungi
 


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September 21st 2022
Funeral Bell Fungus.
Funeral Bell Fungus.
 


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September 20th 2022
Leafhopper juvenile.
Leafhopper juvenile
 


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September 19th 2022
Red Admiral Butterfly on Ivy flowers.
Red Admiral Butterfly
 


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September 18th 2022
Brown Hawker Dragonfly on Reedmace.
Brown Hawker Dragonfly
 


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September 17th 2022
Zebra Jumping Spider.
Zebra Jumping Spider
 


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September 16th 2022
Common Hawker Dragonfly on Reed Mace.
Common Hawker Dragonfly
 


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September 15th 2022
Soldier Beetle.
Soldier Beetle
 


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September 14th 2022
Peacock Butterfly on Knapweed.
Peacock Butterfly on Knapweed.
 


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September 13th 2022
Matured Puffball Fungus. When it first emerges, it is pure white and grows to
12 inches in diameter. Once it turns brown it sheds billions of spores.
Puffball Fungus
 


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September 12th 2022
Green Leafhoppers are a crucial food source for many animals.
Herbicide free pastures and meadows are needed for this tiny
insect to flourish.
DC (33612)
 


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September 11th 2022
The Silver Y Moth
The Silver Y Moth
 


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September 10th 2022
Coot.
Coot
 


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September 9th 2022
Peacock Butterfly.
Peacock Butterfly on Knapweed
 


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September 8th 2022
Shaggy Ink Cap mushrooms.
Shaggy Ink Cap Fungi
 


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September 7th 2022
A Reed Beetle.
A Reed Beetle
 


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September 6th 2022
Emerald Damselfly in flight.
Emerald Damselfly in mid flight.
 


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September 5th 2022
An Orb Web Spider.
An Orb Web Spider
 


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September 4th 2022
Birch and Alder trees produce large quantities of seed every year which
attract a variety of finches like this Lesser Redpoll.
Lesser Redpoll
 


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September 3rd 2022
Common Hawker Dragonfly in flight.
Common Hawker Dragonfly in mid flight.
 


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September 2nd 2022
Goldcrest in a plum tree.
Goldcrest
 


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September 1st 2022
Common Darter Dragonfly.
Common Darter Dragonfly
 


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August 31st 2022
Hedgehog.
Hedgehog
 


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August 30th 2022
Swifts usually leave Ireland from mid to late August for Africa, where insects
will be much more plentiful over the coming months.
Swifts in flight.
 


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August 29th 2022
The compound eyes of a fly serve as motion sensors to detect
the movements of potential predators.

The compound eyes of a fly.
 


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August 28th 2022
Herring Gull

Herring Gull
 


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August 27th 2022
Common Buzzard on a favourite resting post.

Common Buzzard
 


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August 26th 2022
A secretive, juvenile Long Eared Owl.

Long Eared Owl (juvenile)
 


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August 25th 2022
Common Hawker Dragonfly in flight.

Common Hawker Dragonfly in flight.
 


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August 24th 2022
Garden Spider.

Garden Spider
 


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August 23rd 2022
Hawthorn Shield Bug.

Hawthorn Shield Bug
 


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August 22nd 2022
Emerald Damselfly in flight.

Emerald Damselfly in flight
 


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August 21st 2022
Emerald Damselfly in flight.

Emerald Damselfly in flight
 


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August 20th 2022
Grasshopper mid-hop.

Grasshopper (mid leap)
 


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August 19th 2022
Blue Damselfly

Azure Damselfly
 


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August 18th 2022
Swallows just flying for fun.

Swallows in flight
 


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August 17th 2022
Red Squirrel scampering down an Ash tree.

Red Squirrel
 


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August 16th 2022
On average a Red Fox can catch between 2500 and 4000 mice and rats every year, a useful ally
to commercial food growers and gardeners.

Red Fox
 


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August 15th 2022
A Wolf Spider takes shelter from a heavy Summer rain shower.

Small Wolf Spider ( Lycosa pullata)
 


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August 14th 2022
A shoal of juvenile Perch in the shallows.

A shoal of juvenile Perch
 


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August 13th 2022
Courtship flight of the Four Spotted Chaser Dragonfly.

Four Spotted Chaser Dragonflies
 


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August 12th 2022
Elephant Hawk Moth.

Elephant Hawk Moth
 


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August 11th 2022
Four Spotted Chaser Dragonfly.

Four Spotted Chaser Dragonfly
 


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August 10th 2022
Caterpillar of the Elephant Hawk Moth.

Caterpillar of the Elephant Hawk Moth (Deilephila elpenor)
 


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August 9th 2022
Green Veined White Butterfly in mid flight.

Green Veined White Butterfly in flight
 


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August 8th 2022
The multi coloured, multi faceted compound eyes of a Horse Fly.

Horse Fly compound eyes
 


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August 7th 2022
Four Spotted Chaser Dragonfly in flight.

Four Spotted Chaser Dragonfly in mid flight.
 


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August 6th 2022
Irish Stoat on the scent trail of a potential meal.

Irish Stoat
 


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August 5th 2022
Chicken of the Woods fungus. Very tasty.

Chicken of the Woods fungi
 


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August 4th 2022
Wasp photographed in mid flight.

German Wasp in mid flight.
 


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August 3rd 2022
Swallows.

Swallows
 


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August 2nd 2022
Meadow Grasshopper.

Grasshopper
 


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August 1st 2022
The charismatic Kingfisher.

Kingfisher
 


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July 31st 2022
Irish Hare at full speed.

Irish Hare
 


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July 30th 2022
Common Buzzard on a favourite resting post.

Common Buzzard
 


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July 29th 2022
Brown Hawker Dragonfly laying her eggs in soft, damp mud.

Brown Hawker Dragonfly laying her eggs in damp soil.
 


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July 28th 2022
Wasp on Ivy berries.

German Wasp
 


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July 27th 2022
Four Spotted Chaser Dragonfly.

Four Spotted Chaser Dragonfly
 


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July 26th 2022
Spotted Flycatcher and young.

Spotted Flycatcher feeding chicks.
 


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July 25th 2022
Successful dive for a Great Crested Grebe.

Great Crested Grebe catching fish
 


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July 24th 2022
A Red Ant searches the air with antennae for the scent of food and scent trails
laid down by other ants from the colony.

Red Ant
 


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July 23rd 2022
Barn Swallow and reflection.

Swallow in flight over water.
 


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July 22nd 2022
Sedge Warbler collecting damselflies at dusk to feed her young
back at the nest.

Sedge Warbler
 


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July 21st 2022
Honey Bee collecting nectar from Bramble blossom.

Honey Bee collecting nectar from bramble
 


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July 20th 2022
Brown Long Eared Bat.

Brown Long Eared Bat.
 


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July 19th 2022
A Red Fox can catch between 2500 and 4000 mice and rats every year,
a useful ally to commercial food growers and gardeners.

Red Fox cub
 


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July 18th 2022
Brown Hawker Dragonfly.
Brown Hawker Dragonfly
 


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July 17th 2022
Silver Washed Fritillary Butterfly, one of our largest butterflies.
Silver Washed Fritillary on Watermint.
 


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July 16th 2022
Ring Necked Pheasant.
Ring Necked Pheasant
 


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July 15th 2022
Mating Damselflies.
Mating Damselflies.
 


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July 14th 2022
A Four Spotted Chaser Dragonfly just after hatching into the adult stage
of it's life cycle. The previous two years of it's life were spent under water.
Four Spotted Dragonfly just after emerging from Nymph skin.
 


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July 13th 2022
Rosebay Willow Herb macro-ed.
Rosebay Willowherb Close-up
 


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July 12th 2022
A Water Rail chick emerges from a reed bed. Large feet help spread
it's weight when walking on aquatic plants in the shallows.
Water Rail chick.
 


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July 11th 2022
A Horse Fly bites.
Horse Fly or Cleg biting into human skin.
 


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July 10th 2022
Meadow Grasshopper.
Meadow Grasshopper
 


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July 9th 2022
A Red Squirrel pauses for a moment.
Red Squirrel
 


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July 8th 2022
Male Banded Demoiselle Damselfly.
Banded Demoiselle Damselfly
 


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July 7th 2022
Brown Hawker Dragonfly in flight.
Brown Hawker Dragonfly in flight
 


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July 6th 2022
Orchids!
Common Spotted Orchids.
 


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July 5th 2022
A Long Eared Owl chick waits for a parent to return with some food.
Long Eared Owl Chick
 


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July 4th 2022
7 Spot Ladybird searching around for a meal of aphids.
Seven Spot Ladybird
 


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July 3rd 2022
The superb camouflage of the Oak Beauty Moth.
Oak Beauty Moth.
 


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July 2nd 2022
A female Reed Bunting (a species of finch) is perfectly camouflaged for nesting in
reed beds and hay meadows that are left unmowed until after mid Summer.
Many landowners don't realise how many nests get destroyed by early season mowing.
Pheasant, Snipe, Reed Bunting, Meadow Pipit, Skylark and even Mallard duck all use
meadows to nest in.
Reed Bunting female
 


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July 1st 2022
A female Sparrowhawk keeps a lookout from a favourite perch for any
unsuspecting small birds.
Sparrowhawk in woodland.
 


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June 30th 2022
Honey Bees swarming.
Honey Bee returning to the Swarm.
 


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June 29th 2022
Mute Swan family on a Cavan lake.
Mute Swan family.
 


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June 28th 2022
Brown Long Eared Bat hunting for mosquitoes, moths and midges.
Brown Long Eared Bat.
 


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June 27th 2022
Known for it's painful bite, a Cleg or Horse Fly waits for a passing mammal.
Horse Fly compound eyes
 


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June 26th 2022
Willow Warbler collecting caterpillars for her chicks.
Willow Warbler
 


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June 25th 2022
A female Banded Demoiselle rests in the cool of early morning.
Banded Demoiselle Damselfly (female)
 


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June 24th 2022
A female Sparrowhawk with her hard earned kill of a wood pigeon.
Female Sparrowhawk at a kill
 


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June 23rd 2022
Wildlife ponds can attract birds like this Water Rail.
Water Rail
 


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June 22nd 2022
A Swallow takes advantage of the wide range of insects that a wildlife pond attracts.
Barn Swallow over water
 


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June 21st 2022
Ringlet Butterfly resting.
Ringlet Butterfly
 


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June 20th 2022
Damselfly in flight around the wildlife pond.
Common Blue Damselfly in flight
 


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June 19th 2022
Mute Swan family in the shallows.
Mute Swan Family, County Cavan, Ireland.
 


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June 18th 2022
Red Squirrel scampering through the tree canopy.
Red Squirrel
 


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June 17th 2022
A Brown Long Eared Bat hunts in an Oak woodland.
Brown Long Eared Bat
 


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June 16th 2022
A female Kingfisher with a Perch in her beak, which will be swallowed head first.
Kingfisher after catching a small perch.
 


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June 15th 2022
An Ichneumon Wasp, one of a host of insects that are very useful to both
commercial growers and small scale gardeners.
Ichneumon Wasp
 


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June 14th 2022
Irish Hare passing through woodland.
Irish Hare in woodland
 


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June 13th 2022
House Martin in mid-flight.
House Martin in flight
 


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June 12th 2022
Grey Heron in silhouette.
Grey Heron
 


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June 11th 2022
Caterpillar of the Elephant Hawk Moth.
Elephant Hawkmoth Caterpillar
 


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June 10th 2022
Blue Tailed Damselfly in flight.
Blue Tailed damselfly in flight
 


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June 9th 2022
Herring Gulls can be seen from time to time around County Cavan's lakes.
Herring Gull
 


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June 8th 2022
An Ichneumon Wasp prepares to attack a Sawfly larvae.
Ichneumon Wasp sizing up a sawfly larvae.
 


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June 7th 2022
Mute Swan family.
Mute Swan Family, County Cavan, Ireland.
 


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June 6th 2022
Poplar Hawk Moth in flight.
Poplar Hawkmoth in mid flight.
 


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June 5th 2022
Dock Leaf Beetle.
Green Dock Leaf Beetle
 


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June 4th 2022
Badger foraging in woodland at night.
Badger at night.
 


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June 3rd 2022
A Smooth Newt crawls among pond-side vegetation in search fo small invertebrates to eat.
Smooth Newt
 


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June 2nd 2022
Red Fox at first light.
Red Fox
 


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June1st 2022
Hairy Dragonflies mate to complete a 2 year life cycle. Most of the 2 years is spent
as a nymph under water. The adults are on the wing for just 3 or 4 weeks before they
die after mating.
Hairy Dragonflies mating
 


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May 31st 2022
An Irish Stoat briefly appears from a grassy verge where it hunts for Mice and Shrews
Irish Stoat
 


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May 30th 2022
Swallows compete for a feather to use as nest lining.
Rival Swallows compete for a feather to use for nesting.
 


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May 29th 2022
Spotted Flycatcher with a Wasp, This little bird along with the Warblers are the less well known
Summer visitors to Ireland from Africa every year.
Spotted Flycatcher with a wasp.
 


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May 28th 2022
South facing walls warmed by the Sun attract this little fella, The Zebra Jumping Spider.
Zebra Jumping Spider
 


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May 27th 2022
5-Spot Burnet Moth on Vetch. One of many day flying moths to see in late Spring
on natural grassland.
Narrow Bordered 5 Spot Burnet Moth
 


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May 26th 2022
Common Snipe nesting on natural grassland, which is then mowed for hay in late Summer
when ground nesting birds have completed rearing their young.
Common Snipe
 


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May 25th 2022
Some insects have both Simple eyes and Compound eyes. On this Damselfly,
the smaller simple eyes are located in the middle of the head and are used mainly
to detect light levels. The larger, bulbous compound eyes located on the both sides
of the head are motion detectors used to track the movements of smaller insects
for food, other damselflies to breed with and to avoid predators. The compound
eyes in particular are an evolutionary marvel.
Azure Damselfly compound eyes
 


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May 24th 2022
A female Wolf Spider carries her eggs/young in a silken sack which is
both waterproof and durable.
Wolf Spider
 


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May 23rd 2022
Natural grasslands are bursting with life, from fungi, insects, arachnids, frogs,
birds, and small mammlas to larger, more familiar animals like the Irish Hare.
Irish Hare in a wildflower meadow
 


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May 22nd 2022
Male Blue Damselfly in flight.
Common Blue damselfly in mid flight
 


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May 21st 2022
Great Tit feed her young in a nest box. (Photographed under NPWS permit).
Great Tit feeding chicks at the nest (under NPWS permit)
 


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May 20th 2022
A Common Frog searches for leafhoppers and other small insects in natural grassland.
Common Frog
 


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May 19th 2022
Blue Tailed Damselfly in flight.
Blue Tailed damselfly in flight
 


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May 18th 2022
A male Stonechat on May blossom (Hawthorn).
Stonechat male
 


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May 17th 2022
Carder Bees collecting nectar and pollen from Vetch.
Carder Bees in mid flight.
 


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May 16th 2022
Male Cuckoo using an electricity wire as a broadcasting perch for his familiar
"coook oooo!" call.
Cuckoo
 


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May 15th 2022
Blue Tit feeding her young. Photographed under an NPWS permit.
Blue Tit feeding young at the nest (under NPWS permit)
 


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May 14th 2022
An impressive beetle by any standards, The Maybug.
Cockchafer Beetle
 


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May 13th 2022
A newly hatched Mayfly prepares for its maiden flight. At this vulnerable
stage they become food for many animals both in the river and along
the riverbank.
Hatching Mayfly
 


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May 12th 2022
A Hare leveret conceals itself in dense grass waiting for the return
of its mother to suckle.
Irish Hare leveret
 


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May 11th 2022
The Maybug is one of our more eye catching beetles. The large antennae of the male
are used to detect the pheremonal signals of the females.
Cockchafer Beetle
 


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May 10th 2022
Green Veined White butterfly in mid flight.
Green Veined White Butterfly in flight
 


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May 9th 2022
St. Mark's Fly or Hawthorn Fly at rest. This is a fly much mimiced by trout fishermen
who like to catch fish from the lake or river surface in late April and early May.
Hawthorn Fly or St. Mark's Fly
 


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May 8th 2022
Farming in harmony with Nature, produces scenes like this.
Green Veined White Butterfly in mid flight.
 


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May 7th 2022
For many people Spring isn't Spring without the distinctive call of the male Cuckoo.
Cuckoo
 


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May 6th 2022
A hands off approach to pasture management can result in easy to grow
nectar sources like Cuckoo Flower (pictured), Creeping Buttercup, Chickweed,
Red and White Clover, Knapweed, Red Dead Nettle, Self Heal, Shepherds Purse
and several species of Vetches. All these can flourish at no cost to the landowner.
Green Veined White Butterfly in mid flight.
 


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May 5th 2022
A small or large wildlife pond is a precious resource for many animals,
like frogs, newts, ducks, warblers, herons, reed buntings, damselflies,
alder flies, water beetles, pond skaters, water dividers, dragonflies, house
martins, swallows (pictured), badgers, voles, shrews, foxes, kingfishers,
diving beetles, reed beetles, ..........
Barn Swallow over water
 


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May 4th 2022
A Kestrel flying overhead.
Kestrel
 


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May 3rd 2022
The chase is on as male Irish Hares pursue females that are in season.
Irish Hares
 


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May 2nd 2022
Caterpillar of the Drinker moth on Cuckoo Flower.
Drinker Moth Caterpillar on a Cuckoo Flower
 


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May 1st 2022
Starling mid flight.
Starling
 


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April 30th 2022
Caterpillar of the Drinker Moth, a favourite food of the Cuckoo.
Drinker Moth Caterpillar
 


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April 29th 2022
Bluebell in bloom.
Bluebell
 


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April 28th 2022
Red Squirrel scampering through the tree tops.
Red Squirrel
 


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April 27th 2022
Bluebells, along with lesser celandine, blackthorn blossom, dandelion, violets
and other Spring blooms are a crucial source of nectar for Bumblebee queens
to start new colonies every year.
Bumblebee in mid flight.
 


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April 26th 2022
Parallel swimming, head bobbing, and gift giving are just a few parts of the
pair bonding and courtship displays of Great Crested Grebes.
Great Crested Grebes pair bonding.
 


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April 25th 2022
The virtuoso of the dawn chorus is the Song Thrush. It has over 100 different
phrases and melodies in it's repertoire.
Song Thrush
 


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April 24th 2022
One of my canvas wraps of The Kingfisher. Our most colourful bird makes an
interesting decor choice in any room.
DC (19351)
 


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April 23rd 2022
A Pipistrelle Bat in mid flight. They hunt mosquitoes, midges and moths from dusk til dawn.
Pipistrelle Bat
 


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April 22nd 2022
A focal length shift using a zoom lens during a long exposure,
gives an exploding bluebell effect.
Bluebell Explosion
 


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April 21st 2022
A flush of woodland Spring growth.
A woodland trail in Spring, County Cavan, Ireland.
 


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April 20th 2022
Bluebells are at their best here at the moment.
Bluebell
 


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April 19th 2022
The soft melodies of a Willow Warbler merge into the dawn chorus of Spring.
Willow Warbler
 


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April 18th 2022
This Irish Hare showed no fear and moved within 3 meters of my position.
Irish Hare
 


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April 17th 2022
The return of an old friend.
Swallow in flight
 


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April 16th 2022
Robin feeding chicks. (Photographed under a permit from
the National Parks and Wildlife Service).
Robin at the nest (under NPWS permit)
 


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April 15th 2022
Blackbird feeding chicks. (Photographed under a permit from
the National Parks and Wildlife Service).
Blackbird feeding chicks at the nest. (under NPWS permit)
 


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April 14th 2022
Spotted an early Orange Tip Butterfly on the wing.
Orange Tip Butterfly in flight
 


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April 13th 2022
Ring Necked Pheasant in woodland.
Ring Necked Pheasant
 


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April 12th 2022
A Red Fox searches the forest floor for the scent of wood mice. A typical fox can
catch between 3000 and 4000 rats and mice every year, a useful predator to
any grower who has stores of grain, fruit or vegetables to protect.
Red Fox in woodland.
 


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April 11th 2022
Starling returning to the nest with a grub.
Starling in mid flight
 


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April 10th 2022
A Jay searches the forest floor for cached acorns. Any acorns left unfound will gerninate
into saplings.
Jay
 


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April 9th 2022
Growth springing forth.
Unfurling Fern
 


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April 8th 2022
Hedgehog foraging among some rotten logs in native woodland.
Hedgehog
 


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April 7th 2022
A Pied Wagtail.
Pied Wagtail
 


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April 6th 2022
Song Thrush on a territorial song post.
Song Thrush
 


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April 5th 2022
Badger foraging at night. Vaccinating Badgers against bovine Tuberculosis has proven
successful in recent trials.
Badger
 


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April 4th 2022
A Wren sings it's territorial song.
Wren's territorial song.
 


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April 3rd 2022
A Red Fox emerges from the darkness.
Red Fox
 


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April 2nd 2022
A Sunfly warms up on Spruce needles.
Sunfly
 


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April 1st 2022
Standing on top of other people's expensive vehicles makes for
an ideal raised viewing platform. Mercedes and Teslas in particular
have a good solid roof.
B
 






March 31st 2022
A Blackcap, also know as the northern nightingale, has a lovely melodious song.
Usually heard anywhere hedgerows and woodlands are allowed to flourish.
Blackcap
 


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March 30th 2022
Female Kingfisher on one of her favourite fishing perches.
Kingfisher female
 


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March 29th 2022
7-Spot Ladybird on Dandelion. Both species are important, the Ladybird for aphid control
in the garden and the flowers and young leaves of dandelion can be used in salads.
Seven Spot Ladybird
 


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March 28th 2022
A Red Squirrel pauses for a moment in warm Spring sunshine.
Red Squirrel
 


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March 27th 2022
Mallard ducks in flight, moving to a different lake for better feeding.
Wild Mallard Ducks in flight
 


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March 26th 2022
A male Smooth Newt makes his way to a wildlife pond for the breeding season.
Male Smooth Newt on his way to a breeding pond.
 


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March 25th 2022
Ivy berries are a crucial food source for many animals in Spring, like this male Blackcap.
Blackcap feeding on Ivy berries
 


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March 24th 2022
A Meadow Pipit's descending territorial flight. (9 photographs blended into 1)
Meadow Pipit descending flight sequence. (8 images blended together)
 


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March 23rd 2022
A Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly searches for nectar after months of hibernation.
Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly in flight.
 


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March 22nd 2022
A Bumblebee foraging for nectar around Lesser Celandine.
Bumblebee in mid flight.
 


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March 21st 2022
A Collared Dove in Spring sunshine.
Collared Dove
 


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March 20th 2022
A Pied Wagtail hunting bugs.
Pied Wagtail chasing insects
 


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March 19th 2022
A Bumblebee out foraging after months of hibernation.
Bumblebee in mid flight.
 


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March 18th 2022
Rough grazing areas provide excellent cover for Irish Hares to conceal themselves
and to rear young.
Irish Hare
 


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March 17th 2022
The Willow Warbler and the Chiffchaff are the first Spring migrant birds to arrive
in Ireland from Africa. The song of the Chiffchaff is particularly distinctive.
Willow Warbler
 


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March 16th 2022
Irish Hare, born to run.
Irish Hare
 


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March 15th 2022
A Common Buzzard scans the farmland below for a feeding opportunity.
Both live prey and carrion are sought out.
A soaring Common Buzzard
 


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March 14th 2022
A male Reed Bunting on a breezy day by the wildlife pond.
Reed Bunting
 


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March 13th 2022
The Dunnock or Hedge Sparrow.
Dunnock
 


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March 12th 2022
Whooper Swans flying north towards their breeding grounds in Northern Europe and Iceland.
Whooper Swans
 


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March 11th 2022
A Wood Mouse takes advantage of dropped seeds at a bird feeding station.
Nothing goes to waste in Nature.
Wood Mouse
 


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March 10th 2022
The Treecreeper is a true woodland specialist. It's curved beak is perfect
for probing into tree bark crevices for grubs.
Treecreeper
 


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March 9th 2022
A sad reminder of short sighted Forest Service forestry policies is the loss of our once
mighty Ash trees. Imported saplings from Europe brought the Chalara fungus now
manifesting itself as Ash Dieback in our hedgerows and native woodlands.
Ash Tree Silhouette
 


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March 8th 2022
Along with other scavenging birds the Hooded Crow provides a
crucial dead animal waste disposal service in the countryside,
without which, animal diseases would be much more common.
Hooded Crow
 


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March 7th 2022
A Grey Heron flying between frog spawning areas where the feeding
is easy compared to the usual diet of fish.
Grey Heron
 


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March 6th 2022
An Irish Hare in lush Spring pasture.
Irish Hare
 


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March 5th 2022
A Robin fluffs out it's feathers to stay warm on a crisp frosty morning.
Robin
 


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March 4th 2022
A Smooth Newt returns to the same wildlife pond he was born in to breed.
Male Smooth Newt on his way to a breeding pond.
 


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March 3rd 2022
A Common Buzzard soars high on a thermal on a warm, blue skied Spring day.
Common Buzzard
 


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March 2nd 2022
A trio of Common Frogs take a break from the melee of spawning time.
Common Frogs
 


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March 1st 2022
A wildlife pond heaving with mating frogs, there are approximately 300 frogs
at this purpose built pond.
Common Frogs mating.
 


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February 28th 2022
The characterful Long Tailed Tit forages in hyper active small groups
always on the move.
Long Tailed Tit
 


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February 27th 2022
Macro photography (photographing timy subjects) provides infinite possibilites
for photographs without having to travel far. Even here in Ireland there are hundreds
of insect species to photograph like this Green Leafhopper.
Green Leafhopper
 


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February 26th 2022
Red Squirrel staying alert while foraging on the forest floor.
Red Squirrel
 


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February 25th 2022
The Lesser Celandine provides a hit of van Gogh yellow as
Winter starts to yield to Spring.
Lesser Celandine in bloom.
 


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February 24th 2022
Nice to get some snow for some Winter woodland photography.
A
 


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February 23rd 2022
A Common Buzzard just after catching a Hare.
Buzzard feeding on a kill.
 


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February 22nd 2022
A trio of Mallard drakes.
Mallard Drakes
 


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February 21st 2022
A Pine Marten foraging in a wet, dark woodland.
Pine Marten at dusk.
 


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February 20th 2022
Persistent rain allows temporary pools to form in woodland hollows.
Autumnal red oak Leaves on water.
 


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February 19th 2022
Pheasant foraging in Winter.
Ring Necked Pheasant
 


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February 18th 2022
The Goldcrest and it's close relative the Firecrest are Europe's smallest breeding birds,
weighing between 5 and 7 grams.
Goldcrest
 


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February 17th 2022
Dull, overcast days are perfect for experimenting with slow camera shutter settings
and birds in flight. This method produced a blurred abstract representation of a
Rook's flight.
Rook in flight (abstract)
 


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February 16th 2022
A pair of House Sparrows have a drink.
House Sparrows
 


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February 15th 2022
Once Frogs emerge from hibernation, they make their way to a pond
or drainage ditch for the breeding season. The males (pictured) arrive first.
Common Frog
 


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February 14th 2022
Rooks circle over the nests they used last year. This particular rookery
had 37 nests with 109 chicks successfully reared.
Rookery
 


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February 13th 2022
A Kingfisher waits...
Kingfisher
 


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February 12th 2022
The first Frogs are starting to appear in ponds in readiness for the breeding season.
Common Frog.
 


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February 11th 2022
A pair of Mute Swans fly out of the gloom and prepare to land on their
breeding lake.
Mute Swans' approach flight
 


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February 10th 2022
Barnacle Geese taking flight for a fresh grazing area.
Barnacle Geese
 


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February 9th 2022
The humble Wood Mouse is a crucial link in the food chain for woodland and
farmland wildlife. Owls, Hawks, Buzzard, Fox, Pine Marten, Irish Stoat, and Badger
all rely on it.
Wood Mouse
 


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February 8th 2022
Rooks fly past last years nesting trees, deciding whether to re-use
old nests or move to another rookery site.
Rooks in flight
 


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February 7th 2022
Grey Heron at first light.
Grey Heron
 


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February 6th 2022
A Pine Marten scampering through woodland at night.
Pine Marten
 


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February 5th 2022
Badgers clean and groom themselves may times every day,
even when out foraging for food.
Badger cleaning and grooming.
 


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February 4th 2022
A male Bullfinch feeding on the last of the haw berries for this season.
Hedgerows away from roads should be allowed to mature and spread
out some 4 meters each side from thier base. This provides a wildlife
corridor within farmland which is crucial if we want to restore bio diversity
in this part of the world.
Bullfinch
 


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February 3rd 2022
Badger in woodland at night.
Badger
 


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February 2nd 2022
A Harvestman can use hooks on the end of it's legs to prey on smaller invertebrates
than itself.
Harvestman
 


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February 1st 2022
A Pine Marten foraging in woodland at night.
DC (33744)
 


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January 30th 2022
Europe's smallest breeding birds are The Firecrest and The Goldcrest (pictured).
The Goldcrest weighs between 5g and 7g.
Goldcrest
 


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January 29th 2022
On farms where Nature is valued, Meadow Pipits can flourish if herbicides
are not used and mowing of meadows for fodder is restricted to late July /August.
Meadow Pipit
 


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January 28th 2022
Rain drop prisms split light.
Rainbow colours
 


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January 27th 2022
A Little Grebe (or Dabchick) crosses a lake on a calm Winter's morning.

Little Grebe or Dabchick
 


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January 26th 2022
The Plough constellation of stars.

The Plough constellation.
 


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January 25th 2022
An Irish Hare stays alert for any danger when grazing.

Irish Hare
 


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January 24th 2022
A settled spell of weather and lengthening days are a catalyst for birds
like these Grey Wagtails to compete for territory.

Fighting Grey Wagtails
 


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January 23rd 2022
A canvas wall hanging lends itself well to natural history subjects as there is no reflective glass
between the picture and the viewer. A custom made size of any image on this site can be made
to suit all requirements.

DC (19351)
 


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January 22nd 2022
A Badger takes a break from foraging on a Winter's night.
Badger
 


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January 21st 2022
A Dipper waits on one of her favourite rocks before diving underwater
to search the river bed for caddis and mayfly larvae.
Dipper
 


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January 20th 2022
A Fieldfare Thrush forages around crab apple trees for fruit in a native
woodland plantation.
Fieldfare.
 


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January 19th 2022
Famous for it's murmuration flights over Winter roosting sites, the Starling
is also a master mimic. Car alarms, mobile phone ring tones and also the
calls of other animals like Buzzards, Foxes, and song birds are all perfectly
vocalized . It's plumage is also intricately detailed with speckles and iridescence.
Starling
 


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January 18th 2022
Our warming climate means insects like this Mosquito can stay active
during Winter.
Mosquito in mid flight.
 


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January 17th 2022
A Collared Dove in mid flight.
Collared Dove in flight
 


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January 16th 2022
Goldcrests fight for territorial rights on the forest floor.
Goldcrests fighting
 


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January 15th 2022
A Wren in full territorial song.
Wren's territorial song.
 


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January 14th 2022
Male Siskin.
Siskin
 


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January 13th 2022
At this time of year the male Long Eared Owl can be heard after dark. He uses
a single soft "hoot" repeated many times to attract the attention of a female.
Long Eared Owl
 


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January 12th 2022
A Wood Mouse photographed mid leap.
Wood Mouse
 


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January 11th 2022
A female Kingfisher waits in the Winter sunshine for a fish to pass by in the lake shallows below.
Kingfisher
 


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January 10th 2022
A male pheasant shows off his intricately detailed plumage.
pheasant
 


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January 9th 2022
One of my Mother's favourite flowers, The Snowdrop.
Snowdrop
 


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January 8th 2022
A Raven shows off her impressive wing span.
Raven
 


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January 7th 2022
A Badger forages in woodland at night during a flurry of snow..
Badger foraging in winter.
 


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January 6th 2022
By sitting at ground level and staying still, Irish Hares will approach my camera
and me to within 3 meters.
Irish Hare
 


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January 5th 2022
One of the cleverest of all birds, a Hooded Crow surveys her territory
for any feeding opportunities.
Hooded Crow
 


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January 4th 2022
A Kingfisher uses a favourite Willow branch to fish from in the shallows of a lake.
Kingfisher female
 


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January 3rd 2022
The cycles of Nature continue, oblivious to the constraints of clocks, calendars. and
the other whims and follies of human beings.
Common Buzzard on a kill
 


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January 2nd 2022
A Wolf Spider seeks shelter from rain among grass stems.
Small Wolf Spider ( Lycosa pullata)
 


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January 1st 2022
A Treecreeper expertly searches the underside of tree branches for insect grubs.
Treecreeper
 


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December 31st 2021
Perfect weather for mosses these days.
Wavy Hair Moss
 


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December 30th 2021
A Robin on a typical Irish Winter's day.
Robin
 


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December 29th 2021
Wind driven clouds allow rays of sunlight to illuminate the landscape.
Rays of Sunlight
 


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December 28th 2021
A slow camera shutter speed turns a Rook in flight into a blurry abstract image, a
favourite of some picture buyers.
Rook in flight (abstract)
 


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December 27th 2021
The Bufflehead Duck.
Bufflehead Duck
 


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December 24th 2021
Wishing a very Merry Christmas to everyone who is a friend of Nature.
Robin in WInter
 


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December 23rd 2021
A Badger explores a rotten hollow log for grubs. In both natural and commercial woodlands
it's crucially important to leave piles of logs and branches here and there to provide nesting
opportunities for birds and hibernating shelter for mammals, amphibians and insects.
European Badger
 


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December 22nd 2021
The Curlew has one of the most enigmatic bird calls in the countryside. Worryingly
it's getting rarer to hear it every year.
Curlews in flight
 


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December 21st 2021
Today is the most important turning point of the year, The Winter Solstice.
Sunset
 


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December 20th 2021
A Great Crested Grebe after catching a good sized Roach.
Great Crested Grebe catching fish
 


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December 19th 2021
When the weather is mild on long Winter nights, Pipistrelle Bats
emerge to find any midges, moths or mosquitoes that are still active.
Pipistrelle Bats in flight (5 exposures)
 


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December 18th 2021
Male Kestrel hunting over regenerative pasture.
Kestrel
 


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December 17th 2021
The non-native American Mink is still common and widespread causing an imbalance
in the food chain on lake shores and river banks.
American Mink
 


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December 16th 2021
A male Ring Necked Pheasant, scarce on intensively managed farms, plentiful on farms
that work in harmony with nature.
pheasant
 


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December 15th 2021
Absent from this part of Ireland for many many years, the return of the Common Buzzard
(pictured), Raven, Pine Marten and Red Squirrel is solid proof of how Bio-diversity can be restored
if the right habitats are provided by land owners.
Buzzard pair.
 


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December 14th 2021
The Black Snake Millipede at full stretch.
Black Snake Millipede
 


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December 13th 2021
An Irish Hare on rain drenched natural grassland.
Irish Hare
 


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December 12th 2021
A trio of Common Buzzards.
Common Buzzards
 


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December 11th 2021
Ireland's humid, damp, and relatively warm climate means fungi, moulds,
mosses and algae thrive all year round. Pictured is a Orange Spot Fungus.
Orange Spot Fungus
 


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December 10th 2021
Juvenile Kestrel in a Scots Pine tree.
Kestrel (juvenile)
 


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December 9th 2021
As a Winter storm passes through, a break in the clouds allows rays of sunlight to
illuminate a drumlin.
Rays of sunshine on a stormy day.
 


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December 8th 2021
Grey Heron in flight.
Grey Heron in flight.
 


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December 7th 2021
A Common Snipe uses the cover of regenerative rough pasture to stay hidden.
Common Snipe
 


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December 6th 2021
Barnacle Geese in County Sligo.
Barnacle Geese in flight.
 


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December 5th 2021
Red Squirrel in Winter sunshine.
Red Squirrel
 


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December 4th 2021
Irish Stoat and Rabbit at the end of a relentless chase.
Stoat at rabbit kill.
 


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December 3rd 2021
A regular find on the damp forest floor and in compost heaps, the Black Snake
Millipede feeds on decaying organic matter. To protect itself it forms a defensive spiral.
Black Snake Millipede
 


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December 2nd 2021
Wood Mouse foraging in the leaf litter on the forest floor. Small mammals like rats, mice,
voles and shrews are vital links in the food chain. They are especially important food for
foxes, badgers, stoats, pine martens, owls, falcons, hawks and buzzards.
Wood Mouse
 


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December 1st 2021
Even in early Winter the meager warmth from the mid day sun can coax insects like this Sunfly
to fly around.
Sunfly
 


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November 30th 2021
Still find a few clumps of Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum) around.

Herb Robert close-up.
 


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November 29th 2021
A lone tree in a fog at dawn.

A lone tree in the fog at dawn
 


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November 28th 2021
Female Sparrowhawks are large enough to tackle prey like this wood pigeon. the male
Sparrowhawk's smaller size means he is restricted to smaller bird species for a meal.

Sparrowhawk on a kill.
 


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November 27th 2021
Red Squirrel on the forest floor.

Red Squirrel
 


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November 26th 2021
A Red Squirrel in silhouette. When the light isn't favourable. dialing in 2 stops of under exposure
on the camera means you go home with some publishable images. Under-exposing, darkens
shadow areas to black against a background of overcast sky.

Red Squirrel in silhouette
 


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November 25th 2021
A female Blackbird.

Female Blackbird
 


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November 24th 2021
The Sun and clouds.

Rays of Sunlight
 


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November 23rd 2021
The full wing span of a Raven.

Raven
 


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November 22nd 2021
A Grey Wagtail foraging around a cascade on a small stream.

Grey Wagtail
 


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November 21st 2021
Whooper Swans flying in a V formation to reduce drag and prolong
their fat reserves. A very important strategy on their Winter migration
south from Iceland to Ireland.

Whooper Swans
 


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November 20th 2021
The low angle of the Sun in Autumn provides perfect back lighting or side lighting
for birds that have translucent feathers like this Mute Swan.

Mute Swan
 


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November 19th 2021
A mighty Ash tree silhouette.

Ash Tree Silhouette
 


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November 18th 2021
Low stocking rates of hardy breeds of cattle are a perfect tool for creating rough tussocky pasture
which is ideal nesting habitat for ground nesting birds like Snipe (pictured), Skylark, Meadow Pipit,
Lapwing, Pheasant, Grey Partridge, Corncrake and Curlew. Intensive farming techniques like slurry
spreading,land rolling, pasture topping and mowing in Spring and early Summer have devastated
populations of these particular bird species over the last 60 years in Ireland.

Common Snipe
 


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November 17th 2021
During the colder months of the year, Bees (both wild and commercial colonies) keep warm
by huddling together, sometimes vibrating their wings to generate heat.
Honey Bee Swarm
 


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November 16th 2021
Long nights of mild Autumn weather provide an opportunity for Pipistrelle Bats
to feed on insects like Midge, Mosquitoes and Moths.
Pipistrelle Bat
 


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November 15th 2021
Fieldfare feeding on windfall apples. Along with the Redwing, Fieldfares
migrate to Ireland from Scandinavia.
Fieldfare.
 


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November 14th 2021
Newly planted woodlands attract fantastic birds like the Long Eared Owl.
Long Eared Owl (juvenile)
 


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November 13th 2021
Piles of logs and branches left in woodlands and field and garden edges provide
ideal hibernating cover for Frogs, Newts, Hedgehogs and dozens of insect species.
European Frog
 


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November 12th 2021
Just one of hundreds of canvases you can purchase direct from this web site.
DC (19351)
 


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November 11th 2021
A queen Wasp searches for a safe place to hibernate over Winter.
German Wasp in mid flight.
 


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November 10th 2021
Male Siskin in a Scots Pine tree.
Siskin (male)
 


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November 9th 2021
Badger foraging in a hollow log for beetle grubs.
European Badger
 


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November 8th 2021
The foundation of every farm is healthy soil. Earth worms are the architects of this soil structure.
Applying slurry, chemical fertilisers, herbicides, pesticides and the residues of endo-parasite
control cattle doses found in manure all decimate earthworm populations. Regenerative
farming techniques, on the other hand, require no damaging inputs, build soils, sequester
carbon, increases earth worm numbers and increases soil fertility, productivity, and farm profits.
Earth Worm
 


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November 7th 2021
Badger foraging in woodland at night.
Badger
 


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November 6th 2021
Pheasant numbers are currently decreasing due to slurry spreading, pasture topping and mowing during
the nesting season. Natural predation only has a negligible effect on numbers. In locations where
habitats are being restored all ground nesting bird species are increasing.
Ring Necked Pheasant
 


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November 5th 2021
Goldcrest foraging for insects in a Sycamore tree..
Goldcrest
 


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November 4th 2021
Barn Owl.
Barn Owl
 


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November 3rd 2021
Common Buzzard flying low along the ground.
Common Buzzard
 


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November 2nd 2021
The familiar Ring Necked Pheasant originated from Asia. It was introduced to
Ireland by Norman knights in the 1580's.
Ring Necked Pheasant
 


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November 1st 2021
A Smooth Newt leaves it's breeding pond in search of a damp, hidden
place to hibernate. Usually under a log or decaying vegetation in a hedgerow
or woodland.
Smooth Newt and Orange Peel Fungus
 


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October 31st 2021
Unique among passerines, The Dipper can dive under water and forage for
the larvae of caddis fly and mayfly on a river bed.
Dipper
 


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October 30th 2021
The Hooded Crow plays an important waste disposal role in the countryside.
It will consume carrion, preventing the spread of diseases.
Hooded Crow
 


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October 29th 2021
This Autumn the hedgerows are heavily laden with haws, hazel nuts, blackberries, crab apples, sloes,
guelder rose berries and rose hips (pictured). Hedge cutting along roads for traffic safety issues should
be delayed until this harvest of berries has been eaten by birds and mammals. Hedgerows away from
roads should be left Uncut as there is no profitable reason for doing so.
Rose Hips
 


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October 28th 2021
Juvenile Kestrel resting in a Scots Pine tree.
Kestrel (juvenile)
 


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October 27th 2021
Pine Marten foraging on the forest floor.
Pine Marten
 


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October 26th 2021
A Woodland Jay collecting acorns to cache away for Winter.
Woodland Jay
 


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October 25th 2021
Hoverfly in mid flight.
Drone Fly in Flight
 


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October 24th 2021
Orange Spot Fungus, all woodland fungi are crucial to the health of a forest.
Orange Spot Fungus
 


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October 23rd 2021
Lesser Redpoll feeding on Birch tree seeds.
Lesser Redpoll
 


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October 22nd 2021
A male Bullfinch.
Bullfinch (male)
 


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October 21st 2021
A male Sparrowhawk on the forest floor in Autumn light.
Sparrowhawk (male).
 


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October 20th 2021
Ivy flowers in Autumn which provides a crucial source of nectar for pollinators
like this Red Admiral Butterfly. The Ivy then produces it's berries in late Spring,
a crucial food source for birds and mammals.
Red Admiral Butterfly
 


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October 19th 2021
The beak of a Common Buzzard is perfectly adapted for slicing and dicing meat.
Common Buzzard
 


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October 18th 2021
Around now, Hedgehogs will be searching for a secure place to make a
Winter nest. Piles of branches and prunings placed in a heap are ideal for
this. A hibernaculum like will also attract Frogs and Newts to over-winter
in too.
Hedgehog
 


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October 17th 2021
Acorns are time capsules of DNA, perpetuating the adaptations of hundreds
of generations of Oak trees.
Pendunculate Oak Leaves and Acorn.
 


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October 16th 2021
Autumn colour taking hold in native deciduous woodland.
Maple leaves in Autumn
 


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October 15th 2021
Common Hawker Dragonfly on the wing on a sunny Autumn day.
Common Hawker Dragonfly in flight.
 


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October 14th 2021
A Common Buzzard. Head shaking is one of the ways feathers are maintained in good order.
Common Buzzard
 


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October 13th 2021
A Common Buzzard on one of his favourite resting posts.
Common Buzzard
 


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October 12th 2021
A Badger family playing and feeding under the cover of darkness.
Badgers
 


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October 11th 2021
7 Spot Ladybird.
Seven Spot Ladybird
 


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October 10th 2021
Wolf Spider mothers carry their developing young in a waterproof silken pouch.
Wolf Spider
 


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October 9th 2021
Pipistrelle Bat in mid flight.
Pipistrelle Bat
 


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October 8th 2021
An adult Red Deer's antlers can grow at a rate of 1.5 inches per week during peak growth.
Red Deer Stag
 


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October 7th 2021
One of the canvases you can purchase direct from this web site.
DC (19351)
 


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October 6th 2021
Autumnal light catches some fungi on the forest floor.
Autumn light on fungi
 


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October 5th 2021
The Neolithic Calf House Dolmen aka Druid's Alter on County Cavan's Burren.
Wedge Tomb, County Cavan, Ireland.
 


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October 4th 2021
A Wren's territorial song can be heard all year round.
Wren's territorial song.
 


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October 3rd 2021
Red Admiral butterfly on a windfall apple.
Red Admiral Butterfly on rotten windfall apples.
 


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October 2nd 2021
Wet Autumn nights make foraging for worms easy for Badgers..
Their powerful claws and ultra sensitive nose and whiskers make
it easy to find food in complete darkness.
Badger
 


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October 1st 2021
The colours of Autumn are gradually overtaking Summer's greens.
Autumn colours close-up.
 


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September 30th 2021
The broken strand in this Spider's web is the result of a successful fly capture.
Spider's silken web
 


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September 29th 2021
The Funeral Bell fungus (poisonous).
Funeral Bell Fungus.
 


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September 28th 2021
Grey Heron taking flight.
Grey Heron
 


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September 27th 2021
Forest Shield Bugs feed mainly on the sap of Oak, Hazel and Alder trees and
occasionally prey on on other small woodland insects.
Forest Shield Bug
 


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September 26th 2021
Red Squirrel hiding acorns away for Winter.
Red Squirrel caching acorns.
 


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September 25th 2021
Swallows fattening up on the plentiful supply of midges and mosquitoes the
warm start to the Autumn has provided.
Swallows in flight
 


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September 24th 2021
The Snipe Fly, a predatory insect that preys on smaller insects.
Snipe Fly
 


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September 23rd 2021
A Bolete Fungus. For most of the year woodland fungi and trees work together unseen
in the humus layer and deeper in the soil on the forest floor. The filaments and mycelia
of the fungi provide a huge surface area for tree roots to absorb nutrients, while the trees
provide the fungi with dead leaves, twigs, branches and trunks for their food.
Bolette Fungus
 


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September 22nd 2021
The Sickener Fungus. (poisonous)
The Sickener Fungus.
 


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September 21st 2021
Autumn provides a bounty of hedgerow fruit and nuts for Wood mice.
Wood Mouse
 


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September 20th 2021
A Long Eared Owl waits on a favourite perch for an unsuspecting mouse to appear.
Long Eared Owl
 


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September 19th 2021
Common Darter dragonfly. The wildlife pond has attracted 7 species of dragonfly so far.....
Common Darter Dragonfly
 


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September 18th 2021
The Fly Agaric Fungus. (poisonous)
Fly Agaric Fungus.
 


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September 17th 2021
Goldcrest foraging around the seeds of an Ash tree.
Goldcrest
 


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September 16th 2021
Swallows are still gracing our skies with their supreme aerial manoeuvres.
Swallow in flight
 


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September 15th 2021
Red Squirrel in deciduous woodland.
Red Squirrel
 


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September 14th 2021
A Kingfisher usually waits around 10 minutes on a favourite fishing perch
before moving on to the next one if no fish are around.
Kingfisher female
 


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September 13th 2021
A few hours of Autumn sun triggers a Grasshopper to sing it's last song of the year.
Meadow Grasshopper
 


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September 12th 2021
Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly in mid flight.
Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly in flight.
 


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September 11th 2021
Long Eared Owl juvenile in a Hawthorn thicket.
Long Eared Owl Chick
 


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September 10th 2021
A Wolf Spider takes shelter from the rain.
Small Wolf Spider ( Lycosa pullata)
 


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September 9th 2021
Irish Stoat on the scent trail of prey.
Irish Stoat
 


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September 8th 2021
Warm and damp weather conditions are a catalyst for autumn fungi to show themselves
above ground.
Woodland Fungi
 


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September 7th 2021
A celebration of Swallows. (5 images in one)
Swallows in flight
 


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September 6th 2021
Brown Long Eared Bat hunting moths, mosquitoes and midges in woodland.
Brown Long Eared Bat
 


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September 5th 2021
Another ally of the gardener and farmer is the Common Garden Ant or Red Ant.
The ant colony requires thousands of grubs and eggs of garden pests to maintain
itself from one season to the next.
Red Ant
 


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September 4th 2021
Swallows prepare for their arduous migration south. Juveniles in particular
need to have fully developed wing and chest muscles for the long, testing flight.
Swallows
 


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September 3rd 2021
Wasps are useful to gardeners and farmers as they prey on caterpillars that may
damage fruit or vegetables. They also control other larvae that may carry livestock
diseases.
German Wasp in mid flight.
 


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September 2nd 2021
Sedge Warbler feeding to put on condition before it's long migration south.
Sedge Warbler
 


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September 1st 2021
The wonder of water fowl. A pair of Mute Swans take flight.
Mute Swans taking flight
 


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August 31st 2021
Great Crested Grebe feeding her late season family of chicks.
Great Crested Grebe feeding chicks.
 


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August 30th 2021
The curved beak of the Treecreeper is the perfect tool for winkling out grubs
from the cracks in tree bark.
Treecreeper
 


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August 29th 2021
A Collared Dove in mid flight.
Collared Dove in flight
 


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August 28th 2021
While the adult Poplar Hawk Moth does not feed, the caterpillars depend on trees
like Poplar, Willow and Sallow for nourishment.to eventually metamorphose into
one of Ireland's most impressive insects.
Poplar Hawk-moth.
 


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August 27th 2021
A Swallow in flight image is always a good test for any wildlife photographer.
Flight path patterns need careful study. Usually a focal length between 150mm
and 400mm is needed if the flight path is 5m away.
Swallow in mid-flight
 


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August 26th 2021
Leaf hoppers like this juvenile are the main food source for frogs and newts
in natural grasslands. Herbicides, chemical fertilizers and slurry spreading all
disrupt this food chain and ultimately reduce bio diversity on farmland.
Leafhopper juvenile
 


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August 25th 2021
The first mists of Autumn reveal the intricacies of a spider's web and it's architect.
Garden Spider
 


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August 24th 2021
A Kingfisher waits patiently for an unwary fish to pass by.
Kingfisher
 


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August 23rd 2021
Four Spotted Chaser Dragonfly.
Four Spotted Chaser Dragonfly
 


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August 22nd 2021
Compound eyes of the Four Spotted Chaser Dragonfly.
Compound eyes of the Four Spotted Chaser Dragonfly
 


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August 21st 2021
One species of finch, the Reed Bunting nests in rushes that are found on many fields.
Late Summer/Autumn mowing of these rushes will provide good nesting habitat for
Buntings, Snipe, Pheasant, Meadow Pipit, Mallard Duck, Curlew and Skylark next Spring
when the rushes will have regrown.
Reed Bunting
 


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August 20th 2021
Hawthorn Shield Bugs feed mainly on haw berries of the Hawthorn aka the Whitethorn.
Hawthorn Shield Bug
 


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August 19th 2021
A man made wildlife pond can attract shy bird species like this Water Rail.
Water Rail
 


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August 18th 2021
A close up photograph showing the carpel of Rosebay Willowherb aka Fireweed
Rosebay Willowherb Close-up
 


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August 17th 2021
Common Frog on a decomposing log. Leaving piles of branches and logs in woodlands
and hedgerows is a simple way of providing places of refuge for small animals. These
log piles are also ideal for hibernating animals over Winter.

European Frog
 


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August 16th 2021
Irish Hare surrounded by the lush growth of Summer.
Irish Hare
 


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August 15th 2021
Common Hawker Dragonfly waiting for the day to warm up by a wildlife pond.
Common Hawker Dragonfly
 


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August 14th 2021
Blue Tailed Damselfly photographed in mid flight.
Blue Tailed damselfly in flight
 


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August 13th 2021
The large compound eyes of a Damselfly are mainly used for sensing the motion
of their small insect prey. The much smaller "simple" eyes, located on the middle
of the head, are thought to be used for detecting ultra violet light, landmarks and
sun position.
Azure Damselfly compound eyes
 


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August 12th 2021
Brown Hawker Dragonfly laying her eggs in soft mud on a lake shore.
Brown Hawker Dragonfly laying her eggs in damp soil.
 


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August 11th 2021
Emerald Damselfly photographed in mid flight.
Emerald Damselfly in flight
 


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August 10th 2021
Irish Hare running at speed through natural grassland.
Irish Hare
 


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August 9th 2021
Great Crested Grebes pair bonding.
Great Crested Grebes pair bonding.
 


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August 8th 2021
A herbicide free garden means that Hedgehogs can roam around eating slugs
and snails without the risk of being poisoned.
Hedgehog
 


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August 7th 2021
Summer rains provide Life giving, sweet, fresh water after a dry spell.
Dew drops on grass
 


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August 6th 2021
On dull days, flying insects like this Damselfly are lethargic and relatively easy to
approach for a portrait.
Azure Damselfly
 


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August 5th 2021
Swallows will try and rear a third brood before flying south in October.
A plentiful supply of flying insects for another 6 weeks is crucial for success.
Swallow at the nest (under NPWS permit)
 


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August 4th 2021
The Ichneumon Wasp lays it's eggs on or near other insects.Once they hatch
they feed on the insect. The adult stage (seen here) feeds on nectar.
Ichneumon Wasp
 


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August 3rd 2021
Every once in a while a Grasshopper doesn't hop and a photographer and get up close.
Meadow Grasshopper
 


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August 2nd 2021
Brown Long Eared Bat hunting in deciduous woodland.
Brown Long Eared Bat
 


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August 1st 2021
An Irish Hare falls prey to a Common Buzzard.
This particular food chain has just 3 links: Grasses/Herbs < Irish Hare < Common Buzzard
Other food chains are a lot more complex. Allowing these processes to flourish, by protecting
and restoring habitats, is of utmost importance here in Ireland and globally.


Buzzard feeding on a kill.
 


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July 31st 2021
In the tree tops, a Red Squirrel pauses for a moment.
Red Squirrel
 


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July 30th 2021
A Horse Fly bites........
Horse Fly or Cleg biting into human skin.
 


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July 29th 2021
Peacock Butterfly nectar feeding on Knapweed.
Peacock Butterfly on Knapweed.
 


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July 28th 2021
Ireland's only recorded species of jumping spider, the Zebra Jumping Spider.

Zebra Jumping Spider
 


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July 27th 2021
Common Hawker Dragonfly in flight.

Common Hawker Dragonfly in mid flight.
 


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July 26th 2021
Pollinators come in all shapes and forms in the world of insects.

Hedgerow Insect nectar feeding.
 


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July 25th 2021
Hot Summer weather triggers dragonflies (in this case Four Spotted Chasers) to court
and breed in the reed bed margins of a purpose built wildlife pond.

Four Spotted Chaser Dragonflies
 


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July 24th 2021
Song Thrush at daybreak.
Song Thrush
 


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July 23rd 2021
Silver Washed Fritillary Butterfly nectar feeding from Knapweed
Silver Washed Butterfly on Knapweed
 


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July 22nd 2021
Irish Hare occasionally cool off in woodland during hot Summer days.

Irish Hare in woodland
 


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July 21st 2021
By rubbing it's outer wing and a comb like structure on it's leg together, the Grasshopper
produces one of the quintessential sounds of Summer.
Grasshopper
 


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July 20th 2021
Spotted Flycatcher after catching a wasp to feed to it's chicks.
Spotted Flycatcher with a wasp.
 


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July 19th 2021
A Kingfisher's splendid plumage.

Kingfisher
 


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July 18th 2021
The large forward facing eyes of the Zebra Jumping Spider are finely tuned motion
detectors, ideal for capturing the fast moving prey the spider hunts.

Zebra Jumping Spider
 


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July 17th 2021
The Horse Fly or Cleg is well known for it's painful bite. The patterns on the eyes
allow the fly to sense different wavelengths of light.
Horse Fly or Cleg
 


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July 16th 2021
Red Fox cub running through the long grass of Summer.
Red Fox
 


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July 15th 2021
A Four Spotted Chaser Dragonfly adult just after hatching out from it's larval stage.
Note the larval skin left behind on the lower stem.
Four Spotted Dragonfly just after emerging from Nymph skin.
 


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July 14th 2021
Roach fry (juvenile fish) enjoying some warm surface water.
Roach Fry
 


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July 13th 2021
Brown Long Eared Bat hunting Mosquitoes.
Brown Long Eared Bat hunting mosquitoes.
 


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July 12th 2021
Mute Swan family on a peaceful Summer's evening.
Mute Swan family.
 


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July 11th 2021
Caterpillar of the Elephant Hawk Moth, so called because the caterpillar bares a slight resemblance
to an elephant's trunk.
Caterpillar of the Elephant Hawk Moth (Deilephila elpenor)
 


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July 10th 2021
Brown Long Eared Bat hunting among Oak trees.
Brown Long Eared Bat
 


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July 9th 2021
Yellow Flag Iris. By shooting into the light at sunset, familiar flowers can reveal
unusual forms.
Yellow Flag Iris.
 


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July 8th 2021
A Female Banded Demoiselle rests among grass by a river bank.
Banded Demoiselle Damselfly (female)
 


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July 7th 2021
The Ringlet Butterfly is similar to the Speckled Wood butterfly except its eye spots
are more subtle and sometimes the antennae has a red tip.
Ringlet Butterfly
 


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July 6th 2021
Mute Swan family, cygnets sometimes hitch a ride on a parents back for
safety against predators like pike or mink.

Mute Swan Family, County Cavan, Ireland.
 


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July 5th 2021
An American Mink uses reed beds as cover to ambush prey. They are a constant threat
to waterfowl populations since they escaped or were irresponsibly released from fur farms
in the 1960s.

American Mink
 


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July 4th 2021
The Treecreeper is a woodland specialist, relying entirely on tree bark to find it's food, nest
and rear its young.
Treecreeper
 


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July 3rd 2021
Summer time and the livin' is easy, a Badger relaxes in woodland and has a good scratch.
Badger having a scratch
 


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July 2nd 2021
Spotted Orchids photographed at night fall in a hay meadow. Mowing for hay
should be delayed until mid July to allow flowers like these to set seed and
also to avoid destroying the nests and eggs of any late ground nesting birds.
Common Spotted Orchids.
 


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July 1st 2021
Spotted Flycatcher feeding her chicks just a few days after leaving the nest.

Spotted Flycatcher feeding chicks.
 


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June 30th 2021
Acrobat of the woods, Sciurus vulgaris, The Red Squirrel.
Red Squirrel
 


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June 29th 2021
Brown hawker Dragonflies are relentless hunters on warm sunny days. Their main prey are midge flies,
mosquitoes, damselflies etc. When they catch a large insect they'll land somewhere to process the meal.
This is the observers chance to get a close up view of them.
Brown Hawker Dragonfly in flight
 


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June 28th 2021
The Forest Shield bug.
Forest Shield Bug
 


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June 27th 2021
An Irish Hare retreats to leafy deciduous woodland on a hot Summer's day to cool off.
Irish Hare in woodland
 


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June 26th 2021
Narrow Bordered 5 Spot Burnet Moth on Vetch
Narrow Bordered 5 Spot Burnet Moth
 


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June 25th 2021
A Wood Mouse takes shelter from a whole day of Summer rain.
Wood Mouse
 


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June 24th 2021
A Sparrowhawk rests high in the tree tops after a successful hunt.
Sparrowhawk in woodland.
 


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June 23rd 2021
A Great Crested Grebe after catching a good sized Roach.
Great Crested Grebe catching fish
 


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June 22nd 2021
Red Fox cub out exploring on a Summer's evening.
Red Fox cub
 


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June 21st 2021
On the longest day and the shortest night, a Hedgehog forages in woodland.
Leaving large piles of branches and twigs here and there in woodlands and large
gardens will provide sanctuary for Hedgehogs and other animal to rear their young
and to hibernate in, in Winter.
Hedgehog
 


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June 20th 2021
Common Buzzard guarding its kill.
Buzzard feeding on a kill.
 


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June 19th 2021
The Banded Demoiselle damselfly, a jewel among aquatic insects.
Banded Demoiselle Damselfly
 


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June 18th 2021
A welcome sight in any kind of garden in Summer, the 7 Spot Ladybird is a voracious
predator of aphids and other mini bugs.

Seven Spot Ladybird
 


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June 17th 2021
Red Squirrel scampering through the trees in a deciduous woodland.
Red Squirrel
 


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June 16th 2021
Ichneumon Wasp, a useful ally for the gardener and farmer.
Ichneumon Wasp
 


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June 15th 2021
The Brown Long eared Bat can catch hundreds of insects, e.g. mosquitoes, in just one night.

Brown Long Eared Bat
 


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June 14th 2021
Common Blue Damselflies mating.
Mating Damselflies.
 


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June 13th 2021
Willow Warbler collecting insect larvae for its chicks.
Willow Warbler
 


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June 12th 2021
Swallows compete for a feather, in mid air, to use as nesting material.
Rival Swallows compete for a feather to use for nesting.
 


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June 11th 2021
The Irish Stoat (Mustela erminea hibernica). A determined, hyper active little predator, native to
Ireland and very successful at controlling rodent numbers.
Irish Stoat
 


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June 10th 2021
The age old battle of Robin Vs Earthworm.
Robin and Earthworm.
 


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June 9th 2021
Common Frog staying cool in a purpose built wildlife pond.
Common Frog
 


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June 8th 2021
Numerous species of beetles (like this Dock Leaf Beetle) have iridescent colours.
probably used as a camouflage against predators.
Green Dock Leaf Beetle
 


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June 7th 2021
Mute Swan family.
Mute Swan Family, County Cavan, Ireland.
 


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June 6th 2021
An Ichneumon Wasp closes in on a Sawfly larvae.
Ichneumon Wasp sizing up a sawfly larvae.
 


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June 5th 2021
A Spotted Flycatcher has lightning fast reflexes, allowing it to snatch insects
from mid air. Here, this female has caught a Wasp.
Spotted Flycatcher with a wasp.
 


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June 4th 2021
The last of the Mayfly hatch for this year on my local stretch of river.
Mayfly
 


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June 3rd 2021
The Hairy Dragonfly is the first of the hawker dragonflies to emerge from
ponds and lakes in early Summer.
Hairy Dragonfly
 


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June 2nd 2021
House Martin in flight.
House Martin in flight
 


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June 1st 2021
Swifts are supreme fliers, they can feed, sleep and mate while flying. Nesting time
forces them to land at a wall cavity, usually on an old building. Here they form a shallow
nest and rear their young. This is the only stage of their lives they use their short legs
to shuffle around the nest.
Swifts in flight.
 


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May 31st 2021
An Irish Hare uses the increasingly widespread Soft Rush as cover from birds of prey.
While this cover is also used by ground nesting birds, a cover of Soft Rush exceeding
30%, or there abouts, has negative effects on plant diversity in meadows and pasture.
Control measures using herbicide should be avoided. Instead a combination of grazing
and multiple mowings (between late Summer and late Winter) should be used to reduce
the density of the Soft Rush, thereby allowing other meadow/pasture plants to flourish.

Irish Hare
 


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May 30th 2021
Hairy Dragonfly layng eggs.
 

The first of the larger hawker dragonflies to be on the wing in early summer, it follows they are
also the first to breed, here a female lays her eggs on vegetation in the shallows of a small lake.


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May 29th 2021
Carder Bees nectar feeding on Vetch flowers.
Carder Bees in mid flight.
 


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May 28th 2021
A Red Fox fixes its gaze on a Wood Mouse in the undergrowth. It has been estimated
that a Red Fox eats between 2000 and 4000 mice and rats every year on average
farmland habitat.
Red Fox
 


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May 27th 2021
Mayfly hatching out. Watercourses passing through farmland are crucial
to all aquatic life. For this reason agri-schemes like GLAS, AEOS and REPS
are essential to keep lakes, rivers and streams healthy. This approach to
growing our food needs to expand exponentially by subsidizing farmers
to produce meat and crops in harmony with Nature, using techniques
like Permaculture, Agro-Forestry, Organics and large scale composting.
Hatching Mayfly
 


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May 26th 2021
Bullfinch feeding on the seeds of Wych Elm.
Bullfinch feeding on Wych Elm
 


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May 25th 2021
Red Squirrel in the tree tops searching for food.
Red Squirrel
 


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May 24th 2021
Grey Heron in flight showing its full wing span.
Grey Heron
 


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May 23rd 2021
A Coal Tit collects caterpillars and other insects to feed its hungry brood.
Coal Tit
 


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May 22nd 2021
Bumblebee collecting pollen from buttercups in herbicide free pasture.
The Bumblebee and the Buttercup
 


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May 21st 2021
A Swallow skims the surface of a wildlife pond on a warm Spring day.
Swallow over water.
 


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May 20th 2021
Green Veined White butterfly in mid flight over Cuckoo flowers.
Green Veined White Butterfly in mid flight.
 


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May 19th 2021
A Green Veined White butterfly, in a meadow of Cuckoo flowers, in search of nectar.
Green veined white butterfly in flight
 


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May 18th 2021
An Orange Tip Butterfly approaches Herb Robert to sip nectar.
Orange Tip Butterfly
 


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May 16th 2021
Ivy berries, the only fruit available to birds in Spring. In Autumn, the Ivy flowers
are a crucial nectar source for insects like Butterflies and Bees before Winter.
Blackbird feeding on Ivy berries.
 


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May 16th 2021
A shoal of Perch fry in the shallows of a lake enjoy some warm Spring sunshine.
A shoal of young Perch
 


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May 15th 2021
Red Squirrel upward bound.
Red Squirrel
 


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May 14th 2021
A male Cuckoo uses an electricity supply cable as a prominent calling perch.
Cuckoo
 


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May 13th 2021
The Maybug or Cockchafer Beetle belongs to the Scarab family of beetles. On warm
May nights their noisy flight is easily heard as they are attracted to gardens by house
lights.
Cockchafer Beetle
 


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May 12th 2021
The Speckled Wood Butterfly is one of the more common brown butterflies,
seen here in mid flight.
Speckled Wood Butterfly in flight.
 


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May 11th 2021
A new born Irish Hare (or Leveret) stays hidden in the grass, awaiting the return
of its mother to suckle.
Irish Hare leveret
 


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May 10th 2021
A woodland trail in Spring.
Woodland trail in spring
 


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May 9th 2021
A Starling returns with food for her young.
Starling
 


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May 8th 2021
Spring sunshine shows off the fresh greens and blues of a small woodland.
Spring sunlight in an Irish wood.
 


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May 7th 2021
A Stonechat on May blossom in bottomland habitat.
Stonechat male
 


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May 6th 2021
A male Cuckoo uses its distinctive call to attract females and to claim
a territory for the Summer.
Cuckoo
 


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May 5th 2021
Red Fox foraging in the middle of the night.
Red Fox foraging in woodland at night.
 


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May 4th 2021
The Red Ant, commonly found in gardens is another natural ally for the
fruit & veg grower. They regularly prey on small caterpillars, aphids and
other grubs.
Red Ant
 


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May 2nd 2021
An Irish Hare keeps low, as it travels through fresh Spring pasture.
Irish Hare
 


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May 1st 2021
Hedgehog out and about at dusk searching for snails and earthworms
in the garden.
Hedgehog
 






April 29th 2021
Bluebells are in full bloom at the moment, always a joy to see a display
of them in deciduous woodland bathed in Spring light.
Bluebell
 





April 28th 2021
Badger having a rest and a scratch while out foraging in woodland.
Recent vaccination programs on Badgers against bovine Tb have
proved successful, which means there is now no reason to cull Badgers
for a disease which is mostly spread by the agriculture sector itself.

Badger
 


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April 27th 2021
A Carder Bee visiting woodland Bluebells to sip nectar. Dandelion, Vetches,
Hedge Parsley, Daisies and the other common Spring flowers are all vital
for insect and bird populations and should not be mowed or sprayed with
herbicide.
Bluebells and Bumblebee
 




April 26th 2021
Always on the move, and the smallest bird in Europe, the Goldcrest
is always a good test of skill at small bird photography.
Goldcrest
 





April 25th 2021
The caterpillar of the Drinker moth climbs a Cuckoo flower aka Lady's Smock.
These particular kinds of caterpillars are a favourite food of Cuckoos once they
arrive back in Ireland on their Spring migration
Drinker Moth Caterpillar on a Cuckoo Flower
 





April 24th 2021
The Hawthorn Fly aka St. Mark's Fly, only found on the wing at this time of year.
Hawthorn Fly or St. Mark's Fly
 





April 23rd 2021
This particular Swallow likes to dive bomb me anytime i'm doing chores
around the hay barn.
Swallow in mid-flight
 





April 22nd 2021
A Bumblebee zeros in on a Bluebell to sip nectar.
Bumblebee in mid flight.
 





April 20th 2021
As the season gets a little warmer, emerging moths provide food
for Pipistrelle Bats to feast on.
Pipistrelle Bat
 





April 19th 2021
A Kingfisher waits to dive onto an unsuspecting fish on Derryhoo Lake.
Kingfisher
 




April 18th 2021
This photography business is powered by renewable means.
A micro Wind and Solar station powers the cameras, printer and
computer via a power bank. Old car batteries store power from the
wind/solar setup to supplement the power bank on dull, calm days.

300 Watt Wind Turbine and 335 Watt Solar Panel
IMG 20210416 193554
 




April 18th 2021
With climbing agility second only to the Red Squirrel, the Pine Marten
will raid the nests of Hooded Crows and Magpies, thereby
controlling their numbers.
Pine Marten
 




April 17th 2021
Zebra Jumping Spiders prefer south facing walls that get plenty of sunshine.
Zebra Jumping Spider
 




April 16th 2021
Bluebell in soft Spring light.
Bluebells
 




April 15th 2021
The Plough constellation of stars (the streak is a shooting star).
The Plough constellation.
 




April 14th 2021
Seen the first Swallow of the year on the holding, always noteworthy.
Swallow in flight
 




April 13th 2021
Starling returning with in mid flight.
Starling in mid flight
 





April 12th 2021
A recent waxing crescent moon.
Crescent Moon
 




April 11th 2021
An Orb Web Spider rests on a Lesser Celandine flower.
An Orb Web Spider
 





April 10th 2021
Collared Dove surrounded by emerging leaves.
Collared Dove
 





April 8th 2021
Irish Hare patrolling it's territory.
Irish Hare
 




April 6th 2021
The Blackcap aka the northern nightingale is another warbler with a lovely
melodious song. This one is a male, the female has a reddish brown cap
Blackcap. (male)
 




April 4th 2021
The Warblers are the first migrant birds to return from warmer countries to
Ireland in early Spring. Here, a Willow Warbler sings its territorial song to
attract a mate.
Willow Warbler
 




April 2nd 2021
Broad Nosed Weevil resting on a lawn daisy.
Broad Nosed Weevil
 




March 31st 2021
Pine Marten out on a nocturnal forage for food.
Pine Marten
 




March 29th 2021
A pair of Great Crested Grebes participate in a parallel swimming ritual as part
of their courtship in the lead up to breeding.
A pair of Great Crested Grebes
 




March 27th 2021
A slow shutter speed on the camera transforms a Rook in flight into...... something else.
Rook in flight (abstract)
 




March 25th 2021

Male and Female House Sparrows quenching their thirst from a farmyard puddle.
House Sparrows
 




March 23rd 2021

A Badger relaxing in woodland during a nocturnal forage.
European Badger resting.
 




March 21st 2021

Goldcrests battle over territory in a frenzied urge to breed and build a nest.
Goldcrests fighting
 




March 19th 2021

Bumblebee approaching Lesser Celandine to feed on nectar and pollen.
Bumblebee in mid flight.
 





March 17th 2021

Irish Hares chase one another, competing for mates and territory.
Irish Hares
 




March 15th 2021
During the Frog breeding season in ponds, finding a mate can turn into
a wrestling match involving dozens of individuals.

Frogs at Spawning time.
 

Frogs at Spawning time
 





March 13th 2021
Some customers prefer canvas over gloss/lustre prints because of the
non- reflective natural texture of cotton canvas.

Kingfisher on canvas.
DC (19351)
 






March 11th 2021
Rooks circle over a rookery of 35 nests. The forest floor below has a thick layer
of nesting material dropped by the Rooks which will eventually decompose and
nourish the surrounding trees and undergrowth.

Woodland Rookery
Rookery
 



March 9th 2021
The Lesser Celandine is the first crucial nectar source for Bees in Spring.

Bumblebee approach flight to Lesser Celandine.
Bumblebee in mid flight.
 



March 7th 2021
Red Deer stags shed their antlers in early Spring. Antlers can then regrow
at a rate of 1 inch per day in readiness for the Autumn rut.

Red Deer Stag
Red Deer Stag
 



March 5th 2021
The Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax) is a honey bee mimic. It is usually the first
of the buzzing insects to be seen in Spring. It's flying abilities are second to
none, being able to fly not only forwards at great speed, but also backwards
and upside down to defend it's airspace territory. Drone flies are also
crucially important pollinators.

Drone Flies in mid flight.
Drone Fly in Flight
 
Drone Fly in mid flight.
 




March 3rd 2021

Smooth Newt on it's way to a breeding pond.
Male Smooth Newt on his way to a breeding pond.
 




March 1st 2021

Female Sparrowhawk after a successful hunt.
On the menu today? Wood Pigeon.
Female Sparrowhawk at a kill
 



February 26th 2021
Breeding season is in full swing for Common Frogs in ponds and drainage ditches.
At this pond they numbered 250-300 individuals.

Common Frogs (Rana temporaria)
Common Frogs mating.
 



February 24th 2021
Territorial birdsong in late Winter / early Spring fills the dawn air, none more so than
the shrill penetrating vocal attack of the Wren.

Wren singing at full volume.
Wren's territorial song.
 



February 22nd 2021

Male pheasant in his breeding plumage.
Ring Necked Pheasant
 




February 19th 2021
During mild spells of weather in Winter (10°C +) Hedgehogs emerge from
hibernation nests to forage for earth worms and slugs.

Hedgehog in it's defensive ball of spines pose.
Hedgehog
 



February 16th 2021
Common Frog on it's way to a purpose built wildlife pond to breed.

Leaping Frog
Common Frog
 





February 14th 2021
Blackbirds are approachable to within 3 meters when temperatures drop below freezing,
a good opportunity to scatter some food and observe just how much leaf litter on
the forest floor they can turn over in a few hours.

Male Blackbird
Blackbird (male)
 



February 8th 2021
Badgers love play-fighting with each other. The vocal sounds they make while doing so are
raccoon-like.

Badgers having a wrestle.
Badgers play fighting.
 




February 5th 2021
The wedge-shaped tail and larger size distinguish the Raven from other crow species.
Even though the crow family of birds occasionally predate other birds, their role as scavengers
and consumers of carrion is crucial to all the different habitats they live in. Scientific researchers
also report that crows are highly intelligent and are adept at problem solving experiments.

Under no circumstances should crows be considered vermin. For gamekeepers and bird
conservationists who wish to increase numbers of ground nesting birds or endangered birds,
an exponential increase of ground cover, trees and shrubs on farmland is the solution.

Raven
Raven
 





February 3rd 2021
A male Wolf Spider takes shelter from the rain among blades of grass.

Wolf Spider (Lycosa pullata)
Small Wolf Spider ( Lycosa pullata)
 




January 31st 2021
The flight call of a Raven is one of the most enigmatic Winter sounds. Rival male birds
can be seen competing for mates and territories high in the sky.

Raven
 



January 29th 2021
A typical Winter's day in Ireland, 76% humidity, 10°C with a light breeze
and intermittent rainfall.

Dew drops on grass
 




January 26th 2021

The ever colourful Goldfinch puts in an appearance at the bird feeders.
Goldfinch.
 



January 23th 2021

Badger out foraging at night in falling snow.
Badger in Wnter
 




January 20th 2021

Irish Hare keeping watch for danger and for other hares.
Irish Hare
 



January 17th 2021

Male Siskin in attack mode at the bird feeders.
Siskin (male)
 



January 13th 2021
Noticed the first Snowdrops in flower in the garden.

Snowdrop
Snowdrop
 




January 11th 2021
While doing the annual pruning and shaping of the 50,000+ native deciduous trees,
i've found hundreds of 7 Spot Ladybirds and caterpillars of the Drinker Moth taking
shelter on the trunks/main stems of the trees.

7 Spot Ladybird
Seven Spot Ladybird
 

Caterpillar of the Drinker Moth (photo taken last Spring)
Drinker Moth Caterpillar
 



January 8th 2021
With the ground hardened by frost, feeding birds daily with household scraps, fat left
over from cooking, sunflower seeds, peanuts and WATER etc. is a welcome distraction
during these days of pandemic travel and movement restrictions.

Robin
Robin in WInter
 



January 5th 2021
Fantastic sunrises and sunsets during this frosty spell of weather.
Silhouetted tree
 




January 2nd 2021

A Common Frog surfaces on a wildlife pond, subsequent sightings revealed female
frogs laden with eggs, a sure sign of the promise of renewal.
Common Frog.
 



December 30th 2020
Fieldfare foraging on windfall apples in an orchard. These bruised fruit were especially left
on the ground after the apple harvest for birds to feed on.
Redwing, Blackcap, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Jay and Mistle Thrush also benefit.

Fieldfare
Fieldfare.
 



December 27th 2020
A male Bullfinch punctuates a leafless hedgerow with colour on a grey Winter's day.
Bullfinch (male)
 




December 24th 2020

Red Fox during some proper Winter weather from a few years ago.
Red Fox in Winter
 




December 21st 2020
The Winter Solstice is the starting point for the unfurling of longer days and the promise of
renewal in Spring. Logic would say that it should be regarded as New Years day, instead we
seem content to persist with the perpetual burden that is the gregorian calendar.

Buckler Fern
Unfurling Fern
 




December 18th 2020
With the mild weather we get over Winter, earth worms are an easy bird food to collect to
add to a bird table or window box. A compost heap in particular will provide easy picking.

Robin doing battle with an earth worm.
Robin and Earthworm.
 





December 15th 2020

Mosses are the foundation plants of our Bog lands. Our Bogs are just as important as native Oak
woodlands or wildflower meadows. They provide breeding habitat for many threatened birds and
invertebrates, they are a very effective carbon sink and prevent flooding by releasing their surplus
water slowly during periods of heavy rainfall.

A Bogland Moss
Wavy Hair Moss
 







December 12th 2020
The pheasant isn't a native bird to Ireland, having been introduced by the Normans in the 1500s
as a game/prey bird for falconers. It is now a familiar sight in areas where they aren't over hunted.

A male Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
Ring Necked Pheasant
 


December 9th 2020
Beekeepers around Ireland have been reporting that the Summer of 2020 has been one of the
worst in living memory. Honey Bee colonies struggled to store away enough honey to feed
themselves over the Winter. My bee hives have followed this trend, so i'm feeding them a
syrup (2 cups of water plus 1kg of caster sugar mix per hive once weekly).

Honey Bees
Honey Bee Swarm
 




December 6th 2020
A nice frosty morning makes a nice backdrop for small bird photography.

Robin
Robin in Winter.
 



December 4th 2020
Decent light and a close encounter with Sciurus vulgaris.

Red Squirrel portrait.
Red Squirrel
 



December 2nd 2020

Some lovely sky colour at sunrise and sunset at his time of year.
Sunset
 



November 28th 2020
No decent light to capture colour today so opted for silhouetting this Red Squirrel instead.

Red Squirrel feeding on Spruce cones
Red Squirrel in silhouette
 




November 26th 2020
A male Sparrowhawk lands on the forest floor after a failed attack on a flock
of Siskins. The male is considerably smaller then the female Sparrowhawk.
The largest bird he can hunt is a Blackbird whereas the female can tackle
a large wood pigeon.

Male Sparrowhawk.
Sparrowhawk (male).
 




November 23rd 2020
Spider's silk is another marvel of Nature. It has a higher tensile strength than steel,
is also waterproof and is anti microbial.

Web belonging to the Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus)
Spider's silken web
 




November 20th 2020
Pine Martens can give birth during any season, even though breeding takes place in Spring,
a process known as delayed implantation means development of fertilized eggs in the female
can be timed to coincide with an abundance of food.

A pair of Pine Martens
Pine Martens.
 



November 17th 2020
Despite our technological advances over the last few centuries, self propelled flight is a
uniquely true marvel of nature.

Grey Heron in flight.
Grey Heron
 

Brown Hawker Dragonfly in flight
Brown Hawker Dragonfly in flight
 

Pipistrelle Bat in flight
Pipistrelle Bat
 




November 15th 2020
The absence of any significant frost so far this late Autumn/early Winter means there are plenty of
insects like midge and hoverfly still around for birds to feed on, just watch either Pied Wagtail or
Grey Wagtail in your garden or local park to observe them hunting.

Pied Wagtail hunting insects over a typical garden lawn.
Pied Wagtail chasing insects
 




November 12th 2020
As the abundance of hedgerow fruit starts to disappear, Badgers turn their attention back
to the forest floor in search of earth worms, slugs, snails, centipedes, wood lice, millipedes,
ground beetles, acorns, beech nuts.....

Badger foraging on a mild November night.
Badger in Autumn
 





November 9th 2020
River specialist the Dipper can be found on flowing water, constantly diving
under the surface to find the larvae of caddis fly, mayfly and damselfly.

The Dipper
Dipper
 




November 6th 2020

Red Squirrel feasting on Beech nuts.
Red Squirrel
 




November 3rd 2020
Autumn's palette is impossible to ignore. Each tree species has a week or 10 days of peak colour.
It's just a case of waiting for the right light before tripping the shutter.

Maple Leaves
Maple leaves in Autumn
 

Cherry Leaves
Autumn light on Cherry leaves
 

Beech Leaves
Autumn's palette.
 




October 31st 2020
Winter visitors to Cavan include the Whooper Swans which arrive from their main breeding grounds in Iceland.
They can be distinguished from Bewick's Swans by having less black and more yellow colouration on the beak.

Whooper Swans in flight
Whooper Swans
 




October 28th 2020
Nature photography in Ireland offers many lighting challenges to anybody trying to make a decent picture.
Our maritime climate means we get plenty of low cloud cover shading our subjects. Fill flash is an
option but most animals will disappear after the first frame is exposed. A more passive option is to shoot
silhouettes. You have to isolate your subject against the sky, water body or distant hillside for best results.

Parus caeruleus silhouetted.
Blue Tit (silhouette)
 




October 25th 2020
A juvenile Kestrel waits in a Scots Pine tree, patiently scanning an area of long grass for
an unsuspecting Wood Mouse or Shrew to pounce on.

Kestrel (juvenile)
 




October 22nd 2020
The Fieldfare Thrush is a Winter visitor from Scandinavia. The milder climate in Ireland,
combined with the availability of hedgerow fruit and orchard fruit, attracts large flocks.
Redwing Thrushes can also be seen along side Fieldfares.

Fieldfare foraging for Orchard fruit.
Fieldfare
 



October 19th 2020
The territorial song of the Wren can be heard all year round. The distinctive high pitched "trilling"
sound has evolved so it can be easily heard by rivals and potential mates among dense vegetation.

Wren
Wren
 



October 16th 2020
Many Butterfly species rely on decaying windfall apples for food just before they hibernate for
Winter. A good reason not to tidy away fallen fruits, leaves and plants in our gardens
and orchards. Instead we should focus on picking up plastics and other man-made litter.


Red Admiral Butterfly feeding on a rotten windfall apple.
Red Admiral Butterfly on rotten windfall apples.
 





October 13th 2020
Apodemus sylvaticus aka The Wood Mouse is the main food source for Owls and Kestrels in this area.
Leaving areas of grass uncut for long periods of time attracts these mice,along with other small mammals
like Pygmy Shrews, to set up home. The seeds from mature grasses and "weeds" helps to boost their
numbers to a level where a healthy population of birds of prey can be sustained.

The Wood Mouse.
Wood Mouse
 


Long Eared Owl
Long Eared Owl
 


Kestrel
Kestrel
 





October 10th 2020
Female Sparrowhawks can tackle birds as large as a wood pigeon. Once caught the prey
is plucked of all the feathers and is occasionally decapitated.

Female Sparrowhawk after a successful hunt.
Sparrowhawk on a kill.
 




October 7th 2020
Silken cobweb traps are easy to find at the moment, they seem to be everywhere. There are
many spider species that use silk to catch prey. One of the largest in Ireland is the European
Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus) which can grow up to 20mm long.

Garden Spider in her silken web.
Garden Spider
 





October 4th 2020
The omnivorous diet of Badgers means they can easily put on some Winter weight by gorging on
berries, nuts, invertebrates, carrion and any unsuspecting mouse or rat.

Badger out and about foraging at dusk.
Badger
 




October 1st 2020
Nectar from Ivy flowers is the last reliable food source of the year for Honey Bees,and many species
of Hover flies, Butterflies and Moths. The Ivy's unusual life cycle (flowers in Autumn, berries in Spring)
also make it a life saver for birds after a long Winter.

Red Admiral Butterfly approaching Ivy flowers to sip nectar.
Red Admiral Butterfly
 




September 28th 2020
The dampness of Autumn is producing a good flush of fungi of all varieties at the moment. Fungi
work in partnership with trees to complete the nutrient cycle which produces a rich humus layer
on the forest floor. Nothing goes to waste in woodlands, a lesson for our consumerist society to
learn from.

Woodland fungi.
Woodland Fungi
 




September 25th 2020
Buzzards are now a fairly common sight in this area, just 15 years ago there were none whatsoever.
If we de-intensify our impact on Nature it will repay our good will with both bio-diversity and food
abundance (if we use Permaculture principles like composting and mulching to grow grass and crops).

Common Buzzards.
Common Buzzards.
 




September 22nd 2020
Light and darkness are in equilibrium today as the point of Autumn Equinox (4:30pm approximately)
occurs. A distinct shift in animal and plant behaviour can be observed over the next few weeks, testament
to the fact that Nature is in a constant state of fluctuation.

Autumn light on a Mute Swan.
Mute Swan
 





September 20th 2020
Wild animals provide services most of us take for granted. Bats consume large quantities
of mosquitoes and midges which reduce the risk of blood borne infections and pathogens
being transmitted to humans.

Brown Long Eared Bat hunting a Mosquito
Brown Long Eared Bat hunting mosquitoes.
 




September 18th 2020
Most of the Swallows here around the barns and farmyard have departed for their migration south.
Just 3 days ago there were still well developed chicks in a nest, these too have taken flight.

Swallows play-fighting in mid air.
Duelling Swallows
 




September 15th 2020
Great Crested Grebes are found all year round on Cavan lakes. Their success rate at
catching fish in this lake is approximately 1 catch in 3 attempts. This good sized Roach
will be swallowed whole.

Great Crested Grebe just after surfacing with a Roach.
Great Crested Grebe catching fish
 




September 12th 2020
Planting native trees like Birch and Alder can provide a huge cache of seeds for birds like
Siskin, Lesser Redpoll, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Linnet, Chaffinch, and Bullfinch to feed on
over the Winter. This is much more sustainable than importing Peanuts and Nyger seed
from abroad.

Today there were 250 to 300 Siskins and Lesser Redpolls feeding on Birch trees planted
just 5 years ago.

Lesser Redpoll
Lesser Redpoll
 


Lesser Redpoll feeding on Birch seed.
Lesser Redpoll
 




September 9th 2020
Irish Hare (Lepus timidus hibernicus) out in the Autumn rain. Contrary to popular belief
Irish Hares have been known to breed in all seasons.

Irish Hare
Irish Hare
 





September 6th 2020
Although hedge cutting is legal between September 1st and February 28th there is still
the matter of protecting the huge volume of berries and nuts that many animals depend on
for Winter fattening and caching. Something to think about before phoning the hedge cutting
contractor.

Blackbird feeding on berries.
Blackbird feeding on Ivy berries.
 




September 3rd 2020
Fungi and mushrooms are plentiful in early autumn.
The Funeral Bell fungus is definitely NOT for eating!

Funeral Bell fungus (Galerina marginata)
Funeral Bell Fungus.
 




August 31st 2020
Swallow numbers are high this time of year now that this year's chicks are flying around with the same
skill and confidence as their parents. Their upcoming migration to Africa takes approximately 6 weeks
to complete so they're fueling up on insects now for the first stages of this journey.

Swallow hunting insects over a wildlife pond.
Barn Swallow over water
 




August 28th 2020
Red Squirrels rely on a wide variety of nuts to fuel their manic arboreal life style. Pine nuts, Acorns,
Beech nuts, Hazel Nuts etc. In this image, Walnuts are the nut of the day. Fungi, berries and eggs are
also eaten when opportunities arise.

Red Squirrel in a Walnut tree planted by the forester Justin Good in County Cavan.
Red Squirrel
 




August 25th 2020
The current wet spell of weather makes for ideal foraging conditions for Badgers. The soft moist
soil makes it easy for them to locate and snaffle up earthworms, slugs and snails etc.

Badger out foraging on a wet night.
Badger
 





August 22nd 2020
In Ireland pollinators add €53,000,000 to the economy every year by visiting crops like apple trees,
clover in pasture, strawberries, oilseed rape etc.

On a global scale they contribute €154 billion euro!!

Bumblebees are one of our most familiar pollinators but there are hundreds of other species in Ireland too.
September/October is the best time sow wildflowers or other insect friendly plants for next Spring.

Bumblebees
Bumblebees in flight. (multi layered image).
 






August 19th 2020
The Emerald Green Damselfly is a smaller relative of the more familiar Dragonflies. Their metallic
colours and delicate anatomy make them very photogenic. To photograph them in flight took many
attempts over the last few weeks, resulting in the image below.

Emerald Green Damselfly in flight.
Emerald Damselfly in flight
 



August 18th 2020
The Brown Hawker Dragonfly is quite common to see in late Summer. Their habit of flying
at speed along hedgerows, field margins, lake shores and river banks trying to flush out other
insects is fascinating to watch.

Brown Hawker Dragonfly
Brown Hawker Dragonfly
 



August 15th 2020
Newly established deciduous woodlands are providing sanctuary for all kinds of animals.
Here, a Long Eared Owl sub-adult settles down in a new territory of Alder and Birch trees.
This kind of habitat will provide plenty of prey like, Wood Mice, Frogs, Earthworms, and
Pygmy Shrews.

Juvenile Long Eared Owl.
Long Eared Owl (juvenile)
 





August 12th 2020
Smooth Newts can be seen surfacing on ponds on warm Summer days when water oxygen levels
are low. The Newt is one three amphibians to be found in ireland, the others being the Common Frog
and the less common Natterjack Toad.

Smooth Newt
Male Smooth Newt on his way to a breeding pond.
 




August 9th 2020
One of seven species of Corvid to be found in Ireland the Jay is a woodland specialist. They are responsible
for establishing new generations of Oak trees by caching acorns throughout the countryside. Any acorns that
don't get eaten during the Winter will germinate the following Spring.

Jay on the forest floor.
Jay
 




August 6th 2020
Honey Bees establish new colonies when a new Queen leaves the old hive or tree cavity, bringing an
entourage of worker bees with her, and explores a new location for a home to lay her own eggs and
produce the next generation of pollinators. This happens during the Summer months.

A Honey Bee returns to the protection of the swarm
Honey Bee returning to the Swarm.
 




August 3rd 2020
Badgers have an omnivorous diet, they'll try carrion, eggs, earthworms, slugs and snails, berries, nuts,
bumblebee honeycomb and grubs, ants, rats and mice and the occasional hedgehog.

Badger exploring a hollow log for grubs
European Badger
 




July 31st 2020
Macro photography has infinite potential for images regardless of location, weather conditions, lighting,
or subject availability. There are details, colours and textures to observe at high magnifications which
can always make an interesting photograph.

Dew drops on a blade of grass
Dew drops on grass
 




July 28th 2020
Like all the Hawk Moth species the Poplar Haw Moth is an impressive insect. It's caterpillars feed on the
leaves of Poplar, Willow, and Sallow trees. The adults can be seen from May to August and have a wing
span of 65-90mm.

Poplar Hawk Moth.
Poplar Hawk-moth.
 


Poplar Hawk Moth in mid-flight.
Poplar Hawkmoth in mid flight.
 



July 25th 2020
Nature photography spans many photographic disciplines, from long exposure captures minutes long
to high speed action shots that last a mere 1/40,000th of a second, to macro photography, to blurry abstracts,
to behavioural documentary style photos, to name a few. The common denominators between all these are
practice and perseverance.
"Why bother?" people frequently ask. The reason is this: spending time in the company of wild creatures
offers contentment and freedom from the trappings of modernity, and occasionally a satisfying picture gets made.

Grey Wagtail on a fast flowing river
Grey Wagtail
 




July 22nd 2020
If insects are plentiful enough Swallows can rear 2 or 3 broods over the course of one Summer.
The increasing use of herbicides and pesticides in mono-cultural intensive farming is putting
populations of insects, birds and wild plants at enormous risk. Once one link in the relationship
between plants, insects and larger animals is broken, the food producing sector in this country
will be on it's knees.

Swallow returning to the nest with food for her second brood of chicks.



July 20th 2020
One of the more impressive butterflies to see in late Summer is the Silver Washed Fritillary.
With a wingspan of 70-75mm it's the largest of the fritillaries to be found in Ireland. They are
mostly associated with woodlands.The eggs are laid in bark crevices on trees in August.
The caterpillars depend on Violets to thrive and reach the metamorphosis stage.

Silver Washed Fritillary Butterfly
Silver Washed Fritillary on Watermint.
 





July 17th 2020
The Brown Long Eared Bat is an expert hunter of mosquitoes, midges and moths. It's large
ears are super-sensitive to insect wing beats. In complete darkness they use echo location
to zero in on their target. Their eye sight is also very good.

Brown Long Eared Bat in flight.
Brown Long Eared Bat
 





July 14th 2020
The Banded Demoiselle damselfly is a jewel among insects, usually found flitting along river banks
and lake shores on warm Summer days.

Female Banded Demoiselle damselfly
Banded Demoiselle Damselfly (female)
 




July 11th 2020
As afforestation has increased slightly over the last number of years, so has the numbers of Long Eared Owls.
In Spring the calls of the Male and Female can be heard in the middle of the night. In Summer it's the
calls of the chicks you're most likely to hear usually an hour or so after dark. The chicks are dependent on their
parents for a few months after they leave the nest, it's at this time they can be found waiting to get fed sometimes
close to farmyards and gardens

Long Eared Owl Chick
Long Eared Owl Chick
 





July 7th 2020
Metamorphosis among insects and amphibians is still one of nature's most profound magic tricks.
Here, a Four Spotted Chaser Dragonfly has just emerged from it's larval skin. It takes 2-3 years
underwater for the dragonfly larva to grow and reach this stage. This final part of it's life will last just
a few weeks where it will find a mate and perpetuate the cycle and any tiny trait changes in it's evolution.

Four Spotted Chaser Dragonfly emergence.
Four Spotted Dragonfly just after emerging from Nymph skin.
 




July 4th 2020
A regular on garden bird feeders, the blue tit is a colourful little character. Very useful to the gardener too,
as it can collect up to 1000 caterpillars per day when there are chicks to be fed.

Blue Tit in mid flight.
Blue Tit
 




June 30th 2020
There are crucial reasons for leaving some fields and meadows un-mowed until late summer.
Providing ground cover for this year's generation of birds, mammals and insects is just one way of restoring
vitality and diversity back to the countryside after 50 years of Government backed intensive farming.
Lower stocking rates of hardier livestock breeds would also reduce the need for silage making and pasture
topping, using late Summer haymaking for fodder instead. Also late Summer haymaking helps the
dispersal of wildflower seeds for the following year.

Grasshopper
Grasshopper
 


Irish Hare using long grass for cover.
Irish Hare in a wildflower meadow
 


Common Snipe using long grass to nest in.
Common Snipe
 


Peacock Butterfly on Knapweed flowers in a hay meadow.
Peacock Butterfly on Knapweed
 





June 27th 2020
The recent return of the Pine Marten has resulted in some balance being restored to woodland and
farmland habitats. Grey Squirrel, rats and mice are commonly eaten by the Pine Marten. Eggs and chicks
from Magpie and Hooded Crow nests are also eaten, mainly because these nests are easily spotted and
are no problem for the tree-climbing loving Pine Marten to reach.

Pine Marten climbing towards a Magpie nest
Pine Marten
 





June 24th 2020
A recent addition to the wildlife pond is the Water Rail. A secretive bird related to the Corncrake,
Moorhen and Coot. It spends much of it's time foraging among dense reed beds, occasionally
giving away it's presence with a loud screeching call.

Water Rail
Water Rail
 


Water Rail chick.
Water Rail chick.
 





Summer Solstice 2020
On this the longest day, the circle of life and death continues. In this instance, life continues for
another day for an Ichneumon Wasp but death is inevitable for a Sawfly Larvae.

Ichneumon Wasp stalking a Sawfly Larvae
Ichneumon Wasp sizing up a sawfly larvae.
 





June 18th 2020
There are 3 dragonfly species on the wing these days around the wildlife pond.
The Hairy Dragonfly (aka The May Hawker), the Brown Hawker and the Four Spotted
Chaser. A small garden wildlife pond will attract these species, definitely a worthwhile
project.

The Four Spotted Chaser Dragonfly
Four Spotted Chaser Dragonfly
 




June 15th 2020
Wildflowers provide two sources of food for insects, nectar and pollen. Pollen
is high in protein, so a lot of insects collect it to feed to their developing young
back at the nest. Nectar is consumed to fuel flight and foraging activity.

Bumblebee collecting Buttercup nectar and pollen.
Bumblebee on Creeping Buttercup
 





June 12th 2020
On blue sky days the dappled canopy light that woodlands offer is great for spot lighting subjects.
Of course whether a manic arboreal specialist like the Red Squirrel chooses to pause on a well
lit tree branch is just pure chance.

Red Squirrel
Red Squirrel
 







June 8th 2020
Intensive farming techniques are having devastating effects on numbers of farmland birds like the
Meadow Pipit, Lapwing, Curlew and Skylark. Mowing for fodder, pasture topping and slurry spreading in
Spring/early Summer all destroy nests, eggs and young birds which have just left the nest.

The solution is both simple and more profitable: keep livestock breeds that are smaller, hardier and
require less Winter housing and less intensive management of pasture during Spring and Summer

The songs and calls of Skylark, Curlew, and Corncrake are now mainly present in the memories of our parents
and grandparents, a shameful legacy if ever there was one.

Meadow Pipit descending flight.
Meadow Pipit descending flight sequence. (8 images blended together)
 






June 6th 2020
At just 7mm long the Zebra Spider is Ireland's only native species of jumping spider. Instead of spinning
a web of silk, it actively hunts it's prey by a combination of pouncing and pure speed to chase it down. It is
commonly found on south facing exterior walls on warm, sunny days.


Zebra Spider
Zebra Jumping Spider
 


Zebra Jumping Spider
 






June 2nd 2020
An alternative approach to photographing familiar animals is to concentrate on form instead of colour.
Shooting into the light at sunrise or sunset, rim-lights the subject, emphasizing the form and darkening
out any feather detail or colour.

Kingfisher
Kingfisher
 





May 28th 2020
Red Squirrels are expanding their range in County Cavan and elsewhere mainly due
to increased levels of afforestation. They particularly thrive where tree species like Oak,
Scots Pine, Hazel, Elm, Beech, Birch, Alder, Cherry, Crab Apple, Sweet Chestnut, and
Lime are planted.
Continuous Cover Forestry practices are best, to provide stable diverse woodland habitat
over hundreds of years.
Mono-cultural planting of commercial species like Spruce only have a minor short term
positive impact on diversity for the first 15 years after planting. These trees are then completely
removed for processing after 35 to 40 years causing upheaval to any wildlife that is present.

Red Squirrel in an Ash tree.
Red Squirrel
 






May 22nd 2020
From time to time newspapers buy my photographs for articles about nature and environmental
issues. One noteworthy article was in The Guardian newspaper written by none other than Brian May,
the famed guitarist with Queen, who is also an astronomer and badger welfare campaigner.

Read the article here:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/aug/26/badger-cull-bovine-tuberculosis-tb

Badgers foraging in woodland.
Badger pair
 




May 21st 2020
Lake dwelling Kingfishers are difficult to get close to compared to Kingfishers on rivers. This image
took 2 weeks of careful planning. I kept my distance at about 30 meters to minimise disturbance and
used a silent shutter function on the camera.

Female Kingfisher on a fishing perch.
Kingfisher female
 



May 17th 2020
The first chicks of the season need constant feeding, in the case of the Spotted Flycatcher this means
plenty of mosquitoes, midges and other insects that the flycatcher snatches from mid air.

Spotted Flycatcher feeding chicks.
Spotted Flycatcher feeding chicks.
 



May 13th 2020
In Spring, Bumblebees depend on all the well known flowers like bluebells, dandelion, cuckoo flower, lesser
celandine, ramsons, garlic mustard, herb robert and buttercup. All these provide nectar and pollen to nourish
the next generation of bees. Leaving a border or a small patch of garden lawn un-mowed is a simple and
effective way of helping out our pollinators.

The Bumblebee and the Bluebell
Bumblebee in mid flight.
 





May 10th 2020

Green Veined White Butterfly in flight among Cuckoo flowers in a hay meadow where no
herbicides or chemical fertilizers are used. The hay is harvested in July/August when farmland
birds like Meadow Pipit, Snipe, Reed Bunting, Lapwing, Curlew and Pheasant have finished nesting
and the wild flowers have gone to seed.

Green Veined White Butterfly among Cuckoo flowers.
Green Veined White Butterfly in mid flight.
 





May 5th 2020
Swallows regularly compete to snatch any feathers caught on the breeze to line their nests.

Swallows
Rival Swallows compete for a feather to use for nesting.
 




April 22nd 2020
Every photographer has their favourite subject to photograph, mine is the Irish Hare.
Fast, hardy and always alert, this lagomorph is born to run.

Irish Hare
Irish Hare
 





April 15th 2020
There is quite a lot of debate in the photography community about DSLRs versus Mirrorless.
From using both over the last few seasons, both systems have their advantages. For wildlife
photography, the silent shutter on the mirrorless cameras is a game changer. The ability to
photograph an animal without any noise from the camera is non-intrusive to animal behaviour
(something we should all strive for) and consequentially will increase the number and variety
of keeper images.




April 4th 2020
Covid 19 movement restrictions means photography has been limited to the garden for the last while.
For variety of subject matter, macro photography is king when shooting in the same location day after day.
Invertebrates come in all shapes, colours and patterns and require just as much patience and respect to
photograph as any larger animal.

Female Wolf Spider
Wolf Spider
 


Nectar feeding bug.
Hedgerow Insect nectar feeding.
 







March 22nd 2020
The Spring Equinox time of year is always a huge turning point for wildlife photography. Opportunities
for photographs suddenly quadruple as animal behaviour goes into overdrive and there's 12 hours plus
of daylight to work with. This year i intend to adopt an opportunistic approach rather than set image goals.
The main tool i'll be using for this is the Sigma Sport 150-600 zoom telephoto lens which is a lot more
versatile and just as sharp as the Canon 600mm f4 i used to have.



March 10th 2020
Cleaned out all the bird nest boxes of any damp or dirty nesting material from last year. This should help
prevent any parasites from annoying the new born chicks this Spring. The leaves of Wild Garlic and
Lords and Ladies can be seen on the forest floor. I collected some garlic leaf tips for cooking with.
They also freeze well for use later on in the year.


February 28th 2020
Saturated soil, high water tables, flooded lakes and rivers, have offered up some photo opportunities.
Pike can be seen spawning in the shallows of lakes and rivers. Frogs and Newts are also breeding.
By using a home made Pole-Cam, i'm hoping to get close enough to capture some of this behaviour.




February 16th 2020
Just some of the prep work required before things get really busy: All lenses fully serviced and
cleaned, camera sensors cleaned, focusing rail cleaned and oiled, tripods cleaned and greased, high
speed insect capture rig readjusted and refined. Rucksack, camo netting, boots and jackets cleaned and
water proofed with bees wax, waders, hides and canoe patched up and repaired.



February 8th 2020
Storm Brendan and Storm Ciara have adversely effected photography projects over the last few weeks.
Reduced animal activity and poor lighting conditions meant i made just a few stock images over the whole
month. However Spring is just around the corner, bringing new opportunities for photographs of both plants
and animals.


January 4th 2020
It's been just 12 days since the Winter Solstice and there's the slightest lengthening of daylight hours,
mostly noticeable in the evenings. Territorial birdsong from Robin, Wren, Great Tit and Wood Pigeon can be
heard just before darkness falls each evening. Rook and Jackdaw are already circling and investigating their
nests from last year.


December 4th 2019
The long nights of Winter are an opportunity to photograph nocturnal foragers going about their business.
The leaf litter on the forest floor provides plenty of grubs, beetles, millipedes, centipedes etc. for omnivorous
mammals like Badger and Pine Marten. While the surrounding fields provides only a few feeding opportunities,
native woodlands sustain animals of all kinds over the four seasons.

Badger
Badger
 


Pine Marten
Pine Marten
 







November 4th 2019
At 5 grams in weight and just 9cm from beak to tail, the Goldcrest is the smallest breeding bird in Europe.
Like all the small birds they have a fast paced lifestyle and are always a fun challenge to photograph. A
shutter speed of 1/500s, a telephoto lens of at least 400mm at a range of 5 meters are required to get a decent
portrait type image. At dusk, while packing up after a Goldcrest session, a juvenile Pine Marten made an appearance
close to the bird feeding station, attracted by some spilled peanuts. A reminder that Pine Marten are omnivores,
with berries and invertebrates making up a good proportion of their diet.

Goldcrest
Goldcrest
 


Goldcrest
Goldcrest
 


Goldcrest
Goldcrest
 


Pine Marten
Pine Marten at dusk.
 



October 3rd 2019
Early mornings by a local lake proved productive over the last few weeks. Autumn light diffused
by mist and fog is ideal for landscape images and also softens shadows and highlights for
wildlife photography.

Red Squirrel.
Red Squirrel
 


Waning Moon during the morning blue hour.
Waning Mood during the blue hour.
 


Mute Swans taking flight.
Mute Swans taking flight
 


Mallard Ducks at sunrise.
Mallard Ducks at sunrise.
 








September 8th 2019
This month i have been mostly photographing Badgers, Butterflies, and Great Crested Grebes to help out a
nature charity with their information panel for their reserve.

Great Crested Grebe feeding chicks.
Great Crested Grebe feeding chicks.
 


Peacock Butterfly
Peacock Butterfly on Knapweed.
 


Badger
Badger
 


Silver Washed Fritillary Butterfly
Silver Washed Fritillary on Watermint.
 







August 9th 2019
Kingfisher, Red Fox, Silver Washed Fritillary, Painted Lady Butterfly, Brown Hawker Dragonfly and Reed Bunting
featured in this month's projects.



Red Fox pup
Red Fox cub
 


Kingfisher female
Kingfisher female
 


Brown Hawker Dragonfly in flight
Brown Hawker Dragonfly in flight
 


Silver Washed Fritillary Butterfly
Silver Washed Fritillary
 


Painted Lady Butterfly
Painted Lady Butterfly on Knapweed
 


Reed Bunting female
Reed Bunting female
 





July 30th 2019
At this time of year young Sparrowhawks can be heard in woodlands, begging unrelentingly for food from the parents.
Here, the larger female returns with some prey. She perched in an Ash tree right over my head and looked quite exhausted
after the hunt.

Sparrowhawk female
Sparrowhawk in woodland.
 


Sparrowhawk female
Sparrowhawk in woodland.
 





July 5th 2019
High Summer provides a huge variety of subject matter to photograph. However, the lure of hay making, gardening,
camping trips, fishing, and swimming can easily distract.


Soldier Beetle
Soldier Beetle
 


Pine Marten
Pine Marten
 



Poplar Hawkmoth
Poplar Hawk-moth.
 



Hedgehog
Hedgehog
 



Garden Spider



Green Dock Leaf Beetle
Green Dock Leaf Beetle
 






June 13th 2019
A casual wander for an hour or so on a Summer's evening provided an image harvest of
many different species. Most were this years progeny taking their first flight/steps in the world.


Sunset light on a juvenile Wren
Wren
 



Speckled Wood Butterfly
Speckled Wood Butterfly
 



Swallows in flight
Swallows in flight
 



A soaring Common Buzzard
A soaring Common Buzzard
 









May 29th 2019
Fighting over territory, pairing up, home making and constant foraging, all the typical activities of Spring
are represented in images from the last few weeks.


Fighting Grey Wagtails
Fighting Grey Wagtails
 



Great Crested Grebes
A pair of Great Crested Grebes
 



Wood Mouse
Wood Mouse
 



Bullfinch feeding on Wych Elm blossom.
Bullfinch feeding on Wych Elm
 









May 7th 2019
Huge swarms of the Hawthorn Fly were evident this last week. Perfect subject matter to practice
2x-5x macro shooting with modified flash reflectors and diffusers. Also made some "landscapey"
type images which yielded a few wall art sales.

A leafless Ash tree silhouette
Leafless Ash Tree
 




Hawthorn Fly aka St Mark's Fly
Hawthorn Fly or St. Mark's Fly
 




Sun rays.
Rays of Sunlight
 








April 15th 2019
Delighted to see the first of "my" swallows arrive back on Spring migration from Africa yesterday to claim her roost.
A lot of people admire them and are happy to welcome them into their sheds and outbuildings.
For folks who dislike their nesting habits, a securely placed 2ft square board or plastic sheet under a nest will prevent
droppings falling on vehicles, floors, tools etc.

Swallow in mid-flight
 







March 30th 2019
In order to make the viewer appreciate the wonder of nature, sometimes it's necessary to abstractify a subject,
which will hopefully encourage him/her to ponder over the photograph for a little bit longer. In this instance, instead
of freezing the wing beats of a Rook in flight i used a slow shutter speed to show the movement of the wing beats and
of the whole bird as it moves through the air. See 4 examples below.

Rooks in flight (abstract)
 


Rook in flight (abstract)
 


Rook in flight (abstract)
 


Rook in flight (abstract)
 








March 19th 2019
Gusting gale force winds and heavy rainfall meant my image output was well below average so far this
month. Aside from camera trapping, photography activity was confined to servicing lenses, cleaning
camera sensors, backing up files etc. Hopefully the Spring Equinox will bring a change to the weather
pattern.....







February 27th 2019
This month i've been experimenting again with a super telephoto lens, this time using it to make stitched panoramas.
As the frogs at the wildlife pond are in spawning mode, i took 7 vertical images, panning across the scene.
Keeping the same exposure settings for each, i then stitched them all together in post processing. Using this
technique gives me a large file, which in turn means i can make a professional grade panoramic print some
10ft wide for my clients, an ideal wall space filler in an office, business or gallery.

Breeding Frogs Panoramic
Spawning Frogs panorama.
 








January 24th 2019
Using a telephoto lens of 400mm focal length or longer takes a lot of practice to get right. They are heavy (6kg in my case)
and have a very narrow field of view which makes framing and composing images of fast moving animals a challenge.
Big lens practice has been the main occupation this month resulting in a few useful stock images.

Kestrel
Kestrel
 


Whooper Swans
Whooper Swans
 


Long Tailed Tit
Long Tailed Tit
 


Curlew
Curlews in flight
 








December 31st 2018
Pine Marten and Badger featured the most in my work over the last month. For nocturnal mammals
the long mild nights offer plenty of time to forage and mark territory boundaries. By setting my camera
up on regularly used trails i managed to make some publishable images.


Pine Marten
Pine Marten
 


Badger


Pine Marten
Pine Marten
 







November 24th 2018
Winter offers many opportunities for nature photographs. Migrant birds from the far north suddenly
appear, resident animals are more approachable and the light is relatively pollen free and diffused.
As long nights draw in, i build campfires and cook food in order to stay out as long as possible.
Badger, Wood Pigeon, Red Fox, Fieldfare, Redwing, and Whooper Swan have been subjects so far.

Red Fox
Red Fox in woodland.
 


Wood Pigeon
Woodpigeon.
 


Red Fox
Red Fox in woodland.
 







October 27th 2018
Multiple attempts over 3 years and finally a low angle Red Fox image in woodland habitat at night in Autumn.
In Autumn and Winter a fox's coat grows a lot thicker to keep warm, also making it more photogenic. Foxes
are omnivores which means they eat fruit and some plants as well as small animals. Their usefulness at
controlling rodent numbers is greatly unappreciated in Ireland.

Red Fox
Red Fox foraging in woodland at night.
 









September 26th 2018
Changing weather patterns have both frustrated and aided this months photography. The race is on to build up
fat reserves for many animals while food is plentiful. This extra activity by a wide variety of species means using
all the different techniques i've learnt over the years . Subjects photographed so far include, Badger, Treecreeper,
Devil's Coach Horse Beetle, Wood Mouse, Mute Swans, Centipede, and a few species of tiny Micro moths.


Treecreeper
Treecreeper
 


Mute Swans' approach flight
Mute Swans' approach flight
 


Badger on the move
Badger on the move.
 








August 31st 2018
Decaying orchard windfall fruit attracting butterflies and other insects provided some macro subjects over the last few days,
also had close encounters with Raven and juvenile Sparrowhawk. The latter attempting to capture a Kingfisher over open
water on a small lake, unfortunately the attack was too far away for a useful image. Species photographed this month include Red admiral Butterfly, Green Veined White Butterfly, Raven, Red Squirrel, and Bullfinch.


Red Admiral Butterfly on rotten windfall apple.
Red Admiral Butterfly on rotten windfall apples.
 


Green Veined White Butterfly on Water Mint
Green Veined White Butterfly on Water Mint
 


Red Admiral Butterfly on rotten windfall apple
Red Admiral butterfly on a rotten windfall apple.
 


Raven
Raven
 







July 27th 2018
High Summer is my main season for insect photography. There are hundreds of species to choose from at this time of year in the Cavan area. Extreme macro, normal macro and insect in flight photography techniques take plenty of practice before even average photographs can be achieved. So I've spent many days by the wildlife pond, by hedgerows, field margins and woodland edges to make publishable photographs of Brown Hawker Dragonfly, Azure Damselfly, Soldier Beetle, Sexton Beetle, Green Leaf Hopper, Horse Fly, and Four Spotted Chaser Dragonfly, to name some of them.

Brown Hawker Dragonfly
Brown Hawker Dragonfly
 


Horse Fly compound eyes
Horse Fly compound eyes
 



Four Spotted Chaser Dragonfly
Four Spotted Chaser Dragonfly
 



Compound Eyes of a Dragonfly
Compound eyes of the Four Spotted Chaser Dragonfly
 














May 24th 2018
Initial test images from the diy underwater housing look promising, clear water and good light over the coming months will hopefully produce some useful pictures.

Subjects photographed so far this Spring include: Fulmar, Gannet, Great Skua, Greater Black Backed Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Herring Gull, Black Guillemot, Green Dock Leaf Beetle, Spotted Flycatcher, Bullfinch, a Rookery, Carder Bee, Zebra Jumping Spider, St. Marks Fly, Red Ant, Bluebells, Treecreeper, Badger, Collared Dove, Bird Cherry, Swallow, Hooded Crow, and Goldcrest. See some samples below.

Bluebells
Bluebells
 


Treecreeper
Treecreeper
 


Zebra Jumping Spider
Zebra Jumping Spider
 


Great Skua at sea
Great Skua
 




March 23rd 2018
Currently making an underwater dslr camera housing for photographing freshwater fish.

Also getting to grips with large format photography using a 6cm x 17cm panoramic 120 roll film back on a 4x5 field camera. Image turnaround with this system will be approximately 20 images per year. Looking forward to shooting landscapes on film where resolutions of 150 megapixels can be acquired from the scanned film, suitable for detailed panoramic prints 4.5 meters long and 1.5 meter wide.

The nocturnal woodland mammals project continues, usually get 3 or 4 publishable images every week, here's some examples:

Red Fox in Winter
 

Badger pair.
 



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