Ireland's wildlife logo.

Featured

Garden Bird Nestbox Resources

Blue tit approaching a nest box

After feeding our garden birds, the next best way we can help them is to provide them with safe sites to nest and bring up their young. On this page we’ve gathered some links and resources to help you provide nest boxes for your garden birds. Why provide nest-boxes for….

Doogee S96 Pro: an ideal rugged smartphone for outdoor enthusiasts

Doogee S96Pro Rugged Smartphone Review

Pros: great spec, performance and battery life for the money in a phone that’s built to survive more extreme conditions than you can. The Doogee S96 Pro will take all the punishment you throw at it and emerge unscathed, offering surprising peace of mind. Cons: screen resolution lower than most….

Swarovski Optik NL Pure 10×42 Binocular Review

Swarovski Optik NL Pure 10x42 Binocular Review

Pros: The best binocular I have ever used: period. Exquisite ergonomics, incredible image clarity across the field of view… and what a field of view. The NL Pure takes immersive viewing to a whole new level. Cons: Slight detectable seam in the rubber armour where it meets on the inside of the….

Make your garden bird-friendly

In this guest post Tony Manhart, founder and editor-in-chief at Gardening Dream, shares his tips for making your garden more bird-friendly. Whether young or old, many people enjoy birdwatching. It can be a relaxing way to pass the time, and it is interesting to learn about the different birds that….

Vanguard VEO ED 10×42 Binocular Review

Pros: Excellent entry level ED binocular that ticks a lot of the right boxes for birders and wildlife enthusiasts. Lightweight, with reasonable field of view for a 10x binocular, the VEO ED delivers sharp high-contrast images. Great blend of high-end features at a very reasonable price point. Cons: Focus is….

Sofirn SP40 Headlamp Review

Pros: Convenient, lightweight and robust headlight with four very useful brightness levels. 1,200 Lumen “Turbo” mode ludicrously bright. Convenient recharging via micro-USB. 3000mAh 18650 battery included. Magnetic base makes for a convenient and versatile work-light when detached from the head-strap. Wide beam pattern ideal for headlamp and use and general….

Humpback Whale Catalogue breaches 100 animal milestone

Humpback whale off Ireland's Wild South Coast

The Irish Whale And Dolphin Group’s (IWDG) Humpback Whale Catalogue has broken the 100 individual milestone. On the 20 July IWDG researcher Nick Masset photographed two new Humpback Whales off the coast of West Kerry, and HBIRL#100 and HBIRL#101 took their respective places in the photo ID catalogue that documents….

The hidden life of rivers

Earlier this year, in the midst of lockdown, Ireland’s Wildlife Contributor Albert Nolan took his children to a river near his home to explore its hidden wildlife. We took the short trip to Toorenbrien Bridge, careful not to stray over our allotted 2km lockdown radius. Here there is a large….

Irish eagle numbers boosted

Irish White Tailed Eagle Population Boost

Ten new White-tailed Eagle chicks arrived in Ireland from Norway last week to bolster population numbers as Phase II of the ongoing White-tailed Eagle reintroduction programme got underway. The ambitious reintroduction programme, a joint initiative between the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and the Golden Eagle Trust, began with….

Live White-tailed Eagle Webcam

White-tailed eagle live webcam

Thanks to the National Parks and Wildlife service we can now follow the intrigues and antics of the white-tailed eagle pair nesting in Glengarriff Co. Cork live via their very own nestcam. Part of a reintroduction programme for the species that began in 2007, the adult eagles (male Blue W….

New wildlife ID tech announced by Swarovski Optik

Swarovski Optik, one of the upper-echelon brands for birding and wildlife optics, is branching out into the tech world with the release of in intriguing new piece of high-tech kit. The new dG (Digital Guide) pairs cutting-edge optics with digital camera technology, integrated WiFi and automated digital identification apps for….

New threats facing Ireland’s seals

Grey Seal Bull

To the untrained eye, a grey seal and a common seal may look the same, yet there are key differences. Grey seals are huge. Males can weigh up to 300kg and grow to 2.5 metres long, whereas common seals are almost a third of the size. Grey seal pups are….