Pros: Bright, high contrast views with natural looking colours and excellent fine detail even at lower light levels. Impressively lightweight, yet still feel extremely robust. Packed with high-end features at a price that represents exceptional value. Cons: None worth noting. Price: Listed in the Birdwatch Ireland Shop for €230, RRP on the Hawke UK website is GB£169.99 (c. €215)…..

On 09 March in Dungarvan District Court the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) secured successful convictions in a high-profile wildlife crime case. The court convicted four felons of crimes relating to targeting and killing of protected birds of prey during the 2014 breeding season. The case began more than two years….

Have you ever wanted a sneak peak into the lives of birds on or around the nest? The advent of live web streaming means that it’s now possible to keep a close eye on the nesting efforts of your favourite birds without the risk of disturbance. Thanks to live web cameras set up by….

The gibbon sat in a tree, gazing out across the turbid waters, its long, sinuous limbs somehow more graceful than gangly. It was the black variant of the endemic Bornean gibbon, and a magnificent specimen. As our guide manoeuvred the small boat to give us better views of one of Borneo’s most iconic primates, I took….

With spring on its way, our resident birds getting ready for nesting season, and the prospect of  spring migrants just around the corner, this is the perfect time to revisit our popular series of articles on birdwatching for beginners. This series of four articles is a great introduction to birding, spanning everything from getting started,….

Pros: As with its 82mm sibling we reviewed here, this is a smart, modern-looking scope. Very solid and extremely compact. Image is very bright and sharp from 15x to around 30x. Wide central sweet spot, with some softening towards the field edges. Dual focus controls make fine-focus quick and easy. Cons: This scope uses the same eyepiece as….

Arguably the world’s most prestigious wildlife photography competition — the Wildlife Photographer of the Year is now open for entries for its 52nd year. Owned and organised by the British Natural History Museum, the competition is open to amateur and professional photographers around the world, and the entries it attracts each year represent a global showcase….

What do you buy the wildlife enthusiast or nature lover for Christmas? It’s a conundrum faced by partners, families and friends every year. You’d think it would be easy… anything to do with wildlife would be perfect, right? But from long years of experience I know that we wildlife enthusiasts can be….

I’m sitting writing this in my in-law’s house in Cork City, up with the family from rural West Cork to do a spot of Christmas shopping and soak up the festive atmosphere. But as always, I’ll be keeping an eye and ear tuned for wildlife while in town. Cities offer a….

As another wildlife documentary draws to a close, I can’t help looking out of the window at our back garden: the patio, the lawn, the garden wall strewn with ivy, the flowers nodding their heads gently in the evening breeze. It all seems so quiet and mundane compared to the….

A new island-wide plan to halt the decline in Ireland’s bees and other pollinators was officially launched yesterday by the National Biodiversity Data Centre. Backed by by 68 governmental and non-governmental organisations across the Island of Ireland, the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan 2015-2020 identifies actions we can take on our farmland, public….

Pros: Crisp, detailed views at a price that’s hard to believe. Packed with premium features you normally only see on much more expensive binoculars. Lightweight and robust thanks to its magnesium alloy chassis. Cons: Not many… a little softening evident around the field edge, but not noticeable in normal use. Focus wheel has a bit more resistance….