Ireland's wildlife logo.

Featured

Choughed to bits with West Cork wildlife

Red-billed chough

Wildlife is always unpredictable. That’s a big part of the wildlife-watching appeal: you never quite know what any given outing will bring, even when you visit a familiar patch. I always tell guests on our Discover Wildlife Walks to expect the unexpected. Whether it’s encountering a rare migrant, watching a cormorant catch and swallow an unfeasibly….

All abuzz in Limerick City!

Buff-tailed_bumblebee,_Bombus_terrestris

  Ireland’s Wildlife Contributor Albert Nolan gets up close and personal with the bees of Limerick and discovers that the City really is buzzing!    I pass quietly through the city streets pausing at every corner to scan the buildings for birds, or peeking into an overgrown garden in the….

Seagulls ate my aunty’s dog! Really?

Anyone with an ounce of sense will instantly see the headline above for what it is: sensationalist, ill-informed clap-trap. Nonetheless headlines just like it have been rife across Irish media following calls for a cull of the birds by Senator Denis O’Donovan in the Seanad earlier this week. Here are just some of the questionable headlines, introducing equally incredulous editorial from ostensibly “respectable” Irish….

Humpback whale wows onlookers at Inchydoney

Inchydoney beach, near Clonakilty in West Cork, is one of the undisputed jewels along Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way. This outstanding blue flag beach draws visitors from far and wide, but earlier this week it was a visitor of a different kind that was getting all the attention. The sandy bottom in….

Eagles, orchids, seals and exploring nature with children… what’s not to love?

wildlife advertising promotion Ireland

As a heritage specialist with the wonderful Heritage in Schools scheme I get to visit some fabulous schools in some amazing places. One of the most interesting recent visits was to the school on Bere Island off Castletownbere in West Cork. As always it was a privilege to talk to the children….

Irish white-tailed eagles hatch chicks in four counties

White tailed eagle chick mountshannon

The Irish white-tailed eagle reintroduction project has received a much-needed boost with news that five pairs, spanning four Irish counties, now have chicks in the nest. According to a press release issued by the Golden Eagle Trust, of the eight pairs that attempted to breed this year, eagle chicks have now….

Why you should visit a dead whale

Stranded Sperm Whale Carcass, Fermoyle

In this guest post marine biology student Sean O’Callaghan, a keen cetacean enthusiast and admin of the popular Kerry’s Wild Side page on Facebook, explores some of the benefits of visiting a dead whale. Visiting a dead whale may appear on the surface to be a morbid proposition, but there are many….

Whales and eagles star on wild West Cork weekend

White-tailed eagle, West Cork, Ireland

I’d been afraid to look at the forecast all week. The weather is the bane of anyone organising an outdoor-based activity in Ireland, and the last few weeks had been dreadful. There was no real sense things were going to improve either… but with a Discover Wildlife Weekend planned I simply had to bite….

Olivon T650 Spotting Scope Review

Olivon T650 spotting scope review

Pros: Crisp, high resolution views with good colour and contrast throughout most of the 16-48x zoom range. Excellent wide angle eyepiece delivers expansive viewing experience without “tunnel vision” common with budget scopes. Standard 1.25″ astronomy eyepiece mount means compatible with a vast range of third party eyepieces. Cons: Non-ED version reviewed does suffers slightly from some colour….

Wildlife Projects for Tidy Towns

Early flowers provide vital food for pollinators

Ireland’s Wildlife contributor Albert Nolan urges communities to champion wildlife as part of the nationwide Tidy Towns initiative.   Spring had forgotten about our part of the world as a chilling wind greeted us in the morning. Bags and pickers were quickly shared out and everyone was glad to start walking and get the….

Wildlife Portfolio: Sarah Corner

Male Merling Sarah Corner

In this instalment of our Wildlife Portfolio series we introduce the work of wildlife artist Sarah Corner. To view larger images in slideshow format click on one of the thumbnails in the portfolio below. If you’re a wildlife photographer or wildlife artist and would like us to consider your work for….

Hoopoe invasion of Ireland’s south coast

Hoopoe invasion of Ireland -- photo by Andrew Malcolm

Headlands and coastlines in Kerry, Cork, Waterford and Wexford have been invaded by a rather colourful continental interloper this spring. The striking hoopoe (Upupa epops) is a rare visitor to these shores, with very small numbers (less than 10 birds in total most years) reported in Ireland during spring and autumn as migrating birds stray….