The hooded crow, grey crow or “hoodie” as it's sometimes called, is almost identical to the closely related carrion crow (Corvus corone) except for its distinctive grey and black plumage. The two birds are so similar in fact that until recently they were considered to be different races of the same species, but now hooded crows have been formally acknowledged as a species in … [Read more...] about Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix)
birds
Book Review: The Helm Guide to Bird Identification
Have you ever struggled to tell your bar-tailed from your black-tailed godwit? How about differentiating your dabbling ducks, or getting to grips with gulls and grebes?No matter how experienced a bird watcher you are, there are always species that will prove tricky, and there will be times (sometimes lots of them) when you're not quite sure what species you're looking at. … [Read more...] about Book Review: The Helm Guide to Bird Identification
Raptors in the firing line on national radio show
A social media storm is brewing surrounding an ill-informed and disturbingly inaccurate radio interview about birds conducted on the Pat Kenny Show on national Irish radio station Newstalk FM yesterday (Wed 14 January).On the show, host Pat Kenny (pictured left) introduced Biochemistry Professor, Luke O'Niell (yes, you read that right -- a professor of biochemistry), about … [Read more...] about Raptors in the firing line on national radio show
Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)
They say familiarity breeds contempt... and, in the case of the chaffinch that's probably true. The male chaffinch in its full breeding regalia is one of our most colourful and striking birds. If it wasn't for the fact that we see them so often we'd marvel at these colourful little finches.The chaffinch is found all over Ireland in woodlands, parks, gardens, fields, scrub … [Read more...] about Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)
Digging, for the birds!
Regular IW contributor Albert Nolan reflects on how a bit of winter digging benefits the bird life in his garden. It was a day when you would have fought to have a shovel in your hand as the icy wind slipped easily through layers of clothes. I was finishing off a new bed that I had started a few weeks ago and for once the frosty weather had been a great help in … [Read more...] about Digging, for the birds!
Gear Review: CJ Wildlife Apollo “Easy Clean” Seed Feeder
Pros: Quality finish and materials. Robust construction. Easy and convenient to dismantle and clean (no tools required). Innovative "feeding rings". Ventilation system keeps food fresh.Cons: None so far.Rating: Highly RecommendedPrice: from €21.95 for the 3-port feeder to €31.95 for the 7-port feederAn excellent all-round seed feeder that's built to last from … [Read more...] about Gear Review: CJ Wildlife Apollo “Easy Clean” Seed Feeder
Book Review: Tracks and Signs of the Animals and Birds of Britain and Europe
There are no two ways about it, a lot of our wildlife is incredibly tricky to see.You can get lucky, of course. Occasionally birds, and even mammals, lizards or amphibians, will appear out of nowhere, seemingly oblivious to your presence as you marvel them in close proximity. These are, by and large, the exception rather than the rule. Most of the the time wildlife watching … [Read more...] about Book Review: Tracks and Signs of the Animals and Birds of Britain and Europe
Cork school children contribute to international godwit study
Under the banner of Operation Godwit an international team of scientists has been studying the Icelandic black-tailed godwit since the 1990s. Unique combinations of colour rings placed on the birds' legs on their breeding grounds in Iceland and on their wintering grounds in Western Europe allow individual birds to be identified, and mean that when birdwatchers around Europe … [Read more...] about Cork school children contribute to international godwit study
Christmas Competition: bird food, feeder and a festive treat
Thanks to our friends over at CJ Wildlife (Ireland's Wildlife's Official Bird Food Partner) we have a fabulous prize to give away to one lucky winner at the end of the week.Up for grabs are:A 10kg bag of CJ Wildlife's fabulous "Hi Energy No Mess" seed mix A Medium Defender Metal Seed Feeder A Festive Suet SnowmanTo enter all you have to do is fill in your … [Read more...] about Christmas Competition: bird food, feeder and a festive treat
The Birdwatch Ireland Garden Bird Survey: how you can help monitor Ireland’s garden birds
This post is part of the Crossley ID Guide Britain & Ireland Blog Tour -- yesterday the tour was over at Mark Avery's blog here -- tomorrow it moves on to BirdWords... the official site of Dominic Couzens... who's one of the book's authors. You'll find the full tour schedule here.NB. I'll be posting a full review of the guide to the book review section of the site in … [Read more...] about The Birdwatch Ireland Garden Bird Survey: how you can help monitor Ireland’s garden birds
