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All aboard for the Crossley ID Guide Britain and Ireland Blog Tour

Crossley ID Guide Britain & Ireland Blog Tour

I’m delighted to be taking part in the upcoming “Blog Tour” to celebrate the launch of the brand new bird field guide the Crossley ID Guide Britain & Ireland. I’ll be reviewing a copy of the guide in the Book Review section of the site in due course… but the….

Book Review: The Birds of Ireland, A Field Guide

The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide

For many people a desire to identify the birds they see visiting their garden, or when they’re out and about, is the first step to an enduring fascination with nature and wildlife. It was birds that infected me with the nature bug way back when, and I still remember my….

Book Review: Secrets of the Irish Landscape

Secrets of the Irish Landscape

Ireland’s landscape is unique. Moulded by incredible geological forces, carved out by millions of tonnes of ice and, comparatively recently, shaped by the equally inexorable influence of man, our landscape is the foundation on which all of our wildlife and biodiversity sits. “Secrets of the Irish Landscape” is an RTÉ….

Book Review: Finding Birds in Ireland

Finding Birds in Ireland by Eric Dempsey

One of the biggest problems faced by bird watchers visiting Ireland — or indeed resident birders travelling to other parts of the country — is finding the best places to look for birds and other wildlife. Sure, you can pick a likely looking piece of habitat and spend time exploring….

Book Review: Ireland’s Wild Orchids, A Field Guide

Species account of the Pyramydal Orchid

Ireland’s orchids are a fascinating group of plants, and are among our most  beautiful and evocative wildflowers. There’s always a thrill when you spot the flower spike of an orchid thrusting skyward through the grass or pushing through the surface of a bog. Then comes the tricky part. You know….

Bird Atlas 2007-2011 — save 33% before 31 July

Bird Atlas 2007-2011

If you’re a birder in Britain or Ireland then chances are you already know about the upcoming publication of “Bird Atlas 2007-2011”. The culmination of one of the most ambitious citizen science projects ever undertaken, Bird Atlas brings together data on bird populations collected by tens of thousands  of dedicated….

Book Review: Birds Through Irish Eyes

Birds through Irish Eyes

When “Birds Through Irish Eyes” by Anthony McGeehan with Julian Wyllie arrived at IWHQ the first thing that struck me was its size. It is a monster of a tome. The next thing I noticed was it’s shape… an unusual, almost square aspect ratio makes for a very attractive layout….

Book Review: Fighting for Birds

Mark Avery has been fighting for birds for most of his adult life. As Conservation Director with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Europe’s largest conservation NGO, Mark has been at the forefront of some of the most iconic conservation issues to emerge over recent decades. Naturally….

Book Review: Ireland’s Butterflies, A Review

Ireland's Butterflies: A Review (Back Cover)

Butterflies have always intrigued me. The splash of animated colour they add to garden and hedgerow, their fascinating life cycles and the spectacular metamorphosis into their adult form has always been captivating. As a young child I remember being awestruck as I watched a peacock butterfly emerge from a chrysalis….

Book Review: Bird Habitats in Ireland

Bird Habitats in Ireland front cover

Birds are perhaps the most accessible and obvious of all our Irish wildlife. They’re relatively large, active, sometimes brightly coloured and, because they can fly to escape danger, they tend to be less elusive than many other wild creatures. Once you’re tuned in to bird activity seeing birds in your….

Book Review: Where to watch birds in Ireland

Whenever I visit a new part of Ireland I’m charged with anticipation. What wildlife surprises will my destination have in store, and where are the best places to look for them. While I’m a firm believer in the concept that, if you look, you can and will find wildlife anywhere,….

Book Review: Lichens of Ireland

How often do you think about lichens? Most people rarely give them a second thought, even though they encounter them every day. Lichens are everywhere — encrusting growths on rocks, walls and tree trunks, more leafy or feathery forms clinging to rocky outcrops and dangling from branches —  lichens are….