Around 450 different bird species have been recorded on the island of Ireland, and although a lot of them are migratory and rare, now is the best chance to catch a glimpse of them as they return north to build nests and prepare for the breeding season.Esri Ireland, a market leader in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), has created a digital map highlighting the flight … [Read more...] about World Migratory Bird Day — ESRI Mapping Migration
citizen science
New Citizen Science Project needs your Seal Sightings!
A new research project at the Galway Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) in partnership with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is looking for public input to analyse seal populations around the Irish coast.The project is being undertaken by German native Kristina Steinmetz, a graduate of the Biodiversity and Conservation MSc. programme at GMIT, as part of … [Read more...] about New Citizen Science Project needs your Seal Sightings!
Birdwatch Ireland Garden Bird Survey kicks off Monday
This Monday, 30 November 2015, sees the start of Birdwatch Ireland's most popular survey: the annual winter Garden Bird Survey.Every year Ireland's largest conservation NGO asks households across the country to record the birds visiting their gardens between the start of December and the end of February. How the Garden Bird Survey works Between December and February each … [Read more...] about Birdwatch Ireland Garden Bird Survey kicks off Monday
Lost bumblebee rediscovered in Dublin after 88 years
A gardener at a Dublin park has rediscovered a bumblebee species last recorded in Ireland in 1926.Eddie Hill, who is an avid bee recorder, and regularly submits bee sightings to the National Bumblebee Monitoring scheme, noticed some odd looking bees feeding on flowers at St. Enda’s Park in Rathfarnam. After studying photographs and two specimens of the bees, experts Dr. … [Read more...] about Lost bumblebee rediscovered in Dublin after 88 years
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
Have you seen a dormouse in Ireland?
If you have, then researchers at NUI Galway want to hear from you.The hazel dormouse (also know as the common dormouse) was discovered living in Ireland very recently, most likely introduced from the UK or Europe. NUI Galway is conducting a survey to discover where they can be found and how many there are in the country -- and the team needs your help to track down this … [Read more...] about Have you seen a dormouse in Ireland?
Bird Atlas 2007-2011 — save 33% before 31 July
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 volunteers across the British Isles. It has been described … [Read more...] about Bird Atlas 2007-2011 — save 33% before 31 July
BirdTrack… a smart new way to record the birds you see
Brian Caffrey, co-ordinator of BirdTrack for Irish partner organisation, Birdwatch Ireland, introduces this new tool for recording and managing your personal bird records, and contributing to a body of data that helps inform bird conservation on a local, regional, national and international level.BirdTrack (www.birdtrack.net) is an exciting project that looks at … [Read more...] about BirdTrack… a smart new way to record the birds you see
Irish Pollinator Initiative: driving bee conservation through better data
Dr. Una Fitzpatrick, Ecologist with the National Biodiversity Data Centre, explains why we need to conserve our pollinators, and how you can help.The staggering value of pollination Pollination services provided by insects, mainly bees, have been valued at €153 billion a year. With 71 out of the 100 crops that provide 90% of food worldwide being pollinated by bees, we … [Read more...] about Irish Pollinator Initiative: driving bee conservation through better data
Birdwatch Ireland Garden Bird Survey starts Monday 03 December
Birdwatch Ireland's most popular "Citizen Science" project... the annual Garden Bird Survey... starts next Monday, 03 December.It's a survey that anyone can take part in and its really easy to get involved here's how Birdwatch Ireland explain it: The way the survey works is very straightforward... Between December and February each year, we ask members of the public to … [Read more...] about Birdwatch Ireland Garden Bird Survey starts Monday 03 December
Citizen Science hits the beach with Coastwatch 2012
Coastwatch is an annual "Eco-Audit" of Ireland's shoreline that relies on "Citizen Scientists" like you to submit records from all around the Irish coast.2012 marks the survey's 25th anniversary in Ireland, and takes place between 15 September and 15 October [I know this post is a bit late... oops... but there's still plenty of time to get involved... CJ]. How do I take … [Read more...] about Citizen Science hits the beach with Coastwatch 2012
IWT and Biology.ie team up to encourage citizen science
The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) and wildlife records and mapping website Biology.ie have joined forces to encourage more people in Ireland to submit their wildlife sightings online.According to a post on the IWT website the hope is that the initiative will "contribute to the growing level of ‘citizen science’ in Ireland".Visitors the the IWT homepage will now see an … [Read more...] about IWT and Biology.ie team up to encourage citizen science
Irish Earwigs: the caring nature of a much maligned insect
Dr Eugenie Regan from the National Biodiversity Data Centre introduces us to Ireland's three species of earwig.Earwigs are an unloved group of insects. They generate reactions of disgust from the general public, are considered by most a pest, and are surely one of the reasons that insects have a bad name. But they are also a fascinating animal. For example, did you know … [Read more...] about Irish Earwigs: the caring nature of a much maligned insect
Stranding: learning from the death of a harbour porpoise
It was Sunday morning, and it was raining. Not just any kind of rain... it was that sneaky, endemically Irish drizzle that saturates you before you realise you’re getting wet. It was misery incarnate. Miserable or not, we had a job to do. I grabbed the gear, threw it in the car and off we went. We only had a quarter of an hour drive to the small inlet on the West Cork coast. … [Read more...] about Stranding: learning from the death of a harbour porpoise
Spring Alive: help track spring’s progress through Europe
With the early arrival of spring making headlines it looks like the Spring Alive website is back in action again.Every year Spring Alive tracks the progress of spring across Europe by asking people from across the continent to submit sightings of migrating spring birds – icons of seasonal change like the Swallow, Cuckoo and Swift.To get involved all you have to do is … [Read more...] about Spring Alive: help track spring’s progress through Europe
Biology.ie–keep track of your personal wildlife sightings
Biology.ie is an online personal biodiversity monitoring resource that was established in 2005 by naturalist Paul Whelan. The site lets you keep track of your personal wildlife sightings, and is a bit like an online field notebook with built in mapping and species lists that helps you to monitor what you see, when and where. The primary aim of Biology.ie is to increase … [Read more...] about Biology.ie–keep track of your personal wildlife sightings
Ireland’s Butterflies: how they fared in 2010
The Irish Butterfly Monitoring Scheme has released its annual report for 2010. Established in 2007 by the National Biodiversity Data Centre, this Citizen Science project aims to improve our overall understanding of Irish butterfly species, their distribution and their population dynamics. Last year the scheme involved more than 140 volunteers around the country who contributed … [Read more...] about Ireland’s Butterflies: how they fared in 2010
