In this guest post Tony Manhart, founder and editor-in-chief at Gardening Dream, shares his tips for making your garden more bird-friendly.Whether young or old, many people enjoy birdwatching. It can be a relaxing way to pass the time, and it is interesting to learn about the different birds that occur where you live. Making your garden more bird-friendly is a great way … [Read more...] about Make your garden bird-friendly
garden wildlife
Going wild at home: The Blackbird.
For the last few days, I have been watching a beautiful male blackbird in the garden. He arrives around the same time every day, flying up from the wooded valley that runs away from my house.I am not sure if my garden forms part of his territory or he is just visiting for a quick meal. We think our green spaces belong to us but at this time of the year birds and other … [Read more...] about Going wild at home: The Blackbird.
Peanuts for peanuts — 30% off — order yours now!
We've just heard from our Official Garden Wildlife Partner CJ Wildlife that they're offering 30% off their premium whole peanuts and 10% off all of their peanut feeders until the end of March.Peanuts are an excellent energy-packed source of nutrition for birds. With nesting season looming, adult birds need to pack in as much nourishment as possible, as efficiently as … [Read more...] about Peanuts for peanuts — 30% off — order yours now!
Special Free Delivery Weekend promo from CJ Wildlife
Need to order bird food for the holiday season?Our Official Garden Wildlife Supply Partner, CJ Wildlife, has a special pre-Christmas free delivery promotion running until midnight on Sunday.CJ Wildlife has a great year-round free delivery policy on orders over €50 -- but for this weekend only they're dropping that threshold to just €30 -- which makes it a great time … [Read more...] about Special Free Delivery Weekend promo from CJ Wildlife
Book Review: Chris Packham’s “Back Garden Nature Reserve” and “Wild Side of Town”
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 surprising range of opportunities for wildlife watching. I love the fact that, once your tuned in to the rhythm … [Read more...] about Book Review: Chris Packham’s “Back Garden Nature Reserve” and “Wild Side of Town”
Black Friday Bird Food Deal from CJ Wildlife
Feeding the birds can be a costly business -- but this coming Friday (Black Friday) our Garden Wildlife Supply partner CJ Wildlife is slashing the price of its 10Kg and 20Kg bags of premium Hi Energy No Mess Seed Mix. With free delivery on all orders over €50 it's the perfect time to stock up on bird food before the Christmas holidays. The Offer Details For one day only, on … [Read more...] about Black Friday Bird Food Deal from CJ Wildlife
Garden wildlife: it’s a jungle out there!
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 wondrous tropical ecosystem I've just witnessed on the screen. But first impressions can be … [Read more...] about Garden wildlife: it’s a jungle out there!
Watch out for hibernating hedgehogs
This weekend, while out in the garden clearing a build-up of dead leaves and layers of last-season's montbretia foliage, I uncovered a prickly, but very welcome surprise.A hibernating hedgehog!Its spines flexed involuntarily, once... twice... and then it was still again. I whipped out the smartphone and took one quick photograph (above), before replacing the … [Read more...] about Watch out for hibernating hedgehogs
Free delivery weekend from CJ Wildlife
Ireland's Wildlife's Official "Garden Wildlife Supplies" Partner, CJ Wildlife, has a special free delivery weekend to anywhere in Ireland from today until Sunday 29/06/2014.If you haven't tried them before it's the perfect opportunity to give them a whirl, or to stock up on your garden wildlife supplies if you're a regular customer. Just click on the image to check out … [Read more...] about Free delivery weekend from CJ Wildlife
Wildlife Competition Time — win a garden wildlife bundle!
Enter our great wildlife competition for your chance to get your hands on this fabulous garden wildlife bundle. We've teamed up with out friends over at CJ Wildlife to offer one lucky winner the chance to win all of this: The PrizeA Butterfly Border Pack (plants) -- fantastic for butterflies and other insects later in the summer A 5kg bag of Gourmet … [Read more...] about Wildlife Competition Time — win a garden wildlife bundle!
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
A brush with Ireland’s urban foxes
Ireland's Wildlife contributor Albert Nolan introduces us to Ireland's urban foxes.The silence of Sunday morning was shattered by the harsh warning call of a pair of Magpies in the back garden. Despite the lingering affects of last night's wine I decided it was worth the effort of drawing the curtains as this warning call often indicates a predator is about. As I peered … [Read more...] about A brush with Ireland’s urban foxes
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
Are birds influenced by colour? BT Young Scientist needs your help
Two secondary school students from Co. Cork are in the process of conducting an intriguing experiment to ascertain how birds are influenced by colour, and how that affects their foraging and feeding habits.Jemma Dearden and her friend Gill Blackburn, who are currently in the transition year at Loreto Convent Secondary school in Fermoy, were short listed to attend the BT … [Read more...] about Are birds influenced by colour? BT Young Scientist needs your help
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
Ivy (Hedera helix)
Ivy is common climbing shrub found throughout Ireland, its attractive green foliage carpeting the façade of old buildings, stone walls and trees. Many climbing plants support themselves by entwining themselves around the supporting structure, but Ivy is different. It attaches itself to the substrate directly using short, sucker-like aerial “roots” that adhere firmly to any … [Read more...] about Ivy (Hedera helix)
Red Admirals Everywhere
The last few sunny days has seen a veritable irruption of freshly emerged Red Admirals (Vanessa atalanta) in the garden. Some of them still had "crinkly" edges to their wings, where they hadn't pumped up / dried out properly yet.This particularly fine specimen posed for photos. Absolutely stunning butterflies. … [Read more...] about Red Admirals Everywhere
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
