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Wishing you all a WILD St. Patrick’s Day

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St. Patrick's Day is, naturally, a special day here in Ireland... and is celebrated by Irish people and people of Irish descent all over the world. And while St. Patrick is perhaps best known for reducing Ireland's biodiversity (thanks to him we have no snakes in Ireland, after all), let's not forget that St. Patrick's Day marks a pivotal time in the Irish wildlife … [Read more...] about Wishing you all a WILD St. Patrick’s Day

Whales and eagles star on wild West Cork weekend

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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 the bullet and check.I fired up two different weather apps on the … [Read more...] about Whales and eagles star on wild West Cork weekend

Hoopoe invasion of Ireland’s south coast

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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 off course and end up making … [Read more...] about Hoopoe invasion of Ireland’s south coast

Ireland’s first basking sharks of 2015 spotted off West Cork

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The first reported Irish basking shark sighting of 2015 was logged on Monday 09 March. The sharks, one large and one smaller animal, were spotted from shore by observer Bridget Healy, just off the coast near Ardfield in West Cork.Basking sharks, the second largest fish in the sea after the whale shark, are annual spring / summer visitors to Irish coastal waters. The first … [Read more...] about Ireland’s first basking sharks of 2015 spotted off West Cork

Watch out for hibernating hedgehogs

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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

A wonderfully wild weekend

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Like it or not... when you're watching wildlife in Ireland you're inevitably watching the weather.With our Discover Wildlife Weekend looming I'd spent the last week watching the weather forecasts with growing trepidation. Would the weather gremlins play ball? West Cork is a truly spectacular wildlife location, but so much depends on what the weather decides to do on the day. … [Read more...] about A wonderfully wild weekend

Brimstone Butterfly (Gonepteryx rhamni)

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The butter-yellow wings of the male brimstone are a true herald of spring, and are credited by some as the inspiration behind the word “butterfly”. These pretty yellow butterflies are quite common, especially around open woodland, and are often the first butterflies to be seen in spring. Brimstones emerge from their winter hibernation as soon as weather conditions start to … [Read more...] about Brimstone Butterfly (Gonepteryx rhamni)

How to watch Basking Sharks

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"Shark infested waters" isn't a term you normally associate with the Irish coastline, yet in late spring and early summer the Irish coast is one of the best places in Europe to see one of the world's largest sharks.The basking sharks (Cetorhinus maximus) is the largest fish in the North Atlantic, and second largest in the world (beaten only by its slightly larger tropical … [Read more...] about How to watch Basking Sharks