Wildlife always has the capacity to surprise and delight us. No matter how long you've been watching and studying wildlife, how familiar you are with your local patch, you never can tell what you might encounter on an outing. The potential for the unexpected is always there... whether it's a completely new species, or a familiar bird or animal exhibiting some unusual behaviour, … [Read more...] about Purple Heron: an epic end to our spring Discover Wildlife Weekend
Wildlife
New “Recommended” optics store on Ireland’s Wildlife
Our Recommended Optics "Shop" is now liveWe're in the process of going through our reviews for birding and wildlife optics with "Recommended" and "Highly Recommended" ratings, and posting them to a brand new section of our online shop imaginatively named "Recommended Optics".Some of our recently recommended birding and wildlife opticsYou'll notice the word … [Read more...] about New “Recommended” optics store on Ireland’s Wildlife
Incredible wildlife, incredible offer: Ireland’s Wild South Coast
The south coast of Ireland is a magical place for wildlife enthusiasts. Breathtaking locations, some of the best marine and coastal wildlife Europe has to offer and that legendary hospitality for which the Irish are world-renowned. Put it all together and you have the perfect destination for a wildlife holiday to remember. Our signature Ireland's Wild South Coast 5 night/6 day … [Read more...] about Incredible wildlife, incredible offer: Ireland’s Wild South Coast
Island Bioblitz — head offshore for a wild weekend!
I'm off to the stunning Cape Clear Island off the coast of West Cork tomorrow to take part in Ireland's first ever Island Bioblitz.I was a member of the Bioblitz team at Glengarriff Woods Nature Reserve in 2012. It was a fantastic event and a great excuse to take time out and spend a whole weekend immersed in searching for wildlife in an acknowledged biodiversity … [Read more...] about Island Bioblitz — head offshore for a wild weekend!
Christmas gift ideas for wildlife and nature enthusiasts
What do you buy the wildlife enthusiast or nature lover for Christmas? It's a conundrum faced by partners, families and friends every year.You'd think it would be easy... anything to do with wildlife would be perfect, right? But from long years of experience I know that we wildlife enthusiasts can be notoriously difficult to buy for.So here's a little post to help out … [Read more...] about Christmas gift ideas for wildlife and nature enthusiasts
Irish Wildlife wins prestigious national magazine award
Irish Wildlife, the membership magazine of the Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT), has won the "Customer Magazine of the Year" category in the prestigious Irish Magazine Awards 2013.Irish wildlife is a quarterly magazine that showcases wildlife, nature and conservation issues, feature articles and news from all over Ireland. Its unique blend of high quality editorial, contemporary … [Read more...] about Irish Wildlife wins prestigious national magazine award
“State of Nature” raises a red flag for Irish wildlife
The recent "State of Nature" report published in the UK highlights the staggering and shocking decline of some of our nearest neighbour's most iconic wildlife species.The figures from the report -- compiled by 25 of the UK's top wildlife organisations -- make for a sobering read. 60% of the species surveyed have declined over recent decades and more than one in ten of all … [Read more...] about “State of Nature” raises a red flag for Irish wildlife
Ireland’s Wildlife Calendar: Summer
Summer in Ireland means long days, with sunny periods (sometimes quite lengthy ones) interspersed with showers and longer bouts of rain. Temperatures begin to rise in early summer, and the Irish countryside comes alive with a kaleidoscope of colourful wildflowers and the industrious hum of pollinating insects.It's a fantastic time of year... and there's no better way to … [Read more...] about Ireland’s Wildlife Calendar: Summer
Wildlife Podcast Ponderings….
So... the arrival of the Zoom H2N audio recorder for review at IWHQ has rekindled a question I've been pondering since setting up Ireland's Wildlife a few years back -- should I include a weekly / monthly audio podcast in the mix of content?I'm thinking something short... initially anyway. Would include a mix of things -- outdoor recordings from the field, studio recordings … [Read more...] about Wildlife Podcast Ponderings….
Vanguard slash price of ED binoculars
I've just found out that Vanguard has slashed the price of its impressive ED binoculars, AND is offering a further £20 cash back between now and the end of July through UK retailers.The offer officially runs from 01 May to 31 July and the cash-back deal applies to all models in the Endeavor ED and Spirit ED line. However, there's a huge discount on the 10x42 and 8x42 … [Read more...] about Vanguard slash price of ED binoculars
A natural remedy for a hectic lifestyle
Life these days is a bit of a dizzy whirlwind. With work pressures, children, ever-present household chores and sundry other demands on our finite sliver of attention, it can be hard to find time for nature. But I find taking even a little “time out” to connect with the natural world around me, even if its just outside my back door, helps put the world in perspective, improves … [Read more...] about A natural remedy for a hectic lifestyle
Feed the birds this winter and look what might visit your garden: or perhaps NOT!
Oh dear! Last week I received an email newsletter from Buy4Now.ie (I bought a kitchen appliance through the site about a decade ago and have been on their mailing list ever since). Part of the mail was promoting an Irish business that offers wild bird food. I was delighted to see feeding wild birds high on the agenda… but the accompanying image really annoyed me. Getting the … [Read more...] about Feed the birds this winter and look what might visit your garden: or perhaps NOT!
Share your Ireland’s Wildlife photographs on Flickr
Ireland’s Wildlife now has a brand new Flickr group, where you can share your images of Irish nature with the rest of our online community. Flickr is one of the world’s leading photo-sharing websites (now owned by the Yahoo! network) and makes it really easy to share, comment and discuss photos online. Members have already added a stunning collection of wildlife shots to the … [Read more...] about Share your Ireland’s Wildlife photographs on Flickr