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.
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
Digging, for the birds!
Regular IW contributor Albert Nolan reflects on how a bit of winter digging benefits the bird life in his garden. It was a day when you would have fought to have a shovel in your hand as the icy wind slipped easily through layers of clothes. I was finishing off a new bed that I had started a few weeks ago and for once the frosty weather had been a great help in … [Read more...] about Digging, for the birds!
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
Newt discovered in Tipperary potato patch
This account of a smooth newt found hibernating in an allotment in Co. Tipperary last November was sent in by Ireland's Wildlife reader and avid gardener Andy Dawson and his young son Ethan. It's a notable record, since the Irish Wildlife Trust's National Newt Survey had received no newt records from Tipperary up to and including 2012. CJ Recent years have seen … [Read more...] about Newt discovered in Tipperary potato patch
Moths: from the classroom to the garden
Regular contributor Albert Nolan introduces some school children to the wonderful world of Irish moths, and explores some of the other wildlife that makes the most of his mothing endeavours. I clasped my hands awkwardly while the students recited their morning prayers. As the words echoed around the classroom I wondered if the mysteries of religion were on a par … [Read more...] about Moths: from the classroom to the garden
Wildlife, whatever the weather
Looking at weather maps lately has been a depressing affair.Ireland has been permanently obscured beneath a swirling, seething mass of rain and wind, and as usual our little patch of the south west coast seems to be getting more than its fair share of the onslaught. Yesterday was a day to stay inside by the fire... watching naff Christmas telly. It was certainly not a day … [Read more...] about Wildlife, whatever the weather
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
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
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
Blow-dried Crow
I was hanging out washing yesterday lunchtime when I noticed this rook eyeing up the chimney.We've just lit the wood-burner in the kitchen, and while there was no visible smoke coming out of the chimney, I'm pretty certain there was a steady stream of hot air flowing from it.The rook, which looked wet... as if it had just had a bath (which they tend to do in a nearby … [Read more...] about Blow-dried Crow
Give weeds a break in your garden
All over Ireland gardeners are on a mission to eradicate weeds... but is there a different approach that can help the gardener AND help Ireland's wildlfie?****Weeds!The very mention of them can send gardeners into spasm. Throughout summer well into autumn we fight a never-ending battle with weeds. It’s a futile exercise, because we know the seeds released this year … [Read more...] about Give weeds a break in your garden
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
Sparrowhawk: the “Ronseal” of Irish birds!
Living and working in the country is often quite tranquil, but this morning the calm was shattered when this male sparrowhawk dropped in for an impromptu visit. Suddenly the background harmony of birdsong was replaced by a cacophony of anxious alarm calls as blackbirds, swallows, house sparrows, chaffinches and tits all screamed their warnings. Trouble had arrived! I glanced … [Read more...] about Sparrowhawk: the “Ronseal” of Irish birds!
