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Wild Blog

Wildife and nature blog featuring an eclectic mix of wildlife, birding and conservation content from Ireland and around the world. Be warned there may be opinions flying around here….

Frogs bounce back at Kildare site after unexplained 2014 deaths

Healthy frog 2015

Just over a year ago the Herpetological Society of Ireland (HSI) was called out to a site in Kildare where hundreds of common frogs were lying dead. Thankfully, one year on things seem to have improved, but the exact cause of the mass mortality remains a mystery… Rob O’Sullivan, PR Officer with the HSI….

Does the Pine marten have a role to play in the conservation of the red squirrel?

Red Squirrel Ireland

Following on from research by Dr Emma Sheehy at the National University of Ireland, Galway, a team at Queens University Belfast is trying to shed light on what exactly is going on in the interaction between red squirrels, grey squirrels and pine martens — and they need your help. Researcher Lily Price….

WOW: RSPB Northern Ireland’s new and improved Belfast Lough reserve

Lapwings at Belfast Lough Reserve

RSPB Northern Ireland’s Belfast Lough nature reserve at Belfast Harbour Estate has undergone extensive refurbishment to give it a renewed WOW factor.  Media and Events Officer Amy Colvin explains what all the fuss is about. Belfast’s Harbour Estate isn’t the sort of place you’d expect nature to flourish – but prepare to….

Watch out for hibernating hedgehogs

Look out for 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 leaf-litter, tucking….

The Calendar Road: January 2015

January Sky

January went by with wild winds, snow and hail. Sinéad takes to the road on a quieter day with a light dusting of snow underfoot to talk about our weather, the rain and water as a once revered resource. Brought to you in association with…

Raptors in the firing line on national radio show

A social media storm is brewing surrounding an ill-informed and disturbingly inaccurate radio interview about birds conducted on the Pat Kenny Show on national Irish radio station Newstalk FM yesterday (Wed 14 January). On the show, host Pat Kenny (pictured left) introduced Biochemistry Professor, Luke O’Niell (yes, you read that right — a professor of….

Digging, for the birds!

Robin With Worm

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….

The Calendar Road: December 2014

Frosty-day-December-2014

Sinéad rings the changes, on the last day of December 2014 and the eve of New Year. With a look back over the year along the Calendar Road and a chat about the lapwings who have returned to winter here. Brought to you in association with…

The Calendar Road: November 2014

It’s November on the Calendar Road and Sinéad takes a walk out at night to talk about the longer nights as winter approaches. Brought to you in association with…

Gibbons from the infinity pool #IWOnTour

I’d popped back to the room to get something and was taking my time, enjoying the cool of the air con after the sweltering mid-morning heat of Thailand’s West Coast. Suddenly my youngest burst into the room. “Dad, come quick mum’s watching gibbons from the swimming pool.” Now there’s a….

Competition: Win a pair of Vanguard Endeavor EDII Binoculars

New Vanguard Endeavor EDII binocular

If you’ve seen our recent review of Vanguard’s new flagship Endeavor EDII binocular, you’ll know we were pretty impressed with it. This is an excellent all-round birding and wildlife binocular… and thanks to the folks at Vanguard one lucky Ireland’s Wildlife reader will soon own their very own pair. For your chance to….

The Calendar Road: August 2014

The Calendar Road August 2014

The last day of August and Sinéad feels that autumn has come to the Calendar Road.  She talks about The Festival of Lunása and the Sun God Lugh, as the wind blows gently through the trees. Brought to you in association with…