I was surprised and delighted last month when an email arrived from BBC Wildlife Magazine. I'd sent in a letter in August accompanied by some shots of a lunge-feeding minke whale. According to the email my letter was not only going to be published in the illustrious journal's October edition, but had also been selected as "Letter of the Month", which meant I'd won a pair of … [Read more...] about Fame at last! BBC Wildlife Magazine Letter of the Month
Wildlife Writing
Calling all budding wildlife and nature writers
Are you a wildlife enthusiast or bird watcher with a story to tell? Do you have wildlife hints and tips you'd love to share with other enthusiasts? Have you got a favourite wildlife site or piece of wildlife gear you'd like to review?If you have then we'd love to hear from you.Ireland's wildlife was always meant to be a collaborative platform, and I'm convinced that the … [Read more...] about Calling all budding wildlife and nature writers
Natural born scapegoats…why do we always blame wildlife?
Why is it that we’re so ready to lay the blame at nature’s door when things go awry in the countryside?There are plenty of examples out there. Bovine TB is perhaps the biggest that springs to mind at the moment. It’s a dreadful disease in cattle that has serious implications for dairy farmers, their families and entire rural communities. It’s a problem that needs to be … [Read more...] about Natural born scapegoats…why do we always blame wildlife?
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
On course for a whale of a time
The female marsh harrier rose over the reed bed. For a fleeting moment she was master of the air... and then the wind hit her. Any illusion of aerial mastery was shattered as the Atlantic squall buffeted the hapless bird. It was all she could do to stay airborne.This was my first time seeing a marsh harrier in Ireland, so despite the fact that she wasn’t at her elegant and … [Read more...] about On course for a whale of a time