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Rare beluga whale sighting off Antrim coast

A rare beluga whale, a species usually only found in Arctic and sub-arctic waters, was captured on camera off the Antrim coastline late last week.   This is the first confirmed report of this rare cetacean in Irish waters since the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) started keeping systematic sightings records in 1991 and….

Sad news as Irish white-tailed eagle chick dies of natural causes

Eagle chick dies of natural causes in Co. Cork

News broke yesterday of a devastating development for the family of white-tailed eagles in Glengarriff, Co. Cork when it was announced that the 10 week old chick had died in the nest of natural causes just days before it was expected to fledge. One of five pairs of white-tailed eagle breeding in….

Irish white-tailed eagles hatch chicks in four counties

White tailed eagle chick mountshannon

The Irish white-tailed eagle reintroduction project has received a much-needed boost with news that five pairs, spanning four Irish counties, now have chicks in the nest. According to a press release issued by the Golden Eagle Trust, of the eight pairs that attempted to breed this year, eagle chicks have now….

Resident killer whales could die out due to pollution

Killer Whales in Ireland under threat from marine pollution

The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) has expressed concern that Ireland’s only resident group of killer whales (Orcinus orca) could be dying out due to the long term effects of marine pollution. Known as the Scottish west coast community group, the killer whale pod is the only known resident pod….

White-tailed eagle found poisoned at Connemara nest site

A female white-tailed eagle was found dead at a nest site in Connemara earlier this month by National Parks and Wildlife Service Conservation Ranger Dermot Breen. Mr Breen found the six-year-old female dead on the nest on 01 April, and a post-mortem later confirmed poisoning as the cause of death — the 13th….

Hoopoe invasion of Ireland’s south coast

Hoopoe invasion of Ireland -- photo by Andrew Malcolm

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….

Guerilla conservation group realeases bears in Co. Kerry

Eurasian Brown Bear

A group of extreme conservationists is secretly releasing brown bears into Killarney National Park in Co. Kerry an anonymous source revealed this week.

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

Basking Shark Dursey Island, West Cork

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….

White-tailed eagle found dead in Co. Fermanagh

White Tailed Eagle Dead Fermanagh

The body of a white-tailed eagle was recovered by PSNI officers from the Newbridge Road area of Lisnaskea in Co. Fermanagh on Saturday 07 February. Commenting on the PSNI Fermanagh post on Facebook, Dr Alan Mee, coordinator of the white-tailed eagle reintroduction project for the Golden Eagle Trust said: “Sad end to….

Hen Harrier blog-star “Heather” shot dead in Co. Kerry

Hen harrier shot in Co. Kerry Ireland

A young hen harrier has been found shot dead near Waterville in Co. Kerry. The satellite tagged bird-of-prey, a young female dubbed “Heather” by local schoolchildren, was part of a joint project by regional development organisation IRD Duhallow and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). Heather became an online star via the….

Female killer whale washed up in Co. Waterford

Stranded Killer Whale Ireland

The unusual stranding of a 5 metre female killer whale on the beach at Saleen, near Tramore in Co. Waterford on Friday (30/01/2015) has been in the news this weekend. The whale, which was dead when it washed up, was said to be in “very fresh condition”, according to the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG). The whale’s teeth were very….

Farming organisations and conservationists on collision course over hedge-cutting

Yelowhammer

A review by The Dapartment of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht of legislation under the Wildlife Act that governs the period when hedgerows can be cut has put landowners and environmental groups on a collision course. As it currently stands the legislation prohibits hedge cutting (with certain exceptions) between the 01 March….