When it comes to conservation there is nothing more important than reconnecting our children with the natural world around them.Young children are fascinated by living things and have an innate curiosity about the animals, plants and other organisms they share the world with. I see it all the time when I visit primary schools under Ireland's fabulous Heritage in Schools … [Read more...] about Book Review: The Great Big Book of Irish Wildlife Through the Seasons
Wildlife Product Reviews
The review section features independent reviews of the latest wildlife books, optics, outdoor clothing, gadgets and accessories to help enhance your wildlife watching experience.
Hawke Endurance ED 20-60×85 Spotting Scope Review
Pros: Crisp, high-resolution image, impressively bright and sharp across the field of view. Fast, accurate focussing thanks to dual focusing knobs. Tough magnesium-alloy body. Included stay on case functional and effective. Excellent optical quality at a very compelling price point.Cons: Not many, at the price -- as with most zoom eyepieces you get a slight "tunnel vision" … [Read more...] about Hawke Endurance ED 20-60×85 Spotting Scope Review
Vanguard Alta+ 264AO Tripod Kit
Pros: Compact, lightweight yet sturdy tripod that folds small for transport but extends to a decent height for comfortable use. Capable of supporting a full-size spotting scope or DSLR camera equipment securely. Two-way pan-head is smooth and easy to adjust with just one hand. Designed with birders in mind for spotting scope use. Flip lock-legs convenient and effective making … [Read more...] about Vanguard Alta+ 264AO Tripod Kit
Panasonic Lumix G9 for Wildlife Photography
Pros: Incredibly fast burst shooting and blistering autofocus performance improves your chances of catching elusive wildlife moments. Superb build quality. Brilliant handling and ergonomics. Much smaller and lighter than equivalent DSLR system. Dual IS combines exceptional in-body sensor-shift stabilisation with excellent lens-based stabilisation (for compatible lenses) to make … [Read more...] about Panasonic Lumix G9 for Wildlife Photography
Hawke Sapphire ED 8×42 Binocular Review
Pros: Excellent image quality rivalling many much more expensive options. Superb wide field of view. Ergonomic, well-balanced magnesium alloy body gives a quality feel while remaining light. Great all-around performer offering superb value.Cons: Biggest gripe is the rain guard... which has no bearing on the quality of the binocular, but has a big impact on its usability. This … [Read more...] about Hawke Sapphire ED 8×42 Binocular Review
Exploring Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way
The Wild Atlantic Way, stretching from Donegal in the North to the coast of West Cork in the south, is the world's longest defined coastal touring route. It takes in the entire length of Ireland's western seaboard. Ireland's Wildlife is based on the stunning West Cork stretch of the Wild Atlantic Way, and our Discover Wildlife Experiences, wildlife holidays and birding breaks … [Read more...] about Exploring Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way
Panasonic Lumix G9 Photowalk
Ever the innovators, Panasonic has just introduced two new cameras to its flagship Lumix G line of mirrorless compact system cameras (CSC). You may recall I tested the top-end Lumix GH5 in the third quarter of 2017, and was very impressed with the camera... so when I received an invitation to a Photo Walk in Dublin for a hands-on look at the brand new Lumix G9 and Lumix GH5S … [Read more...] about Panasonic Lumix G9 Photowalk
Vanguard VEO2 265CB travel tripod
Pros: incredibly lightweight tripod and versatile ball-head suitable for both spotting scope and photography. Excellent height for a travel tripod.Cons: a little light to hold a full-size spotting scope steady in all but the calmest conditions (ideal for a small 50mm travel scope or even a 65mm standard scope though).Price: RRP GB£249.99 (c. €290 at time of … [Read more...] about Vanguard VEO2 265CB travel tripod
Panasonic Lumix GH5 — a “birder on-tour” review
By sheer coincidence, while we had the Panasonic Lumix GH5 camera body and Leica DG 100-400mm telephoto zoom lens on loan for review, one of our review team was heading to Shetland for his annual autumn migration "pilgrimage". We asked if he'd like to take the camera along and give us his thoughts from a travelling birder's perspective... here's how he got on. Read our … [Read more...] about Panasonic Lumix GH5 — a “birder on-tour” review
Panasonic Lumix GH5 & Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm
Pros: Professional build quality and comprehensive feature set, incredibly compact and light for an 800mm 35mm equivalent focal length setup, fast accurate autofocus, superb image stabilisation in the body and the lens made hand-holding at long focal lengths possible. Did I mention it was compact and light.Cons: Autofocus sometimes struggled to isolate small subjects (i.e. … [Read more...] about Panasonic Lumix GH5 & Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm
Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 Review
Pros: The big one is reach -- at 600mm on my Nikon DX format body it gives a staggering 900mm 35mm equivalent. Excellent image quality throughout the zoom range. Autofocus is quick and responsive, with minimal "hunting" and once locked on stays locked on (as long as you can keep the subject in the frame... sometimes a challenge at extreme focal lengths). Very good build … [Read more...] about Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 Review
ZEISS Victory SF 10×42 Binocular Review
Pros: Exquisite image across an expansive and immersive field of view. Bright, clear and razor sharp... the Victory SF is optically up there with the best binoculars I've ever used. Superb balance, comparatively light weight and excellent overall build quality make for a compelling all-round package.Cons: Even for an "alpha" class binocular the c. €2,500 price tag is … [Read more...] about ZEISS Victory SF 10×42 Binocular Review
Book Review: Whittled Away — Ireland’s vanishing nature
While in many ways it's fair to say we have more today than we've ever had, if you're more than about thirty years old a short walk in the Irish countryside will quickly reveal that we also have much less.It's an irrefutable fact that there's simply less wildlife around today than there was just a few decades ago. Birds provide the most obvious example of this... simply … [Read more...] about Book Review: Whittled Away — Ireland’s vanishing nature
Gear Review: Vanguard Endeavor Bags
Pros: Designed with the birder / nature enthusiast in mind. Neutral olive colours and robust, non-rustle fabrics, thoughtful design. Insulated food pocket inspired. With three sizes in the range there's a bag for every occasionCons: Hard to find anything specific to fault here... a couple of spurious features I'd question the usefulness of, but none that would detract from … [Read more...] about Gear Review: Vanguard Endeavor Bags
Kite Caiman 8×42 Binocular Review
Pros: Solid entry-level binocular that's comfortable and easy to use. Light, yet robust, this is an easy to handle binocular with good all-round ergonomics. Optically it delivers an impressively bright, sharp image across most of the wide field of view. Neutral colour balance, great contrast and minimal chromatic aberration.Cons: Slight "halo" effect on the periphery of the … [Read more...] about Kite Caiman 8×42 Binocular Review
Gear Review: Rockfish Groundhog Mens Wellington Boot
Pros: extremely comfortable, supportive and robust boot. Fully waterproof and adjustable. Excellent fit with ordinary socks. 5mm neoprene lining keeps feet lovely and warm even on the coldest of days. "Grippy" soles make for a sure-footed walking experience whatever the conditions. Reflective tape on the back a nice touch to help you get seen in twilight.Cons: Functionally … [Read more...] about Gear Review: Rockfish Groundhog Mens Wellington Boot
Vanguard Endeavor EDIV 10×42 Binocular Review
Pros: Great ergonomics, excellent build quality and superb optics combine to make this the best Vanguard binocular yet. Sharp detailed views across an expansive field of view. Vivid contrast and natural colours with no colour fringing. New SK15 prisms give noticeably brighter view than predecessor. Protective hydrophobic coatings shield lenses and make cleaning a … [Read more...] about Vanguard Endeavor EDIV 10×42 Binocular Review
Hawke Endurance 50 12-36x Spotting Scope Review
Pros: Tiny but robust travel scope with great ergonomics that delivers plenty of optical bang for the buck. Super-portable the Endurance delivers a bright, clear, razor sharp image across a wide field of view at 12x, and remains sharp and detailed (though a little darker, as you'd expect with a 50mm objective) right up to a the max zoom of a very useful 36x.Cons: While … [Read more...] about Hawke Endurance 50 12-36x Spotting Scope Review
