For a small island perched on the edge of the north Atlantic, right on the periphery of Europe, Ireland is home to a wonderful array of flora and fauna, and the diverse mosaic of habitats that they call home. As a wildlife and nature enthusiast visiting Ireland, it can all….

I’ve never really been a fan of photo field guides. In the past, I’ve always gravitated towards the more nuanced interpretation of a skilled illustrator to highlight key features, to help me identify birds/animals/plants in the field. While that still largely holds true, photo-guides have come on in leaps and….

The Odonata, dragonflies and damselflies, is one of our most fascinating groups of insects. As adults, they’re comparatively large and highly active, which makes them one of the most noticeable and easiest insect groups to watch.From spring, through summer into autumn, dragonflies and damselflies are on my radar whenever I’m….

Nothing beats a good field-guide when you’re trying to identify a bird you don’t recognise (or a field-guide app perhaps these days). But sometimes a traditional field-guide can feel unwieldy and a little cumbersome, especially for beginners who just need a quick reference to a particular group of birds.Enter the….

If a lifetime of watching wildlife has taught me anything it’s that searching for specific species can be a pretty hit-or-miss affair.That uncertainty is one of the great joys of the natural world: the sense of anticipation, never quite knowing what you might see, makes every sojourn into the outdoors….

One of the best things about birding is that you can do it wherever you happen to find yourself. Whether you’re in your own back garden, travelling to the remotest corners of the globe, or simply popping out to the shops, birds are everywhere, and there’s always the potential of….

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….

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,….

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….

Autumn is a fantastic time for wildlife. Perhaps the best of times. It’s a time of transition, a time of activity and movement as residents prepare for the onset of harsher winter months, summer visitors depart and winter visitors begin to arrive. The cast of Irish wildlife characters is in a state….

Bees have always been a source of fascination for me. I remember as a child spending hours in Dad’s flower borders watching their busy antics, marvelling at the sights and sounds as they buzzed from one flower to the next. Of course I could see there were lots of different kinds of….

Birds have always held a special draw for me. It was a a fascination with birds that first kindled my interest in wildlife as a youngster. I guess you could say that they were my first wildlife love, and while I’m interested in all sorts of wildlife today, birds will always hold a special significance. I….