Top 10 Garden Bird winter activities
Top 10 Garden Bird winter activities. Why not get working on a list of activities to brighten up the shorter winter hours of daylight? You can even carry on into the night [...]
Interview: Oran O’Sullivan talks to the RTE Guide
Donal O’Donoghue of the RTE Guide interviews Oran O’Sullivan, co-author of Ireland’s Garden Birds and principal of Irish Garden Birds.ie First published in 2008, Ireland’s Garden Birds has become a bible for birdwatchers and bird lovers [...]
Robin or Bullfinch for Christmas?
Robin (c. Oran O'Sullivan) Driving down our unlit muddy lane, on increasingly dark mornings an hour before sunrise, I have to be careful not to collide with least two Robins, [...]
Irish Garden Bird Survey gains pace.
Traditionally, the Irish Garden Bird Survey gains pace after Christmas when birds find food and shelter in scarce supply. Between now and the end of February are the peak feeding and viewing [...]
Wicklow Barn Owl Group – The story so far!
Wicklow Barn Owl Group – The story so far! The Barn Owl is one of our most easily recognisable birds and hold a special place in the hearts of the Irish public. [...]
All about Sunflowers
All about Sunflowers Sunflower seeds come from the familiar flowering seed heads of sunflower plants. The seed develops as the flower dies off at the end of the summer. To grow on a [...]
Dawn Chorus: rise with the Lark.
Dawn Chorus: rise with the lark! In late April and early May sunrise is at about 06.00, not too early to be up and about for most folk. There’s a [...]
Bird of the Month, Blackbird
Blackbird – Turdus merula Ranks Number 2 in the Garden Bird Survey, seen in 98% of Irish gardens surveyed. Length: 25cm Wingspan: 34-39cm Weight: 80-100g Average Lifespan: 3 years Sound Recording: The Blackbird is a familiar sight around [...]
A Kestrel for a Knave
A Kestrel for a Knave the novel by English author Barry Hines was published back in 1968. Set in an mining town in Northern England, the book follows Billy Casper, a young [...]
The Cuckoo: cheating by nature
The most iconic sound of late spring is undoubtedly that of the calling Cuckoo, one of the most talked about in the countryside. Traditional letter writing to the national newspapers recording the [...]
High Season for Long Eared Owls
Young Long Eared Owl (c. Aidan G Kelly) This is the high season for observing Long eared Owls. One of the highlights of mid summer (and there are many), is [...]
Swift Champions
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Starling Murmurations
Coilin Mac Lochlainn reports on the winter phenomenon that is a Starling Murmuration I went to Nobber, Co Meath, in February 2019 to view a Starling Murmuration and to try to [...]
Blackbirds, Blackcaps and Blackberries.
Blackbirds, Blackcaps and Blackberries; the autumn bounty Robins and Blackbirds have a common behavioural trait: In Ireland, they are both established garden dwellers. By contrast, in Europe these two Irish garden favourites [...]
All about Sunflowers
All about Sunflowers Sunflower seeds come from the familiar flowering seed heads of sunflower plants. The seed develops as the flower dies off at the end of the summer. To grow on a [...]
The Wicklow Swift project
WICKLOW SWIFT PROJECT FOR HERITAGE WEEK The Wicklow Swift project is playing its part in protecting the swift population in Ireland which is under serious threat due to the loss of [...]
Swifts go to Gaol.
Interview By David Medcalf, Wicklow People, 18th June 2020. They are really remarkable little creatures. Small enough to fit through a hole the size of crème egg, swifts unravel their wings [...]
Gardening for Biodiversity: Create a Wildlife Haven
New guide shows how to look after wildlife in your garden Gardening for Biodiversity is a new 40 page booklet to assist everyone to help wildlife in their gardens, no matter how [...]
October Rowan Fest
In early autumn, from late July onwards, Blackbirds take to the shrubs and bushes, often appearing clumsy on outer branches, laden with fruit. They are attracted to the procession of ripening berries [...]
Ashford Honey Festival, enjoying the buzz.
The third Ashford Honey Festival took place on Saturday, 21st September in the Seamus Heaney Community Centre, Ashford, Co Wicklow. www.wicklowbees.com Eanna Ní Lamhna enjoys the festival with the Irish Garden Birds [...]
Birds on a Wire
Two Juvenile Swallows (c. Oran O'Sullivan) After a reasonable summer, the telegraph wires are beginning to fill up with chattering Swallows and Martins: I certainly get the impression that the move south [...]
House Martins, master builders?
House Martins gather up mud (c.Oran O'Sullivan) Summer showers, heavy but not too prolonged, are ideal weather conditions in an otherwise dry, hot summer for two of our summer visitors. Swallow and [...]
Swifts return
Perhaps the most iconic and intriguing of our urban bird species, Swifts are a small migratory bird that visit Ireland each year to nest. They travel from southern Africa where they have [...]
Knocking on Wood
Knocking on Wood: a Great Spotted Woodpecker (c. OOS) That precious extra hour or so of winter ending daylight is really noticable now, especially when the weather is dry and bright. Though [...]