Bird, bug, butterfly and a wild variety of photos from Belarus, Cyprus, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Scotland and Spain by Irish wildlife photographer Patrick J. O'Keeffe and invited guests

Thursday 31 January 2013

SHORT TOED SNAKE EAGLE Circaetus gallicus Parque Nacional de Doñana, El Rocio, Almonte, Huelva, Andalucía, Spain

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SHORT TOED SNAKE EAGLE Circaetus gallicus Parque Nacional de Doñana, El Rocio, Almonte, Huelva, Andalucía, Spain

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SHORT TOED SNAKE EAGLE Circaetus gallicus Parque Nacional de Doñana, El Rocio, Almonte, Huelva, Andalucía, Spain

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SHORT TOED SNAKE EAGLE Circaetus gallicus Parque Nacional de Doñana, El Rocio, Almonte, Huelva, Andalucía, Spain

 
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SHORT TOED SNAKE EAGLE Circaetus gallicus Parque Nacional de Doñana, El Rocio, Almonte, Huelva, Andalucía, Spain

 
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Wednesday 30 January 2013

LULWORTH SKIPPER BUTTERFLY (Male) Thymelicus acteon El Rocio, Almonte, Huelva, Spain

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PIMELIA BEETLE or DARKLING BEETLE (Pimelia species) at Doñana National Park, Almonte, Huelva, Spain


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Primelia Beetles (Pimelia species) are of the family Tenebrionidae and are in the genus Primelia.
Also refereed to by the more general name Darkling Beetles which includes other types of ground beetles. This
flightless diurnal species occurs in warmer climates and is exclusively found in sand dunes and deserts. In the heat of the day they burrow down into the sand to avoid dehydration and emerge in the early morning or late evening to feed on dead or decaying matter.

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds
  
 

Monday 28 January 2013

BOHEMIAN WAXWING (Bombycilla garrulus) Glasnevin, Co Dublin, Ireland

 
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The Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) is of the family Bombycillidae which is in the genus Bombycilla.  
This eruptive species breeds in the coniferous forests of North America and Eurasia. Northern populations migrate to spend the winter in the southern parts of its home range. In years when there is a poor winter berry crop in northern latitudes, all of the population disperses further south and can be found either singly or in flocks feeding on berries or rose hips in parks, gardens and along hedgerows. In Ireland, Bohemian Waxwing is an irregular or scarce winter visitor from Scandinavia.
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

BOHEMIAN WAXWING (Bombycilla garrulus) Glasnevin, Co Dublin, Ireland


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The Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) is of the family Bombycillidae which is in the genus Bombycilla.  
This eruptive species breeds in the coniferous forests of North America and Eurasia. Northern populations migrate to spend the winter in the southern parts of its home range. In years when there is a poor winter berry crop in northern latitudes, all of the population disperses further south and can be found either singly or in flocks feeding on berries or rose hips in parks, gardens and along hedgerows. In Ireland, Bohemian Waxwing is an irregular or scarce winter visitor from Scandinavia.
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

BOHEMIAN WAXWING (Bombycilla garrulus) Glasnevin, Co Dublin, Ireland

 
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Click external link here for detailed species information
Click external link here to see distribution map and to hear calls
 
The Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) is of the family Bombycillidae which is in the genus Bombycilla.  
This eruptive species breeds in the coniferous forests of North America and Eurasia. Northern populations migrate to spend the winter in the southern parts of its home range. In years when there is a poor winter berry crop in northern latitudes, all of the population disperses further south and can be found either singly or in flocks feeding on berries or rose hips in parks, gardens and along hedgerows. In Ireland, Bohemian Waxwing is an irregular or scarce winter visitor from Scandinavia.
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

BOHEMIAN WAXWING (Bombycilla garrulus) Glasnevin, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 
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Click external link here for detailed species information
Click external link here to see distribution map and to hear calls
 
The Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) is of the family Bombycillidae which is in the genus Bombycilla.  
This eruptive species breeds in the coniferous forests of North America and Eurasia. Northern populations migrate to spend the winter in the southern parts of its home range. In years when there is a poor winter berry crop in northern latitudes, all of the population disperses further south and can be found either singly or in flocks feeding on berries or rose hips in parks, gardens and along hedgerows. In Ireland, Bohemian Waxwing is an irregular or scarce winter visitor from Scandinavia.
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Sunday 27 January 2013

EURASIAN BLACKBIRD (Turdus merula) male at Glasnevin, Co. Dublin, Ireland

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 The Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula) or more simply known as a Blackbird is of the thrush family Turdidae which is in the genus Turdus.

EURASIAN BLACKBIRD (Turdus merula) female at Glasnevin, Co. Dublin, Ireland

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 The Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula) or more simply known as a Blackbird is of the thrush family Turdidae which is in the genus Turdus.

Friday 25 January 2013

SPOTTED REDSHANK Tringa erythropus

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SPOTTED REDSHANK Tringa erythropus

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COMMON REDPOLL (Acanthis flammea subspecies A. f. caberet) Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 
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 The Common Redpoll (Acanthis flammea) or more simply known as a Redpoll is of the finch family Fringillidae which is in the genus Acanthis. 
 There are several subspecies recognised including the Lesser Redpoll (Acanthis flammea caberet) which is resident in Ireland and Britain. It also breeds in Central Europe and Southern Scandinavia where it is a partial migrant, which moves south and west to more temperate regions for the winter.

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Thursday 24 January 2013

COMMON REDPOLL (Acanthis flammea subspecies A. f. caberet) Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 
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 The Common Redpoll (Acanthis flammea) or more simply known as a Redpoll is of the finch family Fringillidae which is in the genus Acanthis. 
 There are several subspecies recognised including the Lesser Redpoll (Acanthis flammea caberet) which is resident in Ireland and Britain. It also breeds in Central Europe and Southern Scandinavia where it is a partial migrant, which moves south and west to more temperate regions for the winter.

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

COMMON REDPOLL (Acanthis flammea subspecies A. f. caberet) Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 
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Click here to see distribution map and to hear calls

 The Common Redpoll (Acanthis flammea) or more simply known as a Redpoll is of the finch family Fringillidae which is in the genus Acanthis. 
 There are several subspecies recognised including the Lesser Redpoll (Acanthis flammea caberet) which is resident in Ireland and Britain. It also breeds in Central Europe and Southern Scandinavia where it is a partial migrant, which moves south and west to more temperate regions for the winter.

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Tuesday 22 January 2013

GREEN VEINED WHITE BUTTERFLY (Pieris napi) Belarus

 
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The Green-veined White Butterfly (Pieris napi) is of the family Pieridae which is in the genus Pieris. It commonly occurs in Eurasia as well as North America. This species is on the wing from March to October, over several generations. There are a number of subspecies recognised. It hibernates during the winter as a chrysalis.

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

MARSH FROG Pelophylax ridibundus

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Sunday 20 January 2013

WOOD SANDPIPER (Tringa glareola) Pripyat River, Turov, Homiel Province, Belarus


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The Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola) is a medium sized shorebird or wader of the family Scolopacidae which is in the genus Tringa. It is a summer resident which breeds across a wide band that stretches from the uplands of Scotland, where 10 to 25 pairs breed annually, to Scandinavia eastward to the Pacific coast of Asia. This long distant migrant spends the winter in sub Saharan Africa, southern Asia and parts of Australia. During spring and autumn, it is irregularly encountered outside its normal range as a scarce or rare overshooting migrant. 

Text © Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds.com

YELLOW LEGGED TORTOISESHELL BUTTERFLY (Nymphalis xanthomelas) Pripyat Marshes, Gomel Region, Belarus

 
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The Yellow Legged Tortoiseshell Butterfly (Nymphalis xanthomelas) is of the family Nymphalidae which is in the genus Nymphalis. 

Wednesday 16 January 2013

DOCK BUG (Coreus marginatus) Belarus


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The Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus) is of the family Coreidae which is in the genus Coreus.

BARN SWALLOW Hirundo rustica) Belarus

 
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  The Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) is of the family Hirundinae which is in the genus Hirundo . It is a summer resident which breeds in the Northern Hemisphere. There are small sedentary populations in some of the tropical parts of this range but during the summer it is mainly absent from the Indian sub-continent and South East Asia. This common and widespread insectivorous species feeds exclusively on small flies and midges. 
In late autumn with the onset of colder weather, when its prey items begin to diminish, it migrates south to its wintering areas. The North American population winters in Central and South America. The Eurasian population winters in sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian sub-continent, South East Asia and parts of Northern Australia. In early spring the return migration north begins. At least races are recognised.  
There are 74 species of hirundines which includes Swallows and Martins. In additional, the only known record of the Red Sea Cliff Swallow (Hirundo perdita) was of one found dead at Sanganeb Lighthouse, Sudan in May 1984.

  Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Tuesday 15 January 2013

BARN SWALLOW Hirundo rustica Belarus

 
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  The Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) is of the family Hirundinae which is in the genus Hirundo . It is a summer resident which breeds in the Northern Hemisphere. There are small sedentary populations in some of the tropical parts of this range but during the summer it is mainly absent from the Indian sub-continent and South East Asia. This common and widespread insectivorous species feeds exclusively on small flies and midges. 
In late autumn with the onset of colder weather, when its prey items begin to diminish, it migrates south to its wintering areas. The North American population winters in Central and South America. The Eurasian population winters in sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian sub-continent, South East Asia and parts of Northern Australia. In early spring the return migration north begins. At least races are recognised.  
There are 74 species of hirundines which includes Swallows and Martins. In additional, the only known record of the Red Sea Cliff Swallow (Hirundo perdita) was of one found dead at Sanganeb Lighthouse, Sudan in May 1984.

  Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds