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

Sunday 23 June 2013

EUROPEAN GREENFINCH [Male] (Carduelis chloris) Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Fingal, Co Dublin, Ireland


CLICK ON PHOTO TO SEE HIGHER QUALITY IMAGE
Click here for detailed species information
Click here to see distribution map and to hear calls

The European Greenfinch (Chloris chloris) is a small passerine of the finch family Fringillidae which is in the genus Chlori. It has a widespread distribution in Europe, northern Africa and southwestern Asia. It  also occurs as an introduced species in parts of Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and Uruguay. Before the onset of winter, northern populations migrate to the more temperate areas of its range. In recent times, there has been a dramatic decline in numbers due to the spread of trichomonosis disease that effects the digestive system which results in mortality.

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

SIX SPOT BURNET MOTH (Zygaena filipendulae) The Burrow, Portrane, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

CLICK ON PHOTO TO SEE HIGHER QUALITY IMAGE
Click here for detailed species information

Wednesday 19 June 2013

FIRECREST Regulus ignicapilla Fuente Dé, Picos de Europa, Cantabria, Spain

CLICK ON PHOTO TO SEE HIGHER QUALITY IMAGE

RED VEINED DARTER DRAGONFLY Sympetrum fonscolombii Laguna Fuentes de Nava, Palencia, Spain

CLICK ON PHOTO TO SEE HIGHER QUALITY IMAGE
Click here for detailed species information

BLACK REDSTART (Phoenicurus ochruros) Fuente Dé, Picos de Europa, Cantabria, Spain

 
CLICK ON PHOTO TO SEE HIGHER QUALITY IMAGE
Click here for detailed species information
Click here to see distribution map and to hear calls

The Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) is a small perching bird in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae which is the genus Phoenicurus. It is a locally common resident in central and southern Europe and northern Africa. It also occurs in western and central Asia. In the warmer parts of its range it is sedentary. The northern populations migrate in the autumn to spend the winter in southern and western Europe, northern Africa and the Indian sub continent. 

Text © www.rawbirds.com

Saturday 15 June 2013

PYGMY CORMORANT Microcarbo pygmaeus BSPB, Poda Nature Reserve, Burgas, Black Sea Coast, Bulgaria

CLICK ON PHOTO TO SEE HIGHER QUALITY IMAGE

PYGMY CORMORANT Microcarbo pygmaeus BSPB, Poda Nature Reserve, Burgas, Black Sea Coast, Bulgaria

CLICK ON PHOTO TO SEE HIGHER QUALITY IMAGE

CONTINENTAL CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax carbo subspecies P. c. sinensis) two adults at Poda Nature Reserve, Burgas, Bulgaria

CLICK ON PHOTO TO SEE HIGHER QUALITY IMAGE
Click external link here for detailed species information
 Click external link here to see distribution map and to hear calls
 
The Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) is of the family Phalacrocoracidae which is in the genus Phalacrocorax. It has a scattered distribution in parts of North America, Eurasia, Africa and Australasia. 
There are a number subspecies recognised including the ground nesting Common Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo carbo) which occurs in Britain and Ireland that breeds on coastal rocky outcrops and on off shore islands.  The tree nesting Continental Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis) which breeds in Northern Europe extending eastwards to Japan, but has in recent times colonised parts of southern Britain. This is apparently a rare subspecies in Ireland with less than 70 records but is in all probably under recorded.
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

CONTINENTAL CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax carbo ssp. P. c. sinensis) Poda Nature Reserve, Burgas, Bulgaria

CLICK ON PHOTO TO SEE HIGHER QUALITY IMAGE
Click external link here for detailed species information
 Click external link here to see distribution map and to hear calls
 
The Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) is of the family Phalacrocoracidae which is in the genus Phalacrocorax. It has a scattered distribution in parts of North America, Eurasia, Africa and Australasia. 
There are a number subspecies recognised including the ground nesting Common Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo carbo) which occurs in Britain and Ireland that breeds on coastal rocky outcrops and on off shore islands.  The tree nesting Continental Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis) which breeds in Northern Europe extending eastwards to Japan, but has in recent times colonised parts of southern Britain. This is apparently a rare subspecies in Ireland with less than 70 records but is in all probably under recorded.
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Monday 10 June 2013

SQUACCO HERON (Ardeola ralloides) Kalloni Saltpans, Kalloni, Lesvos Island, Greece


CLICK ON PHOTO TO SEE HIGHER QUALITY IMAGE
Click here for detailed species information
Click here to see distribution map and to hear calls

The Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides) is resident south of the Sahara Desert in western, eastern and south eastern Africa, including Madagascar. There is also a small population in Morocco and Tunisia on the North West African coast. This small heron occurs as a summer resident in central and southern Europe as well as in western central Asia. In the autumn, it migrates back to Africa to spend the winter months there. Its diet includes frogs, lizards, small fish and a wide variety of invertebrates. Text © www.rawbirds.com

EUROPEAN MOLE CRICKET Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa Skala Kallonis, Lesvos Island, Greece

 
CLICK ON IMAGE TO SEE HIGHER QUALITY PHOTO
Click here for detailed species information

Sunday 9 June 2013

BLACK STORK (Ciconia nigra) Kalloni Salt Pans, Lesvos Island, Greece

 
CLICK ON PHOTO TO SEE HIGHER QUALITY IMAGE  
Click external link here for detailed species information
Click external link here to see distribution map and to hear calls
 
The Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) is of the family Ciconiidae which is in the genus Ciconia.

BLACK STORK (Ciconia nigra) Kalloni Saltpans, Kalloni, Lesvos Island, Greece

 
CLICK ON PHOTO TO SEE HIGHER QUALITY IMAGE  
Click external link here for detailed species information
Click external link here to see distribution map and to hear calls
 
The Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) is of the family Ciconiidae which is in the genus Ciconia.

Thursday 6 June 2013

PEACOCK BUTTERFLY (Aglais io) at Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

CLICK ON PHOTO TO SEE HIGHER QUALITY IMAGE
Click external link here for detailed species information

The Peacock Butterfly (Aglais io) is of the family Nymphalidae which is in the genus Aglais. It overwinters as an adult with its wings closed and the dark cryptic under wing pattern help it avoid detection by predators.
 
 Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Wednesday 5 June 2013

GIANT PEACOCK MOTH (Saturnia pyri) Lesvos Island, Greece


CLICK ON PHOTO TO SEE HIGHER QUALITY IMAGE
Click external link here for detailed species information

The Giant Peacock Moth (Saturnia pyri) is of the family Saturniidae which is in the genus Saturnia. It occurs in southern and central Europe, parts of North Africa as well as western, central and eastern Asia. This is the largest species of moth found in Europe with a wing span of up to 20cm.

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds