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

Monday 30 September 2013

BAR TAILED GODWIT Limosa lapponica

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BLACK TAILED GODWIT (Limosa limosa ssp. islandica) at the Horse Marsh, Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

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The Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) is of the family Scolopacidae which is in the genus Limosa. This large, long-legged and long-billed shorebird's breeding range extends from Iceland through central Europe as well as central and northeastern Asia. In the autumn, it migrates south to spend the winter in southern and western Europe, sub Saharan Africa, southern Asia and parts of coastal Australia. The species breeds in fens, damp meadows, moorlands and bogs. In the winter, it occurs on estuaries, lake shores, and in damp coastal fields.
 
There are three subspecies recognised; 
  •  Icelandic Black-tailed Godwit - (Limosa limosa islandica) 
  • European Black-tailed Godwit - (Limosa limosa limosa) 
  • Asian Black-tailed Godwit - (Limosa limosa melanuroides)

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds
 
Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) distribution map
 
LimosalimosaWorldDistribution.jpg
Yellow breeding     Blue wintering     Green breeding resident
 
J. Schroeder, CC BY-SA 2.5 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5>, via Wikimedia Commons

Sunday 29 September 2013

RUFF (Calidris pugnax) Juvenile male, Big Marsh, Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 
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The Ruff (Calidris pugnax) is a medium sized shorebird or wader of the sandpiper family Scolopacidae which is in the genus Calidris.

RUFF (Calidris pugnax) Juvenile female, Big Marsh, Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 
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The Ruff (Calidris pugnax) is a medium sized shorebird or wader of the sandpiper family Scolopacidae which is in the genus Calidris.

RUFF (Calidris pugnax) two juveniles, larger male on left with female, Big Marsh, Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 
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The Ruff (Calidris pugnax) is a medium sized shorebird or wader of the sandpiper family Scolopacidae which is in the genus Calidris.

RUFF (Calidris pugnax) adult in winter plumage, Big Marsh, Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 
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The Ruff (Calidris pugnax) is a medium sized shorebird or wader of the sandpiper family Scolopacidae which is in the genus Calidris.

RUFF (Calidris pugnax) adult male in winter plumage, Big Marsh, Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 
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The Ruff (Calidris pugnax) is a medium sized shorebird or wader of the sandpiper family Scolopacidae which is in the genus Calidris.

Friday 20 September 2013

COMMON REDSHANK (Tringa totanus) Rogerstown Estuary, Rush, Co.Dublin, Ireland

 
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The Common Redshank (Tringa totanus) is of the family Scolopacidae which is in the genus Tringa.

Thursday 12 September 2013

RUDDY TURNSTONE (Arenaria interpres) x 2 and COMMON REDSHANK (Tringa totanus) scavenging on a fish carcass, Loughshinny Harbour, Loughshinny, Fingal, Co.Dublin, Ireland

 
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Click external link here for detailed Common Redshank information
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The Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) is of the family Scolopacidae  which is in the genus Arenaria.
The Common Redshank (Tringa totanus) is of the family Scolopacidae  which is in the genus Tringa.

Sunday 8 September 2013

NEW HOLLAND HONEYEATER (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae) The Gap, Sydney Harbour National Park, Watsons Bay, Sydney, NSW, Australia

 
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The New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae) is of the family Meliphagidae which is in the genus Phylidonyris. It is endemic to Australia and occurs in a band that extends across the southern coast.
This species obtains its carbohydrate requirements by feeding on nectar from a wide variety of flowers as well as flowering shrubs and is the primary pollinator of some of these plants. In addition it preys upon insects and spiders to provide its proteins needs. 
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds 

THE GAP, SYDNEY HARBOUR NATIONAL PARK Watsons Bay, NWS, Australia

 
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Saturday 7 September 2013

BLACK BELLIED (GREY) PLOVER (Juvenile plumage) Pluvialis squatarola Broadmeadow Estuary, Corballis, Fingal, Donabate, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 
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Juvenile Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) also known as Grey Plover in Europe at the high tide roost on the outer part of the Broadmeadow Estuary.

COMMON GREENSHANK (Tringa nebularia) Broadmeadow Estuary, Corballis, Donabate, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 
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The Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia) is a medium sized sandpiper of the family Scolopacidae which is in the genus Tringa. The breeding range of this wader or shorebird extends from northern Scotland eastwards across northern Europe and Asia. This migratory species winters in sub Saharan Africa, the Indian subcontinent and Australasia. In addition, small numbers overwinter along the coasts of northwest Africa and northwest Europe including Britain and Ireland.
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds
 
 Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia) distribution map
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/TringaNebulariaIUCNver2018_2.png 
 
 Breeding           Passage           Non-breeding-winter           Vagrant  
 
SanoAK: Alexander Kürthy, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons 

COMMON REDSHANK (Tringa totanus) Rogerstown Estuary, Rush, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 
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The Common Redshank (Tringa totanus) is of the family Scolopacidae which is in the genus Tringa.

Wednesday 4 September 2013

BLACK DARTER DRAGONFLY or BLACK MEADOWHAWK DRAGONFLY (Sympetrum danae) female Abbeyleix Bog (Killamuck Bog), Co. Laois, Ireland

 
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The Black Darter Dragonfly (Sympetrum danae) is of the family Libellulidae which is in the genus Sympetrum. It occurs in northern Eurasia as well as parts of North America where it is know as Black Meadowhawk Dragonfly. The flight season is from July to September.
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

BLACK DARTER DRAGONFLY or BLACK MEADOWHAWK DRAGONFLY (Sympetrum danae) male Abbeyleix Bog, (Killamuck Bog), Co. Laois, Ireland

 
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The Black Darter Dragonfly (Sympetrum danae) is of the family Libellulidae which is in the genus Sympetrum. It occurs in northern Eurasia as well as parts of North America where it is know as Black Meadowhawk Dragonfly. The flight season is from July to September.
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Sunday 1 September 2013

LITTLE STINT (Juvenile) (Calidris minuta) Gormanston Beach, Gormanston, Co Meath, Ireland

 
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In Ireland, the Little Stint (Calidris minuta) is a uncommon spring and a scarce autumn  passage migrant  which breeds in the Arctic and winters in sub Saharan Africa

SANDERLING (Calidris alba) juvenile at Gormanston Beach, Gormanston, Co. Meath, Ireland

 
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   The Sanderling (Calidris alba) is of the family Scolopacidae which is in the genus Calidris. It breeds in the Arctic tundra regions of North America and Asia. This small shorebird winters on the coastal beaches of southern North America, South America, Western Europe, Africa, southern Asia and Australia. It also occurs as a spring and autumn passage migrant at inland locations.
 Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds