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 October 2013

BLACK REDSTART (Phoenicurus ochruros) Cape Clear Island, Baltimore, Co.Cork, Ireland

 
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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

Tuesday 29 October 2013

ROCK DOVE (Columba livia) Cape Clear Island, Baltimore, Co.Cork, Ireland

 
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 The Rock Dove (Columba livia) is of the family Columbidae which is in the genus Columba.

Sunday 27 October 2013

EURASIAN WIGEON (Male) Anas penelope Rogerstown Estuary, Rush, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 

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EURASIAN WIGEON (Male) Anas penelope Rogerstown Estuary, Rush, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 
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WHOOPER SWAN (Cygnus cygnus) Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Co.Dublin, Ireland

 
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 The Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus) is of the family Anatidae which is in the genus Cygnus and is a winter visitor to northwestern Europe. Two other species of wild swan occurs in Ireland, Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) is a common resident and Bewick's Swan (Cygnus columbianus) is a rare winter visitor.
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

COMMON REDSTART (1st winter) Phoenicurus phoenicurus Cape Clear Island, Baltimore, Co.Cork, Ireland

 
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Thursday 24 October 2013

EUROPEAN TURTLE DOVE (Streptopelia turtur) two juveniles at Ballyieragh South, Cape Clear Island, Baltimore, Co.Cork, Ireland

 
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The European Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur) is a migratory member of the family Columbidae, which includes doves as well as pigeons and is in the genus Streptopelia. It is a  summer breeding resident in Europe (including the Canary Islands), parts of the Middle East, as well as western Asia and north Africa. It is absent as a breeding species from Iceland, Ireland (formally bred) and most of Scandinavia but does occur in spring and autumn as an uncommon/rare overshooting migrant. Over much of its northern range, there has been a very sharp decline in its population. In the autumn, it migrates south to spend the winter in southern Africa.
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Sunday 20 October 2013

EUROPEAN STONECHAT (Saxicola rubicola ssp.hibernans) male Cape Clear Island, Baltimore, Co.Cork, Ireland

 
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The European Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola) is of the chat family Muscicapidae which is in the genus Saxicola. Preferred habitats include rough grassland, sand dunes and heathland where it is typically seen perched on brambles, gorse or shrubs within the breeding area. 
In the temperate part of its range, nesting commences in late March and up to three broods are raised. It is a partial migrant. Populations from the colder regions move to spend the winter in southern Europe and northern Africa. Successive hard winters, as was the case in 2009/10 and 2010/11 caused severe losses in the mainly sedentary northwestern populations
 
There are two subspecies generally recognised: 
  • Saxicola rubicola rubicola - occurs in central, eastern and southern Europe as well as northern Morocco and southeastern Turkey. 
  •  Saxicola rubicola hibernans - occurs in northwestern Europe including Britain, Ireland, France and Norway.
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

WESTERN MARSH HARRIER (Circus aeruginosus) Ballyieragh South, Cape Clear Island; Baltimore, Co.Cork, Ireland

 
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WHINCHAT (Saxicola rubetra) Knockanacohig, Cape Clear Island, Baltimore, Co.Cork, Ireland

 

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Saturday 19 October 2013

COMMON LINNET (Linaria cannabina) adult male in the middle and two juveniles, Ballyieragh South, Cape Clear Island, Baltimore, Co.Cork, Ireland


 
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The Linnet (Linaria cannabina) or Common Linnet is of the family Fringillidae which is in the genus Linaria.
 It derives its name from its fondness for the seeds of the flax plant which is used to make linen. This small finch occurs in Europe as well as Western Asia but is absent from northern latitudes and has a limited distribution in North West Africa and the Middle East. 

There are seven subspecies :
  • Linaria c. autochthona - occurs in Scotland     
  • L. c. cannabina - occurs in the rest of Britain, Ireland also northern Europe, eastwards to central Siberia. It is a partial migrant, wintering in north Africa and southwest Asia
  • L. c. bella - occurs in Middle East, eastwards to Mongolia and northwestern China
  • L. c. mediterranea - occurs on the Iberian Peninsula, Italy, Greece, northwest Africa and on the Mediterranean islands
  • L. c. guentheri - occurs on Madeira Island
  • L. c. meadewaldoi - occurs on the Western Canary Islands (El Hierro, La Gomera, La Palma, Tenerife and Gran Canaria)
  • L. c. harterti - occurs on the Eastern Canary Islands (Lanzarote and Fuerteventura)
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_linnet

FIRECREST (Regulus ignicapilla) Cape Clear Island, Baltimore, Co.Cork, Ireland,

 
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Friday 18 October 2013

YELLOW BROWED WARBLER (Phylloscopus inornatus) Ardgort, Cape Clear Island, Baltimore, Co.Cork, Ireland

 
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The Yellow-browed Warbler (Phylloscopus inornatus) is one of smallest leaf warbler in the genus Phylloscopus. This insectivorous species is a summer breeding resident in the temperate regions of Asia. In the autumn, it migrates south to winter in the tropical regions of south east Asia. Small numbers also winter in western and southern Europe, as far south as the Canary Islands. In Ireland, it is a scarce or rare annual autumn passage migrant to coastal headlands and offshore islands.

Text © Patrick J. O'Keeffe / RawBirds.com

Wednesday 16 October 2013

EURASIAN WREN Troglodytes troglodytes Carhoona, Cape Clear Island, Baltimore, Co.Cork, Ireland

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The Eurasian Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) or simply called Wren is a small passerine in the family Troglodytidae. It has a widespread distribution which stretches in a broad band from Western Europe to Japan in Eastern Asia. It also occurs in North West Africa. The northern population migrates south to winters in the warmer parts of its range. It was formally considered to be a subspecies of the Winter Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) which has now been split into three full species - Eurasian Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes), Pacific Wren (Troglodytes pacificus) is found in western North America and Winter Wren (Troglodytes hiemalis) occurs in eastern North America. 


Monday 7 October 2013

GREY HERON (Ardea cinerea) at Prospect Point, Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 
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The Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) is of the family Ardeidae and is in the genus Ardea It is resident in the temperate regions of Eurasia as well as eastern and sub Saharan Africa. The more northern populations are migratory and move south for the winter. Wetlands are its main habitat and commonly occurs along estuaries, streams, rivers and lakes. Aquatic as well as terrestrial creatures are preyed upon. Prey items include amphibians, insects, reptiles, small mammals and birds which are swallowed whole.
This species nests in tall trees in colonies which are known as heronries. Upto five eggs are laid and are incubated for 25 days. Fledging takes place after 60 days.
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds
 
 Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) distribution map
 Breeding     Resident     Winter     Vagrant      Introduced resident 
 
SanoAK: Alexander Kürthy, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons 

Thursday 3 October 2013

COMMON GREENSHANK (Tringa nebularia) Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, 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