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

Friday 28 February 2014

(DESERT) LESSER WHITETHROAT (Sylvia curruca Subspecies S. c. halimodendr)i Drogheda, Co Louth, 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 Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca) is a common summer resident in the temperate regions of western/central Asia and Europe but is absent as a breeding species from the Iberian Peninsula, Iceland, Ireland and northern Scandinavia. Three races are generally recognised, the European Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca curruca), the Siberian Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca blythii) and the Desert Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca halimodendri).This mainly insectivorous warbler also eats soft skinned berries. In the autumn, it migrates south to spend the winter in sub Saharan Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and the Indian sub-continent. In Europe, it's expanding its range north wards. In Ireland, it's an uncommon but regular spring and autumn passage migrant on coastal headlands as well as off shore islands and in recent years breeding has been suspected at a couple of locations in the south east. Text © www.rawbirds.com

Sunday 23 February 2014

GREAT CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax carbo) at Port Oriel, Clogherhead, Co Louth, Ireland

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 subspecies P. c. sinensis) Port Oriel, Clogherhead, Co Louth, Ireland

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

Wednesday 19 February 2014

GREAT NORTHERN DIVER or COMMON LOON (Gavia immer) Port Oriel, Clogherhead, Co Louth, Ireland

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

 
The Great Northern Diver or Common Loon (Gavia immer) is of the family Gaviidae which is in genus Gavia

Monday 17 February 2014

GREAT NORTHERN DIVER or COMMON LOON (Gavia immer) Port Oriel, Clogherhead, Co Louth, Ireland

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

The Great Northern Diver or Common Loon (Gavia immer) is of the family Gaviidae which is in genus Gavia.

Tuesday 4 February 2014

LITTLE GREBE or DABCHICK (Tachybaptus ruficollis) adult in winter plumage, Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 
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 Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) or more commonly known as Dabchick, is a small waterbird in the family Podicipedidae which is in the genus Tachybaptus. Nine subspecies are generally recognised whose range extends in a band over most of Europe across southern and eastern Asia. It also occurs in northern and sub Saharan Africa. Worldwide there were 23 species of grebe but Alaotra Grebe (Tachybaptus rufolavatus), which was last seen in 1985 at Lake Alaotra in Madagascar, is now considered to be extinct. 

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

LITTLE GREBE or DABCHICK (Tachybaptus ruficollis) 1st winter plumage Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 
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 Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) or more commonly known as Dabchick, is a small waterbird in the family Podicipedidae which is in the genus Tachybaptus. Nine subspecies are generally recognised whose range extends in a band over most of Europe across southern and eastern Asia. It also occurs in northern and sub Saharan Africa. Worldwide there were 23 species of grebe but Alaotra Grebe (Tachybaptus rufolavatus), which was last seen in 1985 at Lake Alaotra in Madagascar, is now considered to be extinct. 

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds