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

Saturday 30 January 2021

YELLOWHAMMER (Emberiza citrinella) female, Turvey Nature Reserve, Donabate, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland


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 The Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) is of the bunting family Emberizidae which is in the genus Emberiza.

Friday 29 January 2021

COMMON REDPOLL (Acanthis flammea subspecies A. f. caberet) male, Turvey Nature Reserve, Donabate, 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 28 January 2021

SONG THRUSH (Turdus philomelos) Turvey Nature Reserve, Donabate, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 
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 The Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos) is of the thrush family Turdidae which is in the genus Turdus.

Wednesday 27 January 2021

EURASIAN BLACKBIRD (Turdus merula) female at Turvey Nature Reserve, Donabate, Fingal, 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.

Tuesday 26 January 2021

COMMON REDPOLL (Acanthis flammea subspecies A. f. caberet) Turvey Nature Reserve, Donabate, 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

Monday 25 January 2021

COMMON LINNET (Linaria cannabina) male in winter plumage, Turvey Nature Reserve, Donabate, Fingal, Co. Dublin, 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

Sunday 24 January 2021

WESTERN JACKDAW (Corvus monedula) Turvey Nature Reserve, Donabate, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland


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 The Western Jackdaw (Corvus monedula) or Eurasian Jackdaw is of the crow family Corvidae which is in the genus Corvus.

Saturday 23 January 2021

DUNNOCK (Prunella modularis) Turvey Nature Reserve, Donabate, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 
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The Dunnock (Prunella modularis) which was formally known as Hedge Sparrow or Hedge Accentor is of the family Prunellidae which is in the genus Prunella. The name Dunnock comes from the ancient English word dunnākos, meaning "little brown one". It occurs in the temperate regions of Europe, parts of Western Asia and as an introduced species in New Zealand. 
 
 Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Friday 22 January 2021

COMMON CHAFFINCH (Fringilla coelebs) male, Turvey Nature Reserve, Donabate, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 
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The Common Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) is a small tree nesting finch in the family Fringillidae which is in the genus Fringilla. It is commonly found throughout Europe (but is absent from Iceland), Western Asia and parts of North Africa. The northern populations are migratory and winters in the southern part of the range. There are many subspecies recognised.
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Thursday 21 January 2021

COMMON LINNET (Linaria cannabina) female, Turvey Nature Reserve, Donabate, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 
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Click external link here for detailed species information
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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

Wednesday 20 January 2021

COMMON LINNET (Linaria cannabina) female, Turvey Nature Reserve, Donabate, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 
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 The Common Linnet  (Linaria cannabina) or more simply known as a Linnet is of the finch family Fringillidae which is in the genus Linaria.

Tuesday 19 January 2021

YELLOWHAMMER (Emberiza citrinella) male, Turvey Nature Reserve, Donabate, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland


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 The Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) is of the bunting family Emberizidae which is in the genus Emberiza.

Monday 18 January 2021

Sunday 17 January 2021

EURASIAN BLACKCAP (Sylvia atricapilla) male, Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland


 
 
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 The Eurasian Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) is of the family Sylviidae which is in the genus Sylvia.

Saturday 16 January 2021

BLACK HEADED GULL (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) adult winter plumage at Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 
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 The Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) is of the family Laridae which is in the genus Chroicocephalus.

Friday 15 January 2021

BLACK HEADED GULL (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) adult winter plumage, Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 
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 The Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) is of the family Laridae which is in the genus Chroicocephalus.

Thursday 14 January 2021

EURASIAN SISKIN (Spinus spinus) male at Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Fingal, Dublin, Ireland

 
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 The Eurasian Siskin (Spinus spinus) is of the family Fringillidae which is in the genus Spinus.

Eurasian Siskin (Spinus spinus) distribution map

Breeding                   Resident                    Non breeding - winter
 
SanoAK: Alexander Kürthy, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Friday 8 January 2021

EURASIAN SISKIN (Spinus spinus) female at Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Fingal, Dublin, Ireland

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 The Eurasian Siskin (Spinus spinus) is of the family Fringillidae which is in the genus Spinus.

Eurasian Siskin (Spinus spinus) distribution map

Breeding                   Resident                    Non breeding - winter
 
SanoAK: Alexander Kürthy, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Wednesday 6 January 2021

EURASIAN SISKIN (Spinus spinus) female drinking from a water butt at Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Fingal, Dublin, Ireland


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 The Eurasian Siskin (Spinus spinus) is of the family Fringillidae which is in the genus Spinus.

Eurasian Siskin (Spinus spinus) distribution map

Breeding                   Resident                    Non breeding - winter
 
SanoAK: Alexander Kürthy, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Monday 4 January 2021

HAIRY HAWKER DRAGONFLY (Brachytron pratense) female, Lullymore West Bog, Lullymore, Co. Kildare, Ireland


 


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The Hairy Hawker Dragonfly is of the family Aeshnidae which is in the genus Brachytron. Alternative names include Hairy Dragonfly and Spring Hawker. It has a scattered distribution in Europe and parts of western Asia. It is absent from Iceland and other northern latitudes. In the warmer part of its range, it is on the wing from late March to early August but has a shorter flight season elsewhere.

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds