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

Tuesday 30 November 2021

GREAT BLACKED GULL (Larus marinus) 2nd winter, feeding on a Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus) carcass at Faulmore Beach, Faulmore, Mullet Peninsula, Co. Mayo, Ireland

 


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The Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) is of the family Laridae which is in the genus Larus.
 
 
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) distribution map
 
 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/RangeMap_Lmarinus.jpg 
 
 Range_map for Larus marinus based on: Lars Larsson, Birds of the World, 2001, CD-rom Mullarney, K. Svensson, L. Zetterström, D. (1999) Fågelguiden, Europas och medelhavsområdets fåglar i fält. Stockholm: Albert Bonniers förlag David Allen Sibley, The Sibley Guide to Birds, 2000, ISBN 0-679-45122-6  No machine-readable author provided. AHA2 assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons
 Red - Breeding ground        Purple - All year round        Blue - Winter

Saturday 27 November 2021

EUROPEAN STONECHAT (Saxicola rubicola subspecies S. r. hibernans) female at Cross Lough, Mullet Peninsula, Co. Mayo, 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

Monday 22 November 2021

FOX MOTH (Macrothylacia rubi) caterpillar at Blacksod Village, Mullet Peninsula, Co. Mayo, Ireland



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 The Fox Moth (Macrothylacia rubi) is of the family Lasiocampidae which is in the genus Macrothylacia.

Sunday 21 November 2021

COMMON CHIFFCHAFF (Phylloscopus collybita subspecies P. c. collybita) Blacksod Village, Mullet Peninsula, Co. Mayo, Ireland

 
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 The Common Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita) is of the family Phylloscopidae which is in the genus Phylloscopus. This small insectivorous species of leaf warbler is a summer resident from mid March to October which breeds in the northern and temperate regions of Eurasia. In the autumn it migrates south to spend the winter in the Mediterranean Basin, sub Saharan Africa and southwestern Asia. Small numbers also overwinter in northwest Europe.  
There are several subspecies recognised including, Common Chiffchaff (P. c. collybita), Scandinavian Chiffchaff (P. c. abietinus) and Siberian Chiffchaff (P. c. tristis).  
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Wednesday 10 November 2021

SANDERLING (Calidris alba) at Blacksod Harbour, Mullet Peninsula, Co. Mayo, 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

Friday 5 November 2021

MEADOW PIPIT (Anthus pratensis) at Clogher, Mullet Peninsula, Co. Mayo, Ireland


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The Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis) is of the family Motacillidae which is in the genus Anthus.

Thursday 4 November 2021

ROCK PIPIT (Anthus petrosus) at Clogher, Mullet Peninsula, Co. Mayo, Ireland




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The Rock Pipit (Anthus petrosus) is of the family Motacillidae which is in the genus Anthus.