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

Showing posts with label Birds of Dublin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Birds of Dublin. Show all posts

Saturday 9 April 2022

RUDDY TURNSTONE (Arenaria interpres) at East Pier, Howth, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland


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The Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) is of the family Scolopacidae which is in the genus Arenaria.

Thursday 31 March 2022

BRENT GOOSE or PALE BELLIED BRENT GOOSE (Branta bernicla subspecies B. b. hrota) a family party, [two adults, 1st on left and 2nd right plus three 1st winters] at Howth Harbour, Howth, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland


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The Brent Goose (Branta bernicla), also known as Brant Goose in North America, is of the family Anatidae which is in the genus Branta.
 
There are three subspecies generally recognised:
        • Dark-bellied Brent Goose (B. b. bernicla) or Dark-bellied Brant in North America
        • Pale-bellied Brent Goose (B. b. hrota) or Atlantic Brant in North America
        • Black Brant Goose (B. b. nigricans) or the Pacific Brant in North America
It has also been suggested by some that the so called Grey-bellied Brent Goose be recognised as a subspecies. 

Patrick J.O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Sunday 3 October 2021

GLOSSY IBIS (Plegadis falcinellus) adult from 29th September to 14th October 2021 at Turvey Nature Reserve, Donabate, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland


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The Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) is a large wading bird of the family Threskiornithidae which is in the genus Plegadis. This nomadic species breeds in the warmer regions of North America, Eurasia, Africa and Australia.
This individual was first reported in 2020 on 12th August at North Bull Island and then at Balbriggan Golf Course on various dates from 20th to 27th September as well as at Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords on 26th and 29th September. There were no further reports until 29th September 2021 when it was relocated at Turvey Nature Reserve, Donabate and remained there until at least 14th October, data per www.irishbirding.com 
There are 23 previous Co. Dublin records, the first of which was from Balrothery in October or November 1840. There are just over 500 Irish records. 
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds
 
Reference:
A List of Some Rarer Birds in Dublin version 5.2  by Joe Hobbs (download pdf here)

Thursday 8 April 2021

EURASIAN BLACKCAP (Sylvia atricapilla) a minimum of ten males in song today, Turvey Nature Reserve, Donabate, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland


 
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 The Eurasian Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) or more simply known as a Blackcap s of the family Sylviidae which is in the genus Sylvia.

Tuesday 16 February 2021

EURASIAN CURLEW (Numenius arquata) Turvey Nature Reserve, Donabate, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland


 
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 The Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata) is of the family Scolopacidae which is in the genus Numenius.

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

Wednesday 12 March 2014

RUDDY TURNSTONE (Arenaria interpres) in transition from winter to summer plumage, Bullock Harbour, Dalkey, Co Dublin, Ireland

 
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The Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) is of the family Scolopacidae which is in the genus Arenaria.

Thursday 6 March 2014

GREAT CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax carbo) adult summer plumage at Bullock Harbour, Harbour Road, Dalkey, Co. Dublin, Ireland

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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

Monday 3 March 2014

MEDITERRANEAN GULL (Ichthyaetus melanocephalus) in 2nd winter or 3rd year plumage at Bullock Harbour, Harbour Road, Dalkey, Co. Dublin, Ireland

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 The Mediterranean Gull (Ichthyaetus melanocephalus) is of the family Laridae which is in the genus Ichthyaetus. This species has greatly expanded its range in the last 60 years from Eastern Europe. 
The first breeding record for Britain was in 1968 and now in excess of 1200 pairs breed. In 1995 a pair was discovered breeding in Co. Antrim and the following year a pair bred in Co. Wexford. Since then the Irish population has gradually increased to over 60 pairs. In the autumn there is an influx of continental birds from Europe for the winter which has been proven by colour ringing and then a return migration takes place in late spring.
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds
 
 Mediterranean Gull (Ichthyaetus melanocephalus) distribution map

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

MEDITERRANEAN GULL (Ichthyaetus melanocephalus) adult in transition to summer plumage at Bullock Harbour, Harbour Road, Dalkey, Co. Dublin, Ireland

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 The Mediterranean Gull (Ichthyaetus melanocephalus) is of the family Laridae which is in the genus Ichthyaetus. This species has greatly expanded its range in the last 60 years from Eastern Europe. 
The first breeding record for Britain was in 1968 and now in excess of 1200 pairs breed. In 1995 a pair was discovered breeding in Co. Antrim and the following year a pair bred in Co. Wexford. Since then the Irish population has gradually increased to over 60 pairs. In the autumn there is an influx of continental birds from Europe for the winter which has been proven by colour ringing and then a return migration takes place in late spring.
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds
 
 Mediterranean Gull (Ichthyaetus melanocephalus) distribution map

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

Sunday 2 March 2014

MEDITERRANEAN GULL (Ichthyaetus melanocephalus) adult on 01-03-2014 in winter plumage with a colour ring, Green AKAJ [which was fitted as a nestling in July 2011 on a flat roof at Hamburg-Moorfleet, Germany / 53° 30' N 10° 05' E] at Bullock Harbour, Harbour Road, Dalkey, Co. Dublin, Ireland

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Click external link here for detailed species information
Click external link
here to see distribution map and to hear calls

 The Mediterranean Gull (Ichthyaetus melanocephalus) is of the family Laridae which is in the genus Ichthyaetus. This species has greatly expanded its range in the last 60 years from Eastern Europe. 
The first breeding record for Britain was in 1968 and now in excess of 1200 pairs breed. In 1995 a pair was discovered breeding in Co. Antrim and the following year a pair bred in Co. Wexford. Since then the Irish population has gradually increased to over 60 pairs. In the autumn there is an influx of continental birds from Europe for the winter which has been proven by colour ringing and then a return migration takes place in late spring.
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds
 
 Mediterranean Gull (Ichthyaetus melanocephalus) distribution map

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

MEDITERRANEAN GULL (Ichthyaetus melanocephalus) adult on 01-03-2014 in winter plumage with a colour ring, Green AKAJ [which was fitted as a nestling in July 2011 on a flat roof at Hamburg-Moorfleet, Germany / 53° 30' N 10° 05' E] at Bullock Harbour, Harbour Road, Dalkey, Co. Dublin, Ireland

Click external link here for detailed species information
Click external link
here to see distribution map and to hear calls

 The Mediterranean Gull (Ichthyaetus melanocephalus) is of the family Laridae which is in the genus Ichthyaetus. This species has greatly expanded its range in the last 60 years from Eastern Europe. 
The first breeding record for Britain was in 1968 and now in excess of 1200 pairs breed. In 1995 a pair was discovered breeding in Co. Antrim and the following year a pair bred in Co. Wexford. Since then the Irish population has gradually increased to over 60 pairs. In the autumn there is an influx of continental birds from Europe for the winter which has been proven by colour ringing and then a return migration takes place in late spring.
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds
 
 Mediterranean Gull (Ichthyaetus melanocephalus) distribution map

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

Tuesday 4 February 2014

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

 
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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

Sunday 22 September 2013

BLACK HEADED GULL (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) first winter or first calender plumage, Skerries Harbour, Skerries, 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.

Saturday 7 September 2013

Saturday 31 August 2013

SHORT EARED OWL (Asio flammeus) Turvey Nature Reserve, Donabate, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 
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    The Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) is a member of the owl family Strigidae which is in the genius Asio. It occurs on all continents except Australia and Antarctica. Worldwide, there are 216 species of owl. 
    In Ireland, it is mainly a scarce winter visitor to northern, eastern and southern coastal locations. Historically, the absence of voles from the Irish landscape has prevented it from becoming a breeding resident. Elsewhere in Europe, breeding success is heavily dependent upon an abundance of voles which is an important prey item fed to young owlets. Probably as a result of accidental introduction, Bank Vole (Myodes glareolus) has now become established in southwestern Ireland and subsequently this species of owl has bred on a number of occasions in that region. 
    More recently, a small breeding population of Short-eared Owl has become established in northeastern Ireland.
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

SANDWICH TERN (Thalasseus sandvicensis) Skerries, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 
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In Europe, Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis)  is a summer resident  which breeds in coastal colonies and spends the winter in Africa

Sunday 23 June 2013

EUROPEAN GREENFINCH [Male] (Carduelis chloris) Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Fingal, Co Dublin, Ireland


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The European Greenfinch (Chloris chloris) is a small passerine of the finch family Fringillidae which is in the genus Chlori. It has a widespread distribution in Europe, northern Africa and southwestern Asia. It  also occurs as an introduced species in parts of Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and Uruguay. Before the onset of winter, northern populations migrate to the more temperate areas of its range. In recent times, there has been a dramatic decline in numbers due to the spread of trichomonosis disease that effects the digestive system which results in mortality.

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Thursday 9 May 2013

EURASIAN TREE SPARROW (Passer montanus) Bremore, Balbriggan, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

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The Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) is of the family Passeridae which is in the genus Passer.
The plumage of bird on the left has been damaged by a nest parasite.
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds 

Sunday 5 May 2013

SONG THRUSH (Turdus philomelos) Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, 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.