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 Co. Louth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Co. Louth. Show all posts

Saturday, 4 September 2021

EUROPEAN STARLING or COMMON STARLING (Sturnus vulgaris) female Port Oriel Harbour, Clogherhead, Co. Louth, Ireland


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 The European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) or more commonly known as a Starling is of the family Sturnidae which is in the genus Sturnus.

Tuesday, 12 May 2020

EUROPEAN GREENFINCH [Male] (Carduelis chloris) Gile's Quay, Cooley Peninsula, Co. Louth


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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, 30 April 2020

EUROPEAN STONECHAT (Saxicola rubicola subspecies.S. r. hibernans) male at Gile's Quay, Cooley Peninsula, Co. Louth


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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

Saturday, 14 March 2020

BLACK LEGGED KITTIWAKE (Rissa tridactyla) adult at Port Oriel Harbour, Clogherhead, Co. Louth, Ireland


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The Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) is of the gull family Laridae which is in the genus Rissa. The only other member of the genus Rissa is the Red-legged Kittiwake (Rissa brevirostris) where less than 200,000 pairs breed on some of the Bering Sea Islands between Russia and Alaska,USA.
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe /Raw Birds

Saturday, 13 April 2019

EUROPEAN HERRING GULL (Larus argentatus ssp. L. a. argenteus) at Port Oriel Harbour, Clogherhead, Co. Louth, Ireland


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The European Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) is of the family Laridae which is in the genus Larus. There are several subspecies recognised including the Western European Herring Gull (Larus argentatus argenteus) which is resident in Ireland, Britain and the Near Continent.
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Thursday, 11 April 2019

EUROPEAN STARLING (Sturnus vulgaris) male, Port Oriel Harbour, Clogherhead, Co. Louth, Ireland


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 The European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) is of the family Sturnidae which is in the genus Sturnus.

Sunday, 7 April 2019

GREY HERON (Ardea cinerea) at Port Oriel Harbour, Clogherhead, Co. Louth, 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 

Saturday, 2 June 2018

GREEN VEINED WHITE BUTTERFLY (Pieris napi) nectering on HAWKWEED (Hieracium sp.) Giles Quay, Cooley Peninsula, Co. Louth, Ireland


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The Green-veined White Butterfly (Pieris napi) is of the family Pieridae which is in the genus Pieris. It commonly occurs in Eurasia as well as North America. This species is on the wing from March to October, over several generations, but in Ireland the normal flight season extends from mid April to mid September. It hibernates during the winter as a chrysalis.

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Sunday, 3 September 2017

RED VEINED DARTER DRAGONFLY (Sympetrum fonscolombii) female resting on COMMON KNAPWEED (Centaurea nigra) seed head, Togher Pond, Simonstown, Togher, Co. Louth, Ireland


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The Red-veined Darter Dragonfly (Sympetrum fonscolombii) is of the family Libellulidae which is in the genus Sympetrum. It has a widespread distribution and is commonly found in Africa, Western, Central and Southern Asia as well as most of Europe. This species is nomadic by nature and since the 1990’s has greatly expanded its European range as far north as southern Scandinavia.  

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Wednesday, 1 January 2014

MEDITERRANEAN GULL (Ichthyaetus melanocephalus) in juvenile plumage at Port Oriel, Clogherhead, Co. Louth, 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

Monday, 26 August 2013

SILVER WASHED FRITILLARY BUTTERFLY (Argynnis paphia) Clogherhead Village, Clogherhead, Co. Louth, Ireland

 
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The Silver-washed Fritillary Butterfly (Argynnis paphia) is of the family Nymphalidae which is in the genus Argynnis. This very large species occurs throughout the temperate regions of the Palearctic. In Britain, it is found in the southern half of England and Wales. It has a very scattered distribution in Ireland.
Eggs are laid in tree crevices close of it's larval foodplant Common Dog-violet (Viola riviniana). The larvae hatch in August and immediately hibernate. They emerge the following April and then feed on the foodplant. Pupation occurs during May and the adult flight season is from July to late September.

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Saturday, 16 February 2013

GREAT CORMORANT [1st Winter plumage] (Phalacrocorax carbo subspecies P. c. carbo) Port Oriel, Clogherhead, Co. Louth, 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

Saturday, 22 December 2012

COMMON LINNET (Linaria cannabina) male in breeding plumage, Port Oriel, Clogherhead, Co. Louth, 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