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 December. Show all posts
Showing posts with label December. Show all posts

Monday, 13 May 2013

BLACK REDSTART Phoenicurus ochruros Clonea Strand, Ballinclamper, Co. Waterford, Ireland


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The Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) is a small perching bird in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae which is the genus Phoenicurus. It is a locally common resident in central and southern Europe and northern Africa. It also occurs in western and central Asia. In the warmer parts of its range it is sedentary. The northern populations migrate in the autumn to spend the winter in southern and western Europe, northern Africa and the Indian sub continent. 

Text © www.rawbirds.com

Saturday, 22 December 2012

BLACK REDSTART (Phoenicurus ochruros) West Pier, Howth, Fingal, Co, Dublin, Ireland


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

The Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) is a small perching bird in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae which is the genus Phoenicurus. It is a locally common resident in central and southern Europe and northern Africa. It also occurs in western and central Asia. In the warmer parts of its range it is sedentary. The northern populations migrate in the autumn to spend the winter in southern and western Europe, northern Africa and the Indian sub continent. 

Text © www.rawbirds.com

Sunday, 16 December 2012

SNOW BUNTING (Plectrophenax nivalis) male at Balcarrick, Donabate, Fingal, 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 Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) is of the longspur family Calcariidae which is in the genus Plectrophenax. This circumpolar species breeds mainly in the arctic mountainous regions of North America and Eurasia. Isolated populations also breed south of this range in upland areas.   
Apart from small numbers breeding in the Cairngorm Mountains in Scotland, this is an uncommon and local winter visitor, from October to March, at coastal locations in Britain and Ireland. It occurs singularly or  in small flocks at shingle beeches near edges of sand dunes, harbour piers and headlands. Feeding close to the ground, it can be easily overlooked and difficult to locate as cryptic colouration helps it blend into the background.
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds