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 Raheny. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Raheny. Show all posts

Monday, 23 May 2022

COMMON CLOVER SAWFLY (Tenthredo arcuata) at Saint Anne's Park and Rose Gardens, Clontarf East, Raheny, Co. Dublin, Ireland


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The Common Clover Sawfly (Tenthredo arcuata) is of the family Tenthredinidae which is in the genus Tenthredo. It is on the wing from April to late August over two generations. This pollen eating species is commonly encountered on thistles and umbellifers. The larval food plant is White Clover. 

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Saturday, 21 May 2022

GREY HERON (Ardea cinerea) in breeding plumage at Saint Anne's Park and Rose Gardens, Clontarf East, Raheny, 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 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 

Friday, 20 May 2022

BUFF TAILED BUMBLEBEE (Bombus terrestris) queen nectar robbing from a Granny's Bonnet / Columbine Plant (Aquilegia ssp.) at Saint Anne's Park and Rose Gardens, Clontarf East, Raheny, Co. Dublin, Ireland


 
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Click external link here for detailed species information
 
The Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) is of the family Apidae which is in the genus Bombus. This species is commonly found throughout the temperate regions of Europe, The Middle East, northern Africa and has been introduced to other countries including Australia (Tasmania), Japan as well as parts of South America. 
It is not normally seen in Ireland during the colder months of the year. In late autumn the worker bees and the males (drones) die off and the gravid queen hibernates for the winter. In recent times, it has been on the wing all year round mainly at coastal locations where shrubs such as Hebe (Hebe × franciscana), Gorse (Ulex europaeus) and Fuchsia (Fuchsia magellanica) have continued to flower in mild winters.
Aquilegias produce their nectar in spurs which project from the rear of the flower head and are pollinated by long tonged insects, including hawkmoths. Short tonged insects, such as bumblebees, use a method known as nectar robbing and penetrate or cut into the plant's spurs to extract this rich food source. As a results no pollination takes place. In North America aquilegias are also pollinated by hummingbirds.  

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Tuesday, 17 May 2022

MALLARD (Anas platyrhynchos) male at Saint Anne's Park and Rose Gardens, Clontarf East, Raheny, 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 Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) is of the family Anatidae which is in the genus Anas. This dabbling duck is native to North America, Eurasia and parts of North Africa. It has also been widely introduced to a number of other countries either as a game bird or as ornamental wildfowl in parks.

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Saturday, 14 May 2022

ORCHID BEETLE (Dascillus cervinus) at Saint Anne's Park and Rose Gardens, Clontarf East, Raheny, Co. Dublin, Ireland


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Click external link here for detailed Orchid Beetle information
Click external link here to see a list of beetles found in Ireland 

 The Orchid Beetle (Dascillus cervinus) is of the family Dascillidae which is in the genus Dascillus.

Wednesday, 10 April 2013

EURASIAN CURLEW Numenius arquata North Bull Island, Nature Reserve, Raheny, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 
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In Ireland this species is a common winter visitor from Northern Europe. It is also a very scarce resident in upland areas which has seen a very sharp decline in the Irish breeding population over the last 40 years.