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 Skerries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Skerries. Show all posts

Friday 21 May 2021

HOUSE SPARROW (Passer domesticus) female at Skerries Mills, Skerries, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland


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 The House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) is of the sparrow family Passeridae which is in the genus Passer.

Thursday 20 May 2021

COMMON LINNET (Linaria cannabina) Skerries Mills, Skerries, Fingal, Co. Dublin, 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

Wednesday 19 May 2021

HOODED CROW or GREY CROW (Corvus cornix) South Strand, Skerries, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland


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          The Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix) also known as Grey Crow is a member of the crow family Corvidae which is in the genus Corvus. Four subspecies are generally recognized. Despite the fact that it is heavily persecuted, it occurs throughout Western Asia including parts of the Middle East as well as along the Nile Valley in North Africa. It is also commonly encountered and has a widespread distribution in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. It is resident in Ireland, Isle of Man and Northern Scotland. In the rest of Britain as well as Southwestern and Western Europe, it is replaced by the closely related Carrion Crow (Corvus corone) from which it was split in 2002 and was recognised as a separate species. Where their breeding ranges overlap, they may hybridise. Some of the northern populations are migratory and move south for the winter.

   Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Tuesday 18 May 2021

EURASIAN COLLARED DOVE (Streptopelia decaocto) Skerries Mills, Skerries, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland


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The Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) is of the family Columbidae which is in the genus Streptopelia.
Over the last 150 years or so this dispersive species has greatly expanded its original range which stretched from Turkey eastwards to southern China and the Indian sub-continent. The first record for Europe was from Bulgaria in 1838 and by the end of the 20th century it had colonised the rest of Europe with the exception of Iceland but including the Canary Islands as well as the North African and parts of the Middle East. First record for Britain was in 1952 followed by the first for Ireland in 1958.   
To the east of its original range, it has also spread northeast to most of central and northern China as well as Japan. 
In 1974, less than 50 escaped from captivity in the Bahama Islands and from there it spread to Florida. It is now found in nearly every state in the USA, as well as in Mexico. 
 
Patrick J, O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Monday 17 May 2021

EUROPEAN HERRING GULL (Larus argentatus subspecies L. a. argenteus) 1st winter or 2nd calander at South Strand, Skerries, Fingal, Co. Dublin, 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
 
European Herring Gull  (Larus argentatus) distribution map
 
 File:Larus argentatus map.svg 
Green: year-round  Yellow: breeding  Blue: non breeding

Cephas, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Sunday 16 May 2021

WOOD PIGEON (Columba palumbus) Skerries Mills, Skerries, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland


 
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The Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus) is of the family Columbidae which is in the genus Columba.

Friday 14 May 2021

ROCK PIPIT (Anthus petrosus) Skerries Harbour, Skerries, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland


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

Wednesday 12 May 2021

RUDDY TURNSTONE (Arenaria interpres) in transition from winter to summer plumage, Skerries Harbour, Skerries, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland


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

Tuesday 11 May 2021

COMMON EIDER (Somateria mollissima) male, Skerries Harbour, Skerries, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland


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The Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) is of the family Anatidae which is in the genus Somateria.

Saturday 31 August 2013

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

Friday 12 July 2013

HOUSE SPARROW (Passer domesticus) female, Skerries Mills, Skerries, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 
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 The House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) is of the sparrow family Passeridae which is in the genus Passer.

Monday 15 April 2013

COMMON CHIFFCHAFF (Phylloscopus collybita subspecies P. c. collybita) The Kybe Pond, Skerries, Fingal, Co. Dublin, 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

Friday 21 December 2012

GREY HERON (Ardea cinerea) at Skerries Millpond, Skerries, Fingal, Co. Dublin, 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 

COMMON MOORHEN (Gallinula chloropus) Skerries Millpond, Skerries, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland


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The Common Moorhen
(Gallinula chloropus) is a member of the rail family Rallidae which is in the genus Gallinula. It is commonly encountered in wetlands, ponds, lakes, canals as well as wet areas in reed beds. It occurs in most of Europe and in many parts of Asia and Africa. There are several sub species recognised. The former sub species found in the Americas, the Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata), is now treated as a full species.

Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) world distribution map
Yellow: breeding summer visitor. Green: breeding resident. Blue: non-breeding winter visitor
 Source: Map By Viktor Kravtchenko - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,

Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) world distribution map based on data from Handbook of the Birds of the World (del Hoyo et al), Birds of the Western Palearctic (Snow et al) and regional field guides. Updated with the split in 2011 by the American Ornithologists Union of Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata) which occurs in the Americas that was formally treated as a subspecies of Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)

COMMON MOORHEN (Gallinula chloropus) Skerries Millpond, Skerries, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland


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The Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) is a member of the rail family Rallidae  which is in the genus Gallinula. It is commonly encountered in wetlands, ponds, lakes, canals as well as wet areas in reed beds. It occurs in most of Europe and in many parts of Asia and Africa. There are several sub species recognised. The former sub species found in the Americas, the Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata), is now treated as a full species.


Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) world distribution map
Yellow: breeding summer visitor. Green: breeding resident. Blue: non-breeding winter visitor
 Source: Map By Viktor Kravtchenko - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,

Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) world distribution map based on data from Handbook of the Birds of the World (del Hoyo et al), Birds of the Western Palearctic (Snow et al) and regional field guides. Updated with the split in 2011 by the American Ornithologists Union of Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata) which occurs in the Americas that was formally treated as a subspecies of Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)