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

Thursday 28 February 2013

ICELAND GULL (1st winter) (Larus glaucoides) Seatown Marsh, Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

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ICELAND GULL (1st winter) (Larus glaucoides) Seatown Marsh, Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Co. Dublin, Ireland

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ICELAND GULL (1st winter) (Larus glaucoides) Seatown Marsh, Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Co. Dublin, Ireland

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Saturday 23 February 2013

RUDDY TURNSTONE Arenaria interpres Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

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

GARGANEY (Male) Anas querquedula Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Co. Dublin, Ireland

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GARGANEY (Female) Anas querquedula Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Co. Dublin, Ireland

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Friday 22 February 2013

GREY HERON (Ardea cinerea)at The Horse Marsh, Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, 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 

BLACK HEADED WEAVER Ploceus melanocephalus

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Thursday 21 February 2013

COMMON LINNET (Linaria cannabina) male, 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

EARLY BUMBLEBEE(Bombus pratorum) National Botanic Gardens, Botanic Road, Glasnevin, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 
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The Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum) is of the family Apidae which is in the genus Bombus.

Wednesday 20 February 2013

BLACK NECKED GREBE Podiceps nigricollis El Astillero, Cantabria, Spain

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CRYPTIC WOOD WHITE BUTTERFLY (Leptidea juvernica) Picos de Europa, Asturias, Spain


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The Cryptic Wood White Butterfly (Leptidea juvernica) is of the family Pieridae which is in the genus Leptidea.

MARBLED ROCK CRAB (Pachygrapsus marmoratus) Llanes, Asturias, Spain

 
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The Marbled Rock Crab (Pachygrapsus marmoratus) is of the family Grapsidae which is in the genus Pachygrapsus.

Monday 18 February 2013

EURASIAN WIGEON [Male] (Anas penelope) Rogerstown Estuary, Rush, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

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EURASIAN WIGEON [Female] (Anas penelope) Rogerstown Estuary, Rush, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

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MELODIOUS WARBLER (Hippolais polyglotta) Tavira, Portugal

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 The Melodious Warbler
(Hippolais polyglotta) is of the warbler family Acrocephalidae which is in the genus Hippolais. It is a common breeding summer resident in southwest Europe and northwest Africa. In Mid September, it migrates south to spend the winter in sub-Saharan Africa. In Ireland it's a rare but annual over shooting spring and autumn migrant to south coast headlands where it needs to be separated with care from the very similar Icterine Warbler (Hippolais icterina) which has noticeably longer primary projections being equal in length to the tertials. Melodious Warbler primary projections are half the length of its tertials.       
 
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

CONTINENTAL CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax carbo subspecies P. c. sinensis) 1st winter plumage at Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Fingal, 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