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

Monday 18 February 2013

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

CLICK ON PHOTO TO SEE HIGHER QUALITY IMAGE

MELODIOUS WARBLER (Hippolais polyglotta) Tavira, Portugal

CLICK ON PHOTO TO SEE HIGHER QUALITY IMAGE  
Click here for detailed species information
Click here to see distribution map and to hear calls

 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

 
CLICK ON PHOTO TO SEE HIGHER QUALITY IMAGE
Click external link here for detailed species information
 Click external link here to see distribution map and to hear calls
 
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

 
CLICK ON PHOTO TO SEE HIGHER QUALITY IMAGE
Click external link here for detailed species information
 Click external link here to see distribution map and to hear calls
 
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