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

Wednesday 19 June 2013

FIRECREST Regulus ignicapilla Fuente Dé, Picos de Europa, Cantabria, Spain

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RED VEINED DARTER DRAGONFLY Sympetrum fonscolombii Laguna Fuentes de Nava, Palencia, Spain

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BLACK REDSTART (Phoenicurus ochruros) Fuente Dé, Picos de Europa, Cantabria, Spain

 
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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 15 June 2013

PYGMY CORMORANT Microcarbo pygmaeus BSPB, Poda Nature Reserve, Burgas, Black Sea Coast, Bulgaria

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PYGMY CORMORANT Microcarbo pygmaeus BSPB, Poda Nature Reserve, Burgas, Black Sea Coast, Bulgaria

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CONTINENTAL CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax carbo subspecies P. c. sinensis) two adults at Poda Nature Reserve, Burgas, Bulgaria

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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 ssp. P. c. sinensis) Poda Nature Reserve, Burgas, Bulgaria

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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

Monday 10 June 2013

SQUACCO HERON (Ardeola ralloides) Kalloni Saltpans, Kalloni, Lesvos Island, Greece


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The Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides) is resident south of the Sahara Desert in western, eastern and south eastern Africa, including Madagascar. There is also a small population in Morocco and Tunisia on the North West African coast. This small heron occurs as a summer resident in central and southern Europe as well as in western central Asia. In the autumn, it migrates back to Africa to spend the winter months there. Its diet includes frogs, lizards, small fish and a wide variety of invertebrates. Text © www.rawbirds.com

EUROPEAN MOLE CRICKET Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa Skala Kallonis, Lesvos Island, Greece

 
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Sunday 9 June 2013

BLACK STORK (Ciconia nigra) Kalloni Salt Pans, Lesvos Island, Greece

 
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The Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) is of the family Ciconiidae which is in the genus Ciconia.

BLACK STORK (Ciconia nigra) Kalloni Saltpans, Kalloni, Lesvos Island, Greece

 
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The Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) is of the family Ciconiidae which is in the genus Ciconia.

Thursday 6 June 2013

PEACOCK BUTTERFLY (Aglais io) at Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

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The Peacock Butterfly (Aglais io) is of the family Nymphalidae which is in the genus Aglais. It overwinters as an adult with its wings closed and the dark cryptic under wing pattern help it avoid detection by predators.
 
 Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Wednesday 5 June 2013

GIANT PEACOCK MOTH (Saturnia pyri) Lesvos Island, Greece


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The Giant Peacock Moth (Saturnia pyri) is of the family Saturniidae which is in the genus Saturnia. It occurs in southern and central Europe, parts of North Africa as well as western, central and eastern Asia. This is the largest species of moth found in Europe with a wing span of up to 20cm.

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds





Wednesday 15 May 2013

EMPEROR DRAGONFLY (Anax imperator) pair mating, Castro Verde, Portugal

 
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The Emperor Dragonfly (Anax imperator) or Blue Emperor Dragonfly is of the family Aeshnidae which is in the genus Anax. This large and powerful species is a voracious predator of other flying insects. Prey items including medium sized dragonflies, damselflies, butterflies and other flying invertebrates are captured on the wing but it tends to avoid predating bees, wasps and hard shelled flying insects such as beetles. Probably as a result of climate change, in the last 20 years or so it has greatly expanded its range north ward. Now relatively common throughout the Western Palearctic, excluding Iceland and the vast majority of Scandinavia. In the Eastern Atlantic it occurs on all the Macaronesian Islands. 
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

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

Thursday 9 May 2013

EURASIAN TREE SPARROW (Passer montanus) Bremore, Balbriggan, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

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The Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) is of the family Passeridae which is in the genus Passer.
The plumage of bird on the left has been damaged by a nest parasite.
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds 

Wednesday 8 May 2013

MEADOW PIPIT (Anthus pratensis) Port Oriel, Clogher Head, Co. Louth, Ireland

 
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The Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis) is of the family Motacillidae which is in the genus Anthus.

Tuesday 7 May 2013

EUROPEAN STONECHAT (Saxicola rubicola subspecies S. r. .rubicola) male at Dehesa de Abajo, Sevilla, Spain

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The European Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola) is of the chat family Muscicapidae which is in the genus Saxicola. Preferred habitats include rough grassland, sand dunes and heathland where it is typically seen perched on brambles, gorse or shrubs within the breeding area. 
In the temperate part of its range, nesting commences in late March and up to three broods are raised. It is a partial migrant. Populations from the colder regions move to spend the winter in southern Europe and northern Africa. Successive hard winters, as was the case in 2009/10 and 2010/11 caused severe losses in the mainly sedentary northwestern populations
 
There are two subspecies generally recognised: 
  • Saxicola rubicola rubicola - occurs in central, eastern and southern Europe as well as northern Morocco and southeastern Turkey. 
  •  Saxicola rubicola hibernans - occurs in northwestern Europe including Britain, Ireland, France and Norway.
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Sunday 5 May 2013

EUROPEAN STONECHAT (Saxicola rubicola subspecies S. r. hibernans) male at Port Oriel, Clogherhead, Co.Louth, Ireland

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The European Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola) is of the chat family Muscicapidae which is in the genus Saxicola. Preferred habitats include rough grassland, sand dunes and heathland where it is typically seen perched on brambles, gorse or shrubs within the breeding area. 
In the temperate part of its range, nesting commences in late March and up to three broods are raised. It is a partial migrant. Populations from the colder regions move to spend the winter in southern Europe and northern Africa. Successive hard winters, as was the case in 2009/10 and 2010/11 caused severe losses in the mainly sedentary northwestern populations
 
There are two subspecies generally recognised: 
  • Saxicola rubicola rubicola - occurs in central, eastern and southern Europe as well as northern Morocco and southeastern Turkey. 
  •  Saxicola rubicola hibernans - occurs in northwestern Europe including Britain, Ireland, France and Norway.
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

EUROPEAN STONECHAT (Saxicola rubicola subspecies S. r. hibernans) female at Port Oriel, Clogherhead, Co.Louth, Ireland

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The European Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola) is of the chat family Muscicapidae which is in the genus Saxicola. Preferred habitats include rough grassland, sand dunes and heathland where it is typically seen perched on brambles, gorse or shrubs within the breeding area. 
In the temperate part of its range, nesting commences in late March and up to three broods are raised. It is a partial migrant. Populations from the colder regions move to spend the winter in southern Europe and northern Africa. Successive hard winters, as was the case in 2009/10 and 2010/11 caused severe losses in the mainly sedentary northwestern populations
 
There are two subspecies generally recognised: 
  • Saxicola rubicola rubicola - occurs in central, eastern and southern Europe as well as northern Morocco and southeastern Turkey. 
  •  Saxicola rubicola hibernans - occurs in northwestern Europe including Britain, Ireland, France and Norway.
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

SONG THRUSH (Turdus philomelos) Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 
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 The Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos) is of the thrush family Turdidae which is in the genus Turdus.

Wednesday 1 May 2013

EUROPEAN STARLING (Sturnus vulgaris) West Pier, Howth, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

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 The European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) is of the family Sturnidae which is in the genus Sturnus.