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

Sunday 22 December 2013

GREENISH WARBLER Phylloscopus trochiloides Cape Clear Island, Baltimore, Co.Cork, Ireland

 
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WHITE THROATED SPARROW Zonotrichia albicollis Cape Clear Island, Baltimore, Co. Cork, Ireland

 
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WHITE THROATED SPARROW Zonotrichia albicollis Cape Clear Island, Baltimore, Co. Cork, Ireland

 
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Wednesday 18 December 2013

MEDITERRANEAN GULL (Ichthyaetus melanocephalus) adult on 03/08/2012 in winter plumage, colour ringed (Green 542) and has a very interesting history as follows; ringed as a nestling at Les Pas-de-Calais, France on 17/06/2008, observed at Troon, Ayrshire, Scotland on 15/10/2008, observed at Doelpolder Noord, Doel, Belguim on 12/06/2010, observed at Oostwold, Groningen, Netherlands on 08/07/2011, photographed at Gormanston, Co. Meath, Ireland on 03/08/2012, observed at Weymouth, Dorset, England on 26/11/13

 
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 The Mediterranean Gull (Ichthyaetus melanocephalus) is of the family Laridae which is in the genus Ichthyaetus. This species has greatly expanded its range in the last 60 years from Eastern Europe. 
The first breeding record for Britain was in 1968 and now in excess of 1200 pairs breed. In 1995 a pair was discovered breeding in Co. Antrim and the following year a pair bred in Co. Wexford. Since then the Irish population has gradually increased to over 60 pairs. In the autumn there is an influx of continental birds from Europe for the winter which has been proven by colour ringing and then a return migration takes place in late spring.
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds
 
 Mediterranean Gull (Ichthyaetus melanocephalus) distribution map

Breeding      Breeding resident     Non breeding - winter
 
SanoAK: Alexander Kürthy, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Friday 13 December 2013

IBERIAN AZURE WINGED MAGPIE Cyanopica cooki El Acebuche Visitor Centre, Cota Donana, Huelva, Spain

 
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EL ACEBUCHE (PICNIC AREA) Cota Donana, Almonte, Huelva, Spain

 
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EL ACEBUCHE VISITOR CENTRE Cota Donana, Almonte, Huelva, Spain

 
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Saturday 30 November 2013

ROGERSTOWN ESTUARY (Outer Section) Rush, Co. Dublin. Ireland

 
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Rogerstown Estuary is situated just north of the Donabate-Portrane peninsula, and also south of Rush, on Ireland's east coast about 25km  north of Dublin.The estuary is made up of saltwater marshes, raised salt marsh, wet meadows and riverine shallows and creeks. It covers an area of 3.63 km2 (900 acres), and is divided by a causeway and bridge built in the 1840s to carry the main Dublin–Belfast railway line. It is internationally recognised as one of the most important east coast sites and is vital for wintering wildfowl and waders and birds on passage. Text © Wikipedia 

BLACK BELLIED (GREY) PLOVER Pluvialis squatarola Rogerstown Estuary, Rush, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 
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Thursday 28 November 2013

MONK PARAKEET (Myiopsitta monachus) pair at Desembocadura Del Guadalhorce, Park Natural, Malaga, Spain

 
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The Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) or Quaker Parrot is of the family Psittacidae which is in the genus Myiopsitta. This small South American parrot is native to the subtropical regions of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. It also occurs in many countries, notably in North America and Europe, as an introduced species.

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds
 
Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) distribution map   
 
 
RESIDENT - YEAR ROUND (Feral populations occur in many countries notably in North America and Europe)
 
Cephas, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons 

Tuesday 12 November 2013

LITTLE EGRET (Egretta garzetta) Broadmeadow Estuary, Kilcrea, Swords, Fingal, Co.Dublin, Ireland

 
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The Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) is a small member of the heron family Ardeidae which includes Bitterns, Egrets and Herons. It is found in the temperate parts of Eurasia and Africa as well as Australia and New Zealand. Over the last 60 years or so this species has greatly expanded its range including recolonising its former breeding areas in Northern Europe, as well as Ireland. It first bred in the Caribbean in the mid 1990’s and is increasingly being recorded along the North American eastern seaboard.

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Monday 11 November 2013

EUROPEAN HERRING GULL (Larus argentatus subspecies L. a. argenteus) at Keenleen, South Harbour, Cape Clear Island, Baltimore, Co.Cork, 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

Sunday 10 November 2013

EUROPEAN NIGHTJAR (Caprimulgus europaeus) Old Sanatorium, Sigri, Lesvos Island, Greece


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The European Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus), Eurasian Nightjar or Nightjar is a crepuscular and nocturnal species in the family Caprimulgidae which is in the genus Caprimulgus. It returns from its wintering areas in sub-Saharan during April and breeds across most of Europe, temperate Asia and north western Africa.
The preferred habitat is dry open country with some trees and small bushes, such as heath lands, forest clearings or newly planted woodland. It feeds on a wide variety of flying insects.
The return migration south to its winter quarters commences in late August.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_nightjar

Tuesday 5 November 2013

EGYPTIAN LOCUST or EGYPTIAN GRASSHOPPER (Anacridium aegyptum) Achladeri Pinewoods, Lesvos Island, Greece

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The Egyptian Locust or Egyptian Grasshopper (Anacridium aegyptium) is of the family Acrididae which is in the genus Anacridium. In Europe, it mainly occurs in countries that boarder the Mediterranean Basin. It is also found in North Africa as well as Southwestern Asia. After hatching from an egg, an immature locust (called a nymph) goes through five moult stages known as instars and then becomes an adult. Unlike some other types of locust, this species poses no treat to agriculture. This is Europe's largest grasshopper with some females reaching up to 70mm in length and it overwinters as an adult.
  
  Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

BLACK WINGED STILT [Male] (Himantopus himantopus) Kalloni Salt Pans, Lesvos Island, Greece

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The Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) is one of three species of stilt, the others two are Black Stilt (Himantopus novaezelandiae) and Banded Stilt (Cladorhynchus leucocephalus). It is resident in Africa and also breeds across the temperate parts of Europe and Central Asia where it is a summer resident that migrates south for the winter to sub Saharan Africa, the Indian sub-continent and South East Asia. Within the warmer parts of this range, there is a sedentary population.  
In addition, there are also four subspecies or races recognised, which some authorities consider to be full species, 
  • Hawaiian Stilt (Himantopus himantopus knudseni) is resident on the Hawaiian Islands. 
  •  Black-necked Stilt (H. h.  mexicanus) occurs in the southern part of North America, Central America, the Caribbean, and the northern part of South America, including the Galapagos Islands
  • White-backed Stilt (H. h.  melanurus) occurs in central and southern South America
  • White-headed Stilt (H. h.  leucocephalus) occurs in Australasia, the Java Peninsula and the Philippines. 
On Lesvos Island, Black-winged Stilt is a common spring and autumn passage migrant where it is also a local and scarce resident which breeds in small numbers.

Text © Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds.com

Friday 1 November 2013

MELODIOUS WARBLER (Hippolais polyglotta) Los Barrios, Cádiz, Spain

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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