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

Friday 28 May 2021

WILLOW WARBLER (Phylloscopus trochilus) Lullymore West Bog, Lullymore, Co. Kildare, Ireland


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The Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus) is of the family Phylloscopidae which is in the genus Phylloscopus. This insectivorous leaf warbler is a common and widespread summer resident from mid April to late September which breeds throughout the northern and temperate regions of Eurasia. It is strongly migratory, with almost all of the population wintering in sub-Saharan Africa. It is a bird of open woodlands with a preference for habitats that include birch, alder and willow trees as well as ground cover for nesting.
    
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Thursday 27 May 2021

DINGY SKIPPER BUTTERFLY (Erynnis tagesi) Lullymore West Bog, Lullymore, Co. Kildare, Ireland


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The Dingy Skipper Butterfly (Erynnis tages) is of the family Hesperiidae which is in the genus Erynnis. It occurs in Europe and most of western Asia. The flight season is normally from late April to early June but in the warmer parts of its range there is a second generation on the wing during July and August. 
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

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.