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Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Madeiran Firecrest, Madeira Kinglet, or Madeiracrest (Regulus madeirensis) is a very small passerine bird endemic to the island of Madeira. It is a member of the crest or kinglet family. Before it was recognised as a separate species in 2003, it was classified as a subspecies of the common firecrest. It differs in appearance and vocalisations from its relative, and genetic analysis has confirmed it as a different species. The Madeiran bird has green upperparts, whitish underparts and two white wingbars, and a distinctive head pattern with a black eye stripe, short white supercilium, and a crest that is mainly orange in the male and yellow in the female.
It occurs mainly at higher levels from 600 to 1,550 m (1,950–4,900 ft) in all types of forests and scrub, but with a preference for tree heaths. It is absent from the alien eucalyptus and acacia plantations which have replaced much of the endemic Madeiran laurel forest.(wikipedia)
We encountered this beautiful male along one of the walking trails in the laurel forested hills above Funchal, Madeira.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Skylark is a common resident throughout Ireland in uplands and areas of farmland, especially cereal. It is a rather nondescript species, with much brown and black streaking. Adult Skylarks have a prominent white supercilium and frequently raise their crown feathers to form a little crest. Juveniles have much of the black streaking replaced by spotting and lack the crest. When flushed from the ground, keeps close to the ground unlike the similar Meadow Pipit which typically rises straight up.
The song, which can be heard from February/March to June, is a distinctive continuous stream of warbling notes. It can last up to half an hour and is usually given while the bird is flying 50 to 100 metres overhead.
Skylarks usually moves out of breeding areas to winter in flocks on stubble fields, grasslands and coastal areas. Birds from continental Europe arrive in variable numbers in Ireland from September and depart March/April. (BirdWatch Ireland)
A collective noun for Eurasian skylarks is an "exaltation". Although the Oxford English Dictionary describes this usage as "fanciful", it traces it back to a quotation from John Lydgate dating from about 1430. (wikipedia)
The Skylark remains a bogey species for me to photograph well on the ground, despite some previous good fortune at this site. I was fortunate to stumble upon a small group feeding along Dollymount Strand that straddles North Bull Island, Dublin Bay, Ireland. Still a way to go to get a decent, clean shot on the ground in good light but I'll take this one for now.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The banded demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) is often found along slow-flowing streams and rivers. It is a Eurasian species occurring from the Atlantic coast eastwards to Lake Baikal and northwestern China. This is a common species throughout much of its range.
Demoiselles are large damselflies with quite broad wings and a butterfly-like flight. Males have metallic blue/green bodies and a dark blue-black band covering a section of each of their wings. Females have a metallic green body with a yellow-greenish tinge to their wings, no dark band but they have a small white dot almost at the tip of the wing. Found around ponds, lakes and slow-flowing rivers, canals and streams. Areas with lush emergent and herbaceous vegetation and waters that have muddy or silty bottoms are preferred. Avoids shaded areas and usually found around water near open meadows. (wikipedia)
I was delighted to photograph this male Banded Demoiselle in the National Botanic Gardens, Dublin recently. Found by my young fella while we were watching a Brown Hawker hunting over the ponds. A first for me.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Cory's Shearwater/Cánóg Cory (Calonectris borealis) is the largest species of shearwater seen in Irish waters, being almost twice the size of the much commoner Manx Shearwater. Like that species, Cory's Shearwater has white underparts. The upperparts (head, back and rump) are a light brown while the wings are a contrasting darker brown/black. At close range and in good light, the large yellow bill can be seen. Distinguishable from Manx Shearwater almost on flight-style, having a much more relaxed flight action which includes long glides on bowed wings interspersed with only a few slow flaps of the wings. In poor conditions, confusion with Fulmar (similar size and flight action) is possible. (Birdwatch Ireland)
This species breeds on Madeira, the Azores and the Berlengas Archipelago in Portugal and the Canary Islands in Spain. This individual was photographed off Madeira. A beautiful bird that I was lucky to see in Madeiran waters recently. Despite seeing so many of them, my heart still beats faster when they start appearing on seawatches from the south coast of Ireland during the autumn.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Dunlin, Calidris alpina, is a small wader, sometimes separated with the other "stints", in Erolia. It is a circumpolar breeder in Arctic or subarctic regions. Birds that breed in northern Europe and Asia are long-distance migrants, wintering south to Africa and southeast Asia. Birds that breed in Alaska and the Canadian Arctic migrate short distances to the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of North America, although those nesting in Northern Alaska overwinter in Asia.
In Ireland, it is a summer visitor from NW Africa/SW Europe, winter visitor from Scandinavia to Siberia, and passage migrant from Greenland (heading south to winter in Africa). The largest flocks of Dunlin occur in Ireland during the mid-winter period.(wikipedia)
Along the Great South Wall of Dublin Bay. A great place to get close views of waders at high tides. This juvenile Dunlin was very confiding. Beautiful birds.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) is a widely distributed very long-legged wader in the avocet and stilt family (Recurvirostridae).They have long pink legs, a long thin black bill and are blackish above and white below, with a white head and neck with a varying amount of black. Males have a black back, often with greenish gloss. Females' backs have a brown hue, contrasting with the black remiges. In the populations that have the top of the head normally white at least in winter, females tend to have less black on head and neck all year round, while males often have much black, particularly in summer. This difference is not clear-cut, however, and males usually get all-white heads in winter.
Immature birds are grey instead of black and have a markedly sandy hue on the wings, with light feather fringes appearing as a whitish line in flight.
The breeding habitat of all these stilts is marshes, shallow lakes and ponds. Some populations are migratory and move to the ocean coasts in winter; those in warmer regions are generally resident or short-range vagrants. In Europe, the black-winged stilt is a regular spring overshoot vagrant north of its normal range, occasionally remaining to breed in northern European countries. Pairs successfully bred in Britain in 1987, 2014, 2017, and in northern England in 2022; this is believed to be the most northerly breeding success for the black-winged stilt. (wikipedia)
This was one of a pair of Black-winged Stilt that bred in a lagoon not far from where we stayed on a family holiday in Portugal in the summer of 2022. The recently fledged chicks can be seen hiding under one of the adult birds as a Yellow-legged Gull flew over.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Green-veined White is a common butterfly of hedgerows, woodlands, gardens and parks. It is similar to other white butterflies, but has prominent green stripes on the undersides of its wings. This species is very common throughout Ireland. The underside of the wings have very pronounced green or black vein marks. The intensity of these varies significantly. It is similar to the Small White butterfly, except for the underside vein marks. (various)
Butterflies were few and far between at the start of the summer months. However, in the last 6 weeks or so, they have become more apparent around our flowering trees, shrubs and wildflowers. This Green-veined White was busy feeding on Whitethorn flowers in the WIcklow hills.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Common Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus) is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae. It breeds across Europe and much of temperate and northern Asia. Most birds migrate south in winter, but those in the milder south and west of the range are resident. It is common in reedbeds and also breeds in drier open areas such as moorland and cultivation.
The common reed bunting is a medium-sized bird, 13.5–15.5 cm long, with a small but sturdy seed-eater's bill. The male has a black head and throat, white neck collar and underparts, and a heavily streaked brown back. The female is much duller, with a streaked brown head, and is more streaked below. (wikipedia)
This is a male bird photographed out on rural farmland in North County Dublin during the Spring of 2023.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Moorhen is a common bird of most waterways, ponds and lakes in Ireland. Usually quite secretive, but can also be seen out in the open on water sides and even out in open fields. A dark pigeon sized bird with long sturdy legs. The adult has a red bill and fore crown, the bill is tipped yellow. Has a white line along the flanks and white sides to its under tail. The under tail is east to see as it carries its tail high. The upperparts are brownish and the underparts are blue-grey. Juveniles lack any red in the bill and crown and are have greyish-brown plumage Moorhens are usually seen on the ground or in the water. If the bird is walking about look out for the long yellow/green legs with the very large toes; the legs project out from the tail in flight. (Birdwatch Ireland)
Taken at Farmleigh House, Phoenix Park, Dublin.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The spectacled warbler (Curruca conspicillata) is a species in the typical warbler genus, Curruca. The specific conspicillata is from Latin conspicillum, a place to look from, equivalent to "spectacled".
It breeds in northwest Africa, southwest Europe from Iberia to Italy, and then further east on the eastern Mediterranean islands and coastal regions. It is mainly resident in Africa, but other populations migrate to winter more widely in north and west Africa and Egypt. This bird is a rare vagrant to northern and western Europe.
It also occurs in some Atlantic islands. The subspecies orbitalis has been proposed for those of the Cape Verde Islands. The presumed subspecies for the Madeira birds, bella, is today usually included in this taxon, as are the birds of the Canary Islands.
These are very small "warblers" and are intermediate between common whitethroats and Tristram's warbler in coloration. Spectacled warblers are brown above and buff below, with chestnut wing patches and a white throat. Adult males have a grey head and the white eye ring which gives the species its name. Immature birds can be confused with both the whitethroat and the western subalpine warbler, and identification is difficult in the field. The song is a fast high warble.
These small passerine birds are found in dry open country with bushes. Like its relatives, the spectacled warbler is insectivorous. (wikipedia)
We came across quite a few Spectacled Warblers in the coastal areas of Madeira. A striking bird.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Sanderling (Calidris alba) is a small wader. It is a circumpolar Arctic breeder, and is a long-distance migrant, wintering south to South America, South Europe, Africa, and Australia. It is highly gregarious in winter, sometimes forming large flocks on coastal mudflats or sandy beaches.
This bird is similar in size to a Dunlin, but stouter, with a thick bill. It shows a strong white wingbar in flight, and runs along the sandy beaches it prefers with a characteristic "bicycling" action, stopping frequently to pick small food items. It eats small crabs and other small invertebrates. In spring, the birds arrive on the High Arctic breeding grounds.
The winter bird is very pale, almost white apart from a dark shoulder patch. Later in the summer, the face and throat become brick-red. Sanderling behavior is distinctive. It can be told from other small wading birds, given good views, by its lack of a hind toe. (wikipedia)
A lovely flock of Sanderling being constantly harried by inconsiderate dog walkers letting their pooches off the lead on a rising tide on Dollymount Strand, Dublin. The poor birds are tired and cold, and all they want to do is rest and feed. Great to see nonetheless.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Sanderling (Calidris alba) is a small wader. It is a circumpolar Arctic breeder, and is a long-distance migrant, wintering south to South America, South Europe, Africa, and Australia. It is highly gregarious in winter, sometimes forming large flocks on coastal mudflats or sandy beaches.
This bird is similar in size to a Dunlin, but stouter, with a thick bill. It shows a strong white wingbar in flight, and runs along the sandy beaches it prefers with a characteristic "bicycling" action, stopping frequently to pick small food items. It eats small crabs and other small invertebrates. In spring, the birds arrive on the High Arctic breeding grounds.
The winter bird is very pale, almost white apart from a dark shoulder patch. Later in the summer, the face and throat become brick-red. Sanderling behavior is distinctive. It can be told from other small wading birds, given good views, by its lack of a hind toe. (wikipedia)
A lovely flock of Sanderling being spooked by inconsiderate dog walkers letting their pooch off the lead on a rising tide on Dollymount Strand, Dublin. The poor birds are tired and cold, and all they want to do is rest and feed. Great to see nonetheless.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus) is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It is a medium-sized warbler with a brown, streaked back and wings and a distinct pale supercilium. Sedge Warblers are migratory, crossing the Sahara to get from their European and Asian breeding grounds to spend winter in Africa. The male's song is composed of random chattering phrases and can include mimicry of other species. The Sedge Warbler is mostly insectivorous.
The song is varied, rushed and chattering, with sweeter phrases and some mimicry, typical of the Acrocephalus warblers. It is composed of phrases in random order, so that it is never the same. Male Sedge Warblers which have the widest repertoire mate with the largest number of females.
All Sedge Warblers spend winter in sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal in the west to Ethiopia in the east, and as far south as the eastern Cape Province of South Africa and northern Namibia. The route taken on the southward migration, and eventual wintering grounds, correspond to the birds' breeding grounds. Birds ringed in the United Kingdom and Netherlands are later found from south-west Iberia to Italy; birds from Sweden are recovered in central Europe and Italy; while Finnish birds are found in north-east Italy and Malta east to the Aegean region. Sedge Warblers from the former Soviet Union take routes via the eastern Mediterranean Sea and Middle East. Loss of wetland areas for feeding on migration, and the expansion of the Sahara desert, pose threats to the Sedge Warbler's breeding population. Birds begin leaving Africa in late February, fatten up at wetlands before and probably after crossing the Sahara, and arrive in Europe from March onwards. (wikipedia)
The reed beds and surrounding hedgerows in Pollardstown Fen, Co. Kildare, were full of Sedge Warbler recently when I stopped in on my way back to Dublin from Cork. Fantastic to see and hear so many.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) is a dragonfly of the family Libellulidae native to Eurasia. It is one of the most common dragonflies in Europe, occurring in a wide variety of water bodies, though with a preference for breeding in still water such as ponds and lakes. In the south of its range adults are on the wing all year round. Adults can be seen on the wing all year round in southern Europe but in northern regions they occur from June to November.
This small dragonfly is seen in a wide variety of habitats, including lakes, ponds, canals and slow-flowing rivers. They are ambush predators, waiting on a prominent perch - such as a leaf or the top of a gate, until prey fly past, whereupon they will fly after it. They are territorial on breeding waters, often attempting to chase much bigger dragonflies away such as southern hawkers. This habit of repeatedly returning to a sunny spot allows you to easily predict where they are going to land, which is why it is one of the easiest dragonflies to photograph. This is one of the most abundant dragonflies in Europe, and populations show no evidence of decline. (wikipedia)
This was taken at the East Coast Nature Reserve in Wicklow, Ireland. They even come over to investigate what you are when in their territory. Love these guys.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Black-legged Kittiwake, Rissa tridactyla is a seabird species in the gull family Laridae.
In North America, this species is known as the Black-legged Kittiwake in order to differentiate it from the Red-legged Kittiwake, but in Europe, where it is the only member of the genus, it is often known just as Kittiwake.
In winter, this species acquires a dark grey smudge behind the eye and a grey hind-neck collar. The name is derived from its call, a shrill 'kittee-wa-aaake, kitte-wa-aaake'.
It is a coastal breeding bird around the north Pacific and north Atlantic oceans, found most commonly in North America and Europe. Cliff nesting for gulls occurs only in the Rissa species, and the Kittiwake is capable of utilizing the very sheerest of vertical cliffs.
There are two races of Black-legged Kittiwake:
* Rissa tridactyla tridactyla in the North Atlantic Ocean, which is unique among the Laridae in having only a very small or even no hind toe.
* Rissa tridactyla pollicaris in the North Pacific Ocean, which (as the name pollex, thumb, suggests) has a normally developed hind toe. (wikipedia)
This second summer Kittiwake was photographed from the lighthouse at Wicklow Head, Ireland.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
A derelict building in the hills above Funchal, Madeira.
Taken with an Olympus XA on Ektar 100 colour film, and developed and scanned by the good folk in Gunns on Wexford Street.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The White-throated Dipper (Cinclus cinclus) is an aquatic passerine bird found in Europe and the Middle East, also known as the European Dipper or just Dipper. The species is divided into several subspecies on colour differences, especially of the pectoral band. The Dipper of Great Britain and Ireland is known as the "Brown-Bellied" Dipper (C. c. gularis), while the Irish race is Cinclus cinclus hibernicus.
The Dipper is a rotund, short-tailed bird, dark above and white-breasted, closely associated with swiftly running rivers and streams or the lakes into which these fall. The Dipper often perches bobbing spasmodically with its short tail uplifted on the rocks round which the water swirls and tumbles.
It acquired its name from these sudden dips, not from its diving habit, though it dives as well as walks into the water. It flies rapidly and straight, its short wings whirring swiftly and without pauses or glides, calling a shrill zil, zil, zil. It will then either drop on the water and dive or plunge in with a small splash. From a perch it will walk into the water and deliberately submerge, but there is no truth in the assertion that it can defy the laws of specific gravity and walk along the bottom.
A bike discarded in the Tolka River in Griffith Park near Dublin city centre is used as a perch by a local Dipper. The recent rains have pushed a lot of leaf litter and other debris into the bike. It is a shame how we treat our river systems in Ireland (and elsewhere).
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
An introduced species from Asia, first introduced in the 16th century. Two races have been introduced to Ireland, but the race from China with its white neck ring has dominated. A game bird, it is raised in large numbers and released into woodland to be shot soon afterwards. Many birds have dispersed far from their release sights and can be found in woodland, farmland, large gardens and parks, where they have become 'wild'. Likes dense cover and can flush up at the last moment when nearly under foot. Roosts in trees. Widespread in Ireland but scarce or absent from parts of the west coast.
A large game bird with long legs and long barred tail. Males and females are very different. The males are distinctive with a bottle green head, with red fleshy head sides. The white collar is only present on the male and may not be present if you happen to see the least common race of the two races present in Ireland. Males are reddish brown and have a very long tail, upperparts which are spotted white and finely marked underparts. Females are very different, they are buff- brown with angular spots on the flanks and fine angular markings on the upperparts, the long tail is a give away. (Birdwatch Ireland)
I was surprised to see this male Common Pheasant on the steep cliffside of Howth Head during the Autumn. He was not too happy to see me and scurried through the dense gorse and heather before exploding out of the undergrowth, calling loudly and with indignation!
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Chiffchaff is a common and widespread summer visitor (April to September) to woodlands, as well as a common passage migrant and scarce winter visitor.
Very similar to Willow Warbler and about the same size as that species. Ages and sexes identical. Largely dull greenish above, slightly paler below. Has faint supercilium and dark eyestripe, as well as a narrow white eyering. Legs are usually dark, though pale-legged birds have been noted. In comparison to Willow Warbler, note duller green colour, dark legs, call and behaviour - frequently dips tail. Chiffchaffs from Scandinavia and Siberia can appear (rarely) on autumn passage in Ireland, these being almost pure white underneath and brown-grey above.
A rather vocal species. The most frequently heard call is a quiet “hu-it”. This is rather similar to that of the Willow Warbler and some experience is required to separate the two species on call alone. The song is a distinctive “tsilp-tsulp-tsilp-tsulp”, (i.e. “chiff-chaff”) usually repeated five or six times.
Not as common or widespread as the Willow Warblers with Chiffchaffs favouring deciduous woodlands and well vegetated hedgerows for breeding rather than boggy or marshy areas.
The Irish breeding population migrates south to winter around the Mediterranean basin. Chiffchaffs seen here during the winter months will have come from Scandinavia and Central and Eastern Europe. (Birdwatch Ireland)
This individual was a fresh Spring migrant at the East Coast Nature Reserve in Co. Wicklow. The bird was singing and moving through the hedgerows in front of the Main Hide. Always a treat to see and hear.
**IN EXPLORE**
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
A couple of stray sheep trying to blend in in Rathmines, Dublin 6. Made me smile.
Taken with a Leitz Elmar 50mm f2.8 lens on a Leica M4-P camera body, using Lomography 400 film and a Leitz Elmar 50mm f2.8 lens. Developed and scanned by the excellent John Gunn Camera Shop on Wexford Street.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
Berthelot's pipit (Anthus berthelotii) is a small passerine bird which breeds in Madeira and the Canary Islands. It is a common resident in both archipelagos.
Berthelot's pipit is found in open country. It is a small pipit, 13–14 centimetres (5.1–5.5 in) in length. It is an undistinguished looking species on the ground,
oddly-proportioned with a short tail making it look front heavy. Pale overall with a streaky breast, white belly, and a conspicuous white eyebrow. The wings coverts have prominent dark centers, with a dark eye and moustachial stripes. The sexes are similar, but juveniles are browner than adults.
This species appears shorter tailed and larger headed than meadow pipit. .
This species is named after the French naturalist Sabin Berthelot, a one-time resident of the Canary Islands, by Carl Bolle. (wikipedia)
We came across Bertholot's Pipits in suitable habitat on Madeira.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
Post no bills! Dublin
Taken with a Canon A1 camera with a Canon FD 50mm f1.8 on Fujicolour (Kodak) 200 film, and developed and scanned by the good folk in Gunns on Wexford Street.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The White-throated Dipper (Cinclus cinclus) is an aquatic passerine bird found in Europe and the Middle East, also known as the European Dipper or just Dipper. The species is divided into several subspecies on colour differences, especially of the pectoral band. The Dipper of Great Britain and Ireland is known as the "Brown-Bellied" Dipper (C. c. gularis), while the Irish race is Cinclus cinclus hibernicus.
The Dipper is a rotund, short-tailed bird, dark above and white-breasted, closely associated with swiftly running rivers and streams or the lakes into which these fall. The Dipper often perches bobbing spasmodically with its short tail uplifted on the rocks round which the water swirls and tumbles.
It acquired its name from these sudden dips, not from its diving habit, though it dives as well as walks into the water. It flies rapidly and straight, its short wings whirring swiftly and without pauses or glides, calling a shrill zil, zil, zil. It will then either drop on the water and dive or plunge in with a small splash. From a perch it will walk into the water and deliberately submerge, but there is no truth in the assertion that it can defy the laws of specific gravity and walk along the bottom.
A pair of Dipper on the Tolka River in Griffith Park near Dublin city centre.
Shorebirds of Ireland with Jim Wilson.
Due in October 2011 Freshwater Birds of Ireland with Jim Wilson
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) is the smallest shorebird. This species has greenish legs and a short thin dark bill. The juveniles are brightly patterned above with rufous colouration and white mantle stripes. This bird can be difficult to distinguish from other similar tiny shorebirds; these are known collectively as "peeps" or "stints". In particular, Least Sandpiper is very similar to its Asian counterpart, Long-toed Stint. Their breeding habitat is the northern North American continent on tundra or in bogs. They migrate in flocks to the southern United States and northern South America. They occur as very rare vagrants in western Europe. (wikipedia)
Taken at Carrahane Strand, Co. Kerry. A stunning bird which was very confiding and would approach to within 6 feet! Only the 7th Irish record (I think).
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Whimbrel is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae. It is the one of the most widespread of the curlews, breeding across much of subarctic North America, Europe and Asia as far south as Scotland.
This is a migratory species wintering on coasts in Africa, South America, south Asia into Australasia and southern North America. It is also a coastal bird during migration. It is fairly gregarious outside the breeding season.
Similar in appearance to the Curlew, but slightly smaller. Whimbrel has a similar downcurved bill, but this is slightly shorter than that of the Curlew. When seen well, distinctive "striped" head pattern can be discerned - formed by a dark crown, with a pale streak through the centre, a pale supercillium and a dark eyestripe. The call is also one of the best ways of finding a flock of migrating Whimbrels passing overhead.
This bird was photographed on the North Bull Island, Dublin, probably stopping over to feed before heading to southern Spain or along the west African coast to southern Africa for winter. A few Whimbrel winter in coastal areas of Ireland, mainly along the south and east coast. A magical bird for me.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Bullfinch, Common Bullfinch or Eurasian Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. In Anglophone Europe it is known simply as bullfinch, as it is the original bird to bear the name bullfinch.
The bullfinch is a bulky bull-headed bird. The upper parts are grey; the flight feathers and short thick bill are black; as are the cap and face in adults (they are greyish-brown in juveniles), and the white rump and wing bars are striking in flight. The adult male has red underparts, but females and young birds have grey-buff underparts. The song of this unobtrusive bird contains fluted whistles.
This bird breeds across Europe and temperate Asia. It is mainly resident, but many northern birds migrate further south in the winter. Mixed woodland with some conifers is favoured for breeding, including parkland and gardens. (wikipedia)
Taken in Irishtown Nature Park in Dublin Bay. A beautiful bird and a pleasure to see so well.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
Always hate seeing this vandalism. Could cost a life or two.
Taken with a Leica M4-P and Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f2 lens on Kodak Gold 200 film, and developed and scanned by the good folk in Gunns on Wexford Street.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Linnet, Carduelis cannabina, is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It derives its scientific name from its fondness for hemp and its English name from its liking for seeds of flax, from which linen is made.
This bird breeds in Europe, western Asia and north Africa. It is partially resident, but many eastern and northern birds migrate further south in the breeding range or move to the coasts. There are seven recognised subspecies.
Open land with thick bushes is favoured for breeding, including heathland and garden.
This species can form large flocks outside the breeding season, sometimes mixed with other finches, such as Twite, on coasts and salt marshes.
It is a slim bird with a long tail. The summer male has a grey nape, red head patch and red breast. The Linnet is IUCN Red-listed as threatened. From 1980-2009, according to the Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring Scheme, the European population decreased by 62%. (wikipedia)
This image was taken along the coastal path of Birdwatch Ireland's East Coast Nature Reserve, Wicklow in the early Spring morning.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) is a widespread member of the cormorant family of seabirds. It breeds in much of the Old World and the Atlantic coast of North America. In European waters it can be distinguished from the Common Shag by its larger size, heavier build, thicker bill, lack of a crest and plumage without any green tinge. In eastern North America, it is similarly larger and bulkier than Double-crested Cormorant, and the latter species has more yellow on the throat and bill. Great Cormorants are mostly silent, but they make various guttural noises at their breeding colonies.
Many fishermen see in the Great Cormorant a competitor for fish. Because of this it was nearly hunted to extinction in the past. Thanks to conservation efforts its numbers increased.
Cormorant fishing is practiced in China, Japan, and elsewhere around the globe. In it, fishermen tie a line around the throats of cormorants, tight enough to prevent swallowing, and deploy them from small boats. The cormorants catch fish without being able to fully swallow them, and the fishermen are able to retrieve the fish simply by forcing open the cormorants' mouths, apparently engaging the regurgitation reflex.
In North Norway, cormorants are traditionally seen as semi-sacred. (wikipedia)
There are many Cormorants that fish along the shoreline of Dublin Bay. This adult was coming into the base of the east pier, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Purple Sandpiper, Calidris maritima, is a small shorebird. These birds occur in winter in good numbers principally along the east coast, where they favour rocky shorelines adjacent to the sea. They are late migrants and move to rocky ice-free Atlantic coasts in winter. most go no further south than North Carolina and northern Portugal. They are fairly gregarious, forming small flocks, often with Ruddy Turnstones. This species is tame and approachable.
These birds forage on rocky coasts, picking up food by sight. They mainly eat arthropods and mollusks, also some plant material.
Adults have short yellow legs and a medium thin dark bill with a yellow base. The body is dark on top with a slight purplish gloss and mainly white underneath. The breast is smeared with grey and the rump is black.
Their breeding habitat is the northern tundra on Arctic islands in Canada and coastal areas in Greenland and northwestern Europe. (wikipedia)
These are remarkably tough birds and not a lot is known of their biology. Taken (handheld) along the bayside of the West Pier, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The White-throated Dipper (Cinclus cinclus) is an aquatic passerine bird found in Europe and the Middle East, also known as the European Dipper or just Dipper. The species is divided into several subspecies on colour differences, especially of the pectoral band. The Dipper of Great Britain and Ireland is known as the "Brown-Bellied" Dipper (C. c. gularis), while the Irish race is Cinclus cinclus hibernicus.
The Dipper is a rotund, short-tailed bird, dark above and white-breasted, closely associated with swiftly running rivers and streams or the lakes into which these fall. The Dipper often perches bobbing spasmodically with its short tail uplifted on the rocks round which the water swirls and tumbles.
It acquired its name from these sudden dips, not from its diving habit, though it dives as well as walks into the water. It flies rapidly and straight, its short wings whirring swiftly and without pauses or glides, calling a shrill zil, zil, zil. It will then either drop on the water and dive or plunge in with a small splash. From a perch it will walk into the water and deliberately submerge, but there is no truth in the assertion that it can defy the laws of specific gravity and walk along the bottom.
A bike discarded in the Tolka River in Griffith Park near Dublin city centre is used as a perch by a local Dipper. The recent rains have pushed a lot of leaf litter and other debris into the bike. It is a shame how we treat our river systems in Ireland (and elsewhere).
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
We were fortunate to get away for a family holiday for a week earlier this year to Portugal.
Taken on a Yashica Electro 35G camera and on Kodak Gold 200. Developed and scanned by the brilliant people in John Gunn Camera Shop on Wexford Street, Dublin.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
Roughly Robin-sized, the Hedge Accentor. known in Ireland as the Dunnock (pronounced Done-uck), is a sturdy dark brown bird, with bold black streaking and a bluish-grey head and neck, a thin pointed bill and orange-brown legs. Fairly common in gardens, parks, woodland and farmland, though usually only seen singly or in pairs. Tends to remain low in vegetation or creeps along the ground close to or under hedges. (Birdwatch Ireland)
They are usually very skulky but now the males are singing to mark territory so open shots like this are possible.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Moorhen is a common bird of most waterways, ponds and lakes in Ireland. Usually quite secretive, but can also be seen out in the open on water sides and even out in open fields. A dark pigeon sized bird with long sturdy legs. The adult has a red bill and fore crown, the bill is tipped yellow. Has a white line along the flanks and white sides to its under tail. The under tail is east to see as it carries its tail high. The upperparts are brownish and the underparts are blue-grey. Juveniles lack any red in the bill and crown and are have greyish-brown plumage Moorhens are usually seen on the ground or in the water. If the bird is walking about look out for the long yellow/green legs with the very large toes; the legs project out from the tail in flight. (Birdwatch Ireland)
Taken in the gloaming along the edge of the Tolka River that runs through Griffith Park in Dublin.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The European Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola) is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a subspecies of the Common Stonechat. Long considered a member of the thrush family Turdidae, genetic evidence has placed it and its relatives in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It is slightly smaller than the European Robin. Both sexes have distinctively short wings. The summer male has black upperparts, a black head, an orange throat and breast, and a white belly and vent. It also has white half-collar on the sides of its neck, a small white scapular patch on the wings, and a very small white patch on the rump often streaked with black. European Stonechats breed in heathland, coastal dunes and rough grassland with scattered small shrubs and bramble, open gorse, tussocks or heather. They are short-distance migrants or non-migratory. The male's song is high and twittering like a Dunnock. Both sexes have a clicking call like stones knocking together. Saxicola rubicola hibernans occurs in northwestern Europe in Atlantic coastal areas, in southwestern Norway, Great Britain, Ireland and northwestern France. (wikipedia)
A fledged juvenile along the train tracks near Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow in the summer of 2025.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Eurasian Wigeon is a medium-sized duck with large rounded head, small bill and pointed tail. The males has a russet head and neck with a creamy yellow crown and forehead. The breast is pinkish-grey, and the rest of the body is grey and white with a black stern. The female is a greyish brown colour with various mottled patterns. Speculum dull, dark.
This species grazes on coastal seagrass and algae, particularly on Zostera spp. and Enteromorpha spp., and also feeds regularly on grasslands and cereal crops.
The species is widespread in Ireland in winter where they occur on coastal marshes, freshwater and brackish lagoons, estuaries, bays. Many are found on inland wetlands, lakes, rivers and turloughs. The Icelandic breeding component of this population winters mostly in Ireland and western Britain, though some continue on to parts of continental Europe. (Birdwatch Ireland)
The species can be found in small numbers at the outflow to the water treatment facility in Poolbeg, Dublin Bay, during the winter months. This is a male bird in flight showing the dark speculum. There are Black-tailed Godwits in the background.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Eurasian hoopoe (Upupa epops) is the most widespread species of the genus Upupa. It is a distinctive cinnamon coloured bird with black and white wings, a tall erectile crest, a broad white band across a black tail, and a long narrow downcurved bill. Its call is a soft "oop-oop-oop". It is native to Europe, Asia and the northern half of Africa. It is migratory in the northern part of its range. It spends most of the time on the ground probing for grubs and insects.
The Eurasian hoopoe is widespread in Europe, Asia, and North Africa and northern Sub-Saharan Africa. Most European and north Asian birds migrate to the tropics in winter. Those breeding in Europe usually migrate to the Sahel belt of sub-Saharan Africa. The birds predominantly migrate at night. (Wikipedia)
This bird was photographed on Madeira Island, one of the North Atlantic islands. I was disappointed to see that the tip of the tail was hidden by the rocks!
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Eurasian hoopoe (Upupa epops) is the most widespread species of the genus Upupa. It is a distinctive cinnamon coloured bird with black and white wings, a tall erectile crest, a broad white band across a black tail, and a long narrow downcurved bill. Its call is a soft "oop-oop-oop". It is native to Europe, Asia and the northern half of Africa. It is migratory in the northern part of its range. It spends most of the time on the ground probing for grubs and insects.
The Eurasian hoopoe is widespread in Europe, Asia, and North Africa and northern Sub-Saharan Africa. Most European and north Asian birds migrate to the tropics in winter. Those breeding in Europe usually migrate to the Sahel belt of sub-Saharan Africa. The birds predominantly migrate at night. (Wikipedia)
I watched the parents of this recently fledged Hoopoe fly back and forth to the nest hole on the grounds of the hotel we were staying in on a family holiday in June 2024 in Portugal. The successfully fledged at least 2 birds. This is one of them. Fantastic to see.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Seven-Spot Ladybug (Coccinella septempunctata), family Coccinellidae, is one of about 5,000 species of ladybirds in the world. Most species come on a pretty basic chassis with a variety of dots and dashes against a background that varies from yellow to pink to red to black, sometimes within the same species.
At 7 to 10 mm long the Seven-spot is one of our larger ladybugs. It has seven spots distributed over its elytra (hard wing covers). The number of spots can be diagnostic in ladybug species, except when it’s not.
There are two white spots on the face, and its thorax is mostly black, with the head framed by two white “squares.” The large, black spot at the front of the elytra is bordered by a white “bowtie.”
They are widely distributed in Ireland.
This was taken in a hedgerow along the Wicklow coast.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Eurasian hoopoe (Upupa epops) is the most widespread species of the genus Upupa. It is a distinctive cinnamon coloured bird with black and white wings, a tall erectile crest, a broad white band across a black tail, and a long narrow downcurved bill. Its call is a soft "oop-oop-oop". It is native to Europe, Asia and the northern half of Africa. It is migratory in the northern part of its range. It spends most of the time on the ground probing for grubs and insects.
The Eurasian hoopoe is widespread in Europe, Asia, and North Africa and northern Sub-Saharan Africa. Most European and north Asian birds migrate to the tropics in winter. Those breeding in Europe usually migrate to the Sahel belt of sub-Saharan Africa. The birds predominantly migrate at night. (Wikipedia)
This bird was photographed on the grounds of the hotel we were staying in on a family holiday in June 2024 in Portugal. There was a pair on the grounds that successfully fledged at least 2 birds.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Sardinian Warbler, Sylvia melanocephala, is a common and widespread typical warbler from the Mediterranean region. Like most Sylvia species, it has distinct male and female plumages. The adult male has a grey back, whitish underparts, black head, white throat and red eyes. Plumages are somewhat variable even in the same locality, with the intensity of a reddish hue on upper- and/or underside varies from absent to (in some subspecies) pronounced. The female is mainly brown above and buff below, with a grey head.
The Sardinian Warbler's song is fast and rattling, and is very characteristic of the Mediterranean areas where this bird breeds. (wikipedia)
The coastal paths west of Faro supported a good population of these lovely warblers.