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Normal programming is interrupted for an advertorial.
My book, released in Australia last October, and the UK in December, got a US release this month.
I doubt you're going to stumble upon it in many bookstores, but if anyone is interested, it's available through Amazon .
The cheapest option, at time of writing, is the Australian edition from Book Depository with free international delivery.
You can have a sneak peek here and there
Usual service will resume tomorrow.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) is a large shorebird in the family Scolopacidae. It breeds in central Canada and southern Alaska and winters in southern North America, Central America, the West Indies and South America.
The greater yellowlegs is similar in appearance to the smaller lesser yellowlegs. Its closest relative, however, is the greenshank, which together with the spotted redshank form a close-knit group.
Adults have long yellow legs and a long, thin, dark bill which has a slight upward curve and is longer than the head. The body is grey-brown on top and white underneath; the neck and breast are streaked with dark brown. The rump is white. It ranges in length from 29 to 40 cm (11 to 16 in) and in weight from 111 to 250 g (3.9 to 8.8 oz). Wingspan is 23.6 in (60 cm).
These birds forage in shallow water, sometimes using their bills to stir up the water. They mainly eat insects and small fish, as well as crustaceans, marine worms, frogs, seeds and berries. (wikipedia)
This is Ireland's 16th record of this fantastic wader, so an incredibly rare bird here. It is the first time I have ever seen the species anywhere, so I was thrilled to see it so well. What an amazing find by Stephen Delaney. I wonder is it the same bird seen earlier in the year in Co. Kildare?
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Coal Tit, Periparus ater, is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a widespread and common resident breeder throughout temperate to subtropical Eurasia and northern Africa.
The Coal Tit has a distinctive large white nape spot on its black head. The head, throat and neck of the adult are glossy blue-black, setting off the off-white sides of the face (tinged grey to yellow depending on subspecies) and the brilliant white nape; the white tips of the wing coverts appear as two wingbars. The underparts are whitish shading through buff to rufous on the flanks. The bill is black, the legs lead-coloured, and irides dark brown. A number of Coal Tit subspecies are distinguished. The Irish race P. a. hibernicus is distinguished from britannicus by the pale sulphur-yellow cheeks, breast and belly. It also has a paler rump (due to light fringes of the uppertail coverts) and a larger bill than its relatives from Britain and the Continent. (wikipedia)
This individual was feedlng along the river at LIssenhall Bridge, Broadmeadows estuary, Co. Dublin. Pity about the branch 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 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)
During the late autumn and winter months, Cormorants use the cross on top of Our Lady of Dolours Church in Glasnevin, Dublin 9, to perch, have a scratch, rest up and generally survey all around them.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The LUAS on the Green Line heading across Dublin town and avoiding the 12th worst traffic globally, based on the Global Traffic Scorecard, with commuters losing 114 hours in traffic here in 2022. The world's worst city for traffic last year was London, followed by Chicago and Paris.
Taken with a Leica M4-P and Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f2 lens on CineStill XX black and white film, and developed and scanned by the good folk in Gunns on Wexford Street.M4-P CineStill XX CZ 50mm
The so called Chippy Lane in Cardiff. One of the surreal scenes I stumbled upon while shooting my Cardiff After Dark.
From the "Cardiff After Dark" book available on Amazon UK and worldwide on bookdepository.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
In Lockdown Level 5 in January 2021 and all is quiet on a lunchtime along Montague Lane leading onto Wexford Street, Dublin.
Taken with a Leica M4-P and a Leica Elmar 5cm f2.8 lens on Kodak TMax 400 black and white film.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
One of the newest Coffee Angel coffee shops that is located on Upper Hatch Street, Dublin 2.
Taken on a Leica M4-P camera body with a Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f2 lens on Harman Ilford HP2 black and white film. Developed and scanned by the excellent John Gunn Camera Shop on Wexford Street.
from the book Zakka Handmades by Amy Morinaka www.bookdepository.com/Zakka-Handmades-Amy-Morinaka/97815...
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
One of the Montezuma Pines (I think) from the National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin, Dublin.
Taken with a Leica M4-P and Voigtlander Nokton Classic 40mm f1.4 lens on Lomography 400 colour film. 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
Autumn in Dublin during Level 3 lockdown. The city centre was quiet and was about to get quieter. Strange to see Grogan's Bar, usually busy with a low murmur of conversation audible, quiet and lifeless.
Taken with a Canon A1 and a Helios 44M-4 f2 58mm lens on Fujicolour PRO 400H film.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia), in the background, is a wader, a subarctic bird, breeding from northern Scotland eastwards across northern Europe and Asia. It is a migratory species, wintering in Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, and Australasia, usually on fresh water.
Common Greenshanks are brown in breeding plumage, and grey-brown in winter. When in water, they can appear very similar to Marsh Sandpipers but are distinguished by the shape of the lower bill which gives it an upturned appearance to the bill. They have long greenish legs and a long bill with a grey base. They show a white wedge on the back in flight. They are somewhat larger than the related Common Redshank. The usual call is a rapid series of three short fluty notes syllabilized as teu-teu-teu.
Like most waders, they feed on small invertebrates, but will also take small fish and amphibians. The Common Greenshank is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.
The Common Redshank or simply Redshank (Tringa totanus), in the foreground, is a Eurasian wader. Common Redshanks in breeding plumage are a marbled brown color, slightly lighter below. In winter plumage (as shown here) they become somewhat lighter-toned and less patterned, being rather plain greyish-brown above and whitish below. They have red legs and a black-tipped red bill, and show white up the back and on the wings in flight.
It is a widespread breeding bird across temperate Eurasia. It is a migratory species, wintering on coasts around the Mediterranean, on the Atlantic coast of Europe from Great Britain southwards, and in South Asia. They are wary and noisy birds which will alert everything else with their loud piping call. Like most waders, they feed on small invertebrates. (wikipedia)
This was taken at the River Santry outflow at Bull Island, Dublin.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
Apis mellifera mellifera, (A.m.m.), also called the Black Bee or the Dark European Honey Bee or the Northern Dark Bee was originally widespread throughout the whole of northern Europe but sadly is no longer prevalent there now, due to hybridisation with other sub-species such as Apis mellifera ligustica or a hybrid form between the two types.
The Black Bee is thankfully still very much alive in Ireland and is the one kept by most beekeepers BUT it is severely threatened due to hybridisation with imported non-native sub-species as well as the potential detrimental effects of diseases that may be imported with non-native bees. Along with other bees and pollinators generally, it is also struggling due to habitat loss, pesticide use and intensive agriculture – sadly, 1/3rd of all Ireland’s bees are at risk of extinction.
The importance of protecting local bees is now being recognised throughout Europe; in March 2018, an EU Report on Prospects and challenges for the EU apiculture sector (2017/2115(INI)) “Calls on the European Commission and Member States to put in place measures to increase legal protection and financial support for local honey bee ecotypes and populations throughout the European Union, including by way of legally protected locally endemic honeybee conservation areas.” (Native Irish Rare Breed Society)
The native Irish Honey Bee is resilient to our unpredictable weather, including an ability to tolerate long periods of confinement to the hive in winter and an ability to fly at low temperatures and in drizzle or light rain. Clearly, our native bee is admirably adapted to life in Ireland! This individual was one of several feeding on Allium 'Millenium' flowers in my garden during the summer.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Canada goose (Branta canadensis), sometimes called Canadian goose, is a large wild goose with a black head and neck, white cheeks, white under its chin, and a brown body. It is native to the arctic and temperate regions of North America, and it is occasionally found during migration across the Atlantic in northern Europe. Like most geese, the Canada goose is primarily herbivorous and normally migratory; often found on or close to fresh water, the Canada goose is also common in brackish marshes, estuaries, and lagoons.
Extremely adept at living in human-altered areas, Canada geese have established breeding colonies in urban and cultivated habitats, which provide food and few natural predators. The success of this common park species has led to its often being considered a pest species because of its excrement, its depredation of crops, its noise, its aggressive territorial behavior toward both humans and other animals, and its habit of stalking and begging for food, the latter a result of humans disobeying artificial feeding policies toward wild animals.
Canada geese were introduced in Europe in the early 17th century by explorer Samuel de Champlain who sent several pairs of geese to France as a present for King Louis XIII. The geese were first introduced in Great Britain in the late 17th century as an addition to King James II's waterfowl collection in St. James's Park. By the middle of the 18th century, the Canada geese have established populations in France and Great Britain, but also in Ireland. They were also introduced in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Scandinavia, and Finland in the 20th Century, starting in Sweden in 1929. Most European populations are not migratory, but those in more northerly parts of Sweden and Finland migrate to the North Sea and Baltic coasts. Semi-tame feral birds are common in parks, and have become a pest in some areas. In Great Britain, they were spread by hunters, but remained uncommon until the mid-20th century. Their population grew from 2,200 to 4,000 birds in 1953 to an estimated 82,000 in 1999, as changing agricultural practices and urban growth provided new habitat. (wikipedia)
This bird was one of a hundred at Titchfield Haven reserve, near Southampton, on the south coast of England.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
A fantastic mural of Brendan Behan at Richmond Cottages, just off Summerhill Parade in the heart of Dublin's North inner city. Painted by the extremely talented Shane Sutton.
Taken with an Olympus XA camera on native ISO 400 Fujifilm Superia film. 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
The Great Palm House in the National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin, Dublin. Lovely structure. Going for the Accidentally Wes Anderson look.
Taken with a Leica M4-P and a Summarit 35mm lens on Santa Rae 100 colour film. 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
Wires everywhere.
Taken with a Leica M4-P and Carl Zeiss Planar T* f2 50mm lens on Santa Rae 125 Summer film. 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
There were some nice vistas at Portrane Beach while waiting for Ireland's 1st Least Tern to show itself. Cracking day. COVID-19, Level 3, June 2021.
Taken with a Leitz Elmar 50mm f2.8 lens on a Leica M4-P camera body, using Kodak C200 (200 ASA) colour film. Developed and scanned by the excellent John Gunn Camera Shop on Wexford Street.
Caroline street, the chippy alley
Cardiff Wales UK
"Cardiff After Dark" book: on Amazon UK, on amazon .com, worldwide on bookdepository.
www.maciejdakowicz.com - new website
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 has been a bogey species for me to photograph well on the ground. I was lucky to stumble upon this semi-confiding individual recently on the North Bull Island, Dublin Bay, Ireland. Still a way to go to get a decent, clean shot on the ground but I'll take this one for now.
Shorebirds of Ireland with Jim Wilson.
Freshwater Birds of Ireland with Jim Wilson
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Spotted Redshank, Tringa erythropus, is a wader (shorebird) in the large bird family Scolopacidae. It breeds across northern Scandinavia and northern Asia and migrates south to Ireland, Britain, France, tropical Africa, and tropical Asia for the winter.
It is black in breeding plumage, and very pale in winter. It has a red legs and bill, and shows a white oval on the back in flight. Juveniles are grey-brown finely speckled white above, and have pale, finely barred underparts. (wikipedia)
Taken along the northern shore of Great Island, Co. Cork. This is an adult in winter plumage.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
St. Stephen's Green, Dublin, after the rain.
Taken with an Leica M4-P camera, with a Leica Summarit-M 35mm lens, and on native ISO 400 Ilford HP5 film pushed to iSO 800. 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 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Lighthouse of Cabo de São Vicente is a beacon/lighthouse located 7 km (4.3 mi) from the western edge of the civil parish of Sagres, guarding one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. A rudimentary lighthouse existed on the cape since 1520, in a special tower constructed on the site of the convent. The traditional land's end of Europe, the extreme southwesternmost point on the continent, it was an essential landfall for sailors returning from Africa and the Americas. One of the most powerful lighthouses in Europe (the most powerful being Phare du Creach on the French island of Ushant, off the coast of Brittany); its two 1,000 W lamps can be seen as far as 60 km (37 mi) away.
Taken with a Canon A1 and a Canon FD 50mm f1.8 lens on Washi X 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 with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
A fabulous piece by Subset in Ranelagh, Dublin 6.
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
The chimney, which was built in 1935 on the north side of Dublin as part of the original Player's tobacco factory, is a popular landmark amongst locals and with tourists.
Taken with an Olympus XA camera on native ISO 400 Fujifilm Superia film. 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
The Common Blackbird (Turdus merula) is a species of true thrush. It is also called Eurasian Blackbird (especially in North America, to distinguish it from the unrelated New World blackbirds), or simply Blackbird where this does not lead to confusion with a similar-looking local species. It breeds in Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to Canada, United States, Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, the Falkland Islands, Chile, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. It has a number of subspecies across its large range; a few of the Asian subspecies are sometimes considered to be full species. Depending on latitude, the common blackbird may be resident, partially migratory, or fully migratory.
The male of the nominate subspecies, which is found throughout most of Europe, is all black except for a yellow eye-ring and bill and has a rich, melodious song; the adult female and juvenile have mainly dark brown plumage. This species breeds in woods and gardens, building a neat, mud-lined, cup-shaped nest. It is omnivorous, eating a wide range of insects, earthworms, berries, and fruits.
Both sexes are territorial on the breeding grounds, with distinctive threat displays, but are more gregarious during migration and in wintering areas. Pairs stay in their territory throughout the year where the climate is sufficiently temperate. This common and conspicuous species has given rise to a number of literary and cultural references, frequently related to its song. (wikipedia)
A very fine male Blackbird was feeding amongst the leaf litter in Northwood Park, Santry, Dublin recently.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The Razorbill/Crosán (Alca torda) is a colonial seabird that only comes to land in order to breed. This agile bird chooses one partner for life; females lay one egg per year. Razorbills nest along coastal cliffs in enclosed or slightly exposed crevices. The parents spend equal amounts of time incubating. Once the chick has hatched, the parents take turns foraging for their young and sometimes fly long distances before finding prey.
The Razorbill is primarily black with a white underside. The male and female are identical in plumage; however, males are generally larger than females. In 1918, the Razorbill was protected in the United States by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Presently, the major threat for the population is the destruction of breeding sites.
The Razorbill has white underparts and a black head, neck, back and feet during breeding season. A thin white line also extends from the eyes to the end of the bill. Its head is darker than that of a Common Guillemot. During the nonbreeding season, the throat and face behind the eye become white, and the white line on the face becomes less prominent. The thick black bill has a blunt end. The tail feathers are slightly longer in the center in comparison to other alcids. This makes the Razorbill have a distinctly long tail which is not common for an auk. The Razorbill chooses one partner for life, and nests along coastal waters of the continental shelf. (wikipedia)
This is 1st summer/1st winter bird taken from the Great South Wall in Dublin Bay, Ireland.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The European Robin is probably the most familiar garden bird in Europe - the bright orange-red breast and facial area make it unmistakable. Upperparts a uniform greyish brown, belly and lower breast greyish white. The bill is dark and pointed and the legs black. Can appear very plump and rounded, especially in cold weather when the bird fluffs out its feathers. Can be very confiding, often perching motionless close to gardening activity. Occasionally cocks tail briefly. (Birdwatch Ireland)
Taken at Rogerstown Nature Park, Dublin, Ireland. Happy Christmas, everyone.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio) is a carnivorous passerine bird and member of the shrike family Laniidae. Its breeding range stretches from Western Europe east to central Russia. It is migratory and winters in the eastern areas of tropical Africa and southern Africa. Once a common migratory visitor to Great Britain, numbers declined sharply during the 20th century, and it is now classified as a UK 'Red List' species. (wikipedia)
Shrikes like to perch prominently on the tops of bushes, fence posts and telephone wires, where they have a good view of potential prey. Items caught are then taken to a larder where they are impaled on a thorn or wedged in a fork. (RSPB)
This 1st year bird was found on Howth Head, Dublin during the autumn of 2021 by Mark Collins, and is on the 5th record for County Dublin. Fantastic bird.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
Audouin's gull (Ichthyaetus audouinii) is a large gull restricted to the Mediterranean and the western coast of Saharan Africa and the Iberian Peninsula.
In the late 1960s, this was one of the world's rarest gulls, with a population of only 1,000 pairs. It has established new colonies, but remains rare with a population of about 10,000 pairs.
This species, unlike many large gulls, rarely scavenges, but is a specialist fish eater, and is therefore strictly coastal and pelagic. This bird will feed at night, often well out to sea, but also slowly patrols close into beaches, occasionally dangling its legs to increase drag.
The adult basically resembles a small European herring gull, the most noticeable differences being the short stubby red bill and "string of pearls" white wing primary tips, rather than the large "mirrors" of some other species. The legs are grey-green. It takes four years to reach adult plumage.
This species shows little tendency to wander from its breeding areas, but there were single records in the Netherlands and England in May 2003, and one spent from December 2016 to April 2017 in Trinidad.
It is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. (wikipedia)
I was fortunate to bump into a small flock of Audouin's Gull on a local beach in Vilarmoura on the south coast of Portugal in the early summer of 2024. One of the nicest looking of the gull species. This bird had a white darvic ring with the code ARTU. The bird was ringed/banded with this ring on 5th July 2005 as a chick on Isla del Alboran, Almeria (a small islet of Spain in the Alboran Sea, part of the western Mediterranean Sea, about 56 kilometres (35 mi; 30 nmi) north of the Moroccan coast and 85 kilometres (53 mi; 46 nmi) from the Spanish mainland. The main buildings are an automated lighthouse built in the 19th century, a small cemetery, and a harbor). The island is a flat platform about 15 metres (49 feet) above sea level and about 71,200 m2 . The islet has been recognised as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports a breeding population of Audouin's gulls as well as various species of passerines on migration. In 2001, the United Nations declared the island and its seabed a Specially Protected Area of Mediterranean Importance.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri), also known as the ring-necked parakeet, is a medium-sized parrot in the genus Psittacula, of the family Psittacidae. It has disjunct native ranges in Africa and South Asia, and is now introduced into many other parts of the world where feral populations have established themselves and are bred for the exotic pet trade.
The rose-ringed parakeet is sexually dimorphic. The adult male sports a red and black neck ring, and the hen and immature birds of both sexes either show no neck rings, or display shadow-like pale to dark grey neck rings. Both sexes have a distinctive green colour in the wild, and captive bred ringnecks have multiple colour mutations including blue, violet and yellow. Rose-ringed parakeets measure on average 40 cm (16 in) in length, including the tail feathers, a large portion of their total length. Their average single-wing length is about 15 to 17.5 cm (5.9 to 6.9 in). In the wild, this is a noisy species with an unmistakable squawking call. Captive individuals can be taught to speak. They are a herbivorous and non-migratory species.
One of the few parrot species that have successfully adapted to living in disturbed habitats, it has withstood the onslaught of urbanisation and deforestation. As a popular pet species, escaped birds have colonised a number of cities around the world, including Northern and Western Europe. These parakeets have also proven themselves capable of living in a variety of climates outside their native range, and are able to survive low winter temperatures in Northern Europe. The species is listed as least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) because its population appears to be increasing, but its popularity as a pet and unpopularity with farmers have reduced its numbers in some parts of its native range.
In the wild, rose-ringed parakeets usually feed on buds, fruits, vegetables, nuts, berries, and seeds. Wild flocks also fly several miles to forage in farmlands and orchards, causing extensive damage. Feral parakeets will regularly visit gardens and other locations near human habitation, taking food from bird feeders.
The European populations became established during the mid-to-late 20th century. There is a burgeoning population of feral parakeets in Great Britain which is centred around suburban London and the Home Counties of South-East England. The winter of 2006 had three separate roosts of about 6000 birds around London. A major agricultural pest in locations such as India, as of 2011 the rose-ringed parakeet population was growing rapidly, but is generally limited to urban areas in southern England.
A Europe-wide count was held in 2015 and found 85,220 Rose-ringed parakeets in 10 European countries. (wikipedia)
This is a male Rose-necked Parakeet eating the fresh Cherry Blossom flowers near Griffith Park, Dublin, Ireland. A very nice contrast between the green and pink. The three resident birds were present in the tree, munching away.
Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com
The purple heron (Ardea purpurea) is a wide-ranging species of wading bird in the heron family, Ardeidae. It breeds in Africa, central and southern Europe, and southern and eastern Asia.
It is similar in appearance to the more common grey heron but is slightly smaller, more slender and has darker plumage. It is also a more evasive bird, favouring densely vegetated habitats near water, particularly reed beds.
Purple herons are colonial breeders and build a bulky nest out of dead reeds or sticks close to the water' edge among reeds or in dense vegetation. The International Union for Conservation of Nature notes that the global population trend is downwards, largely because of the drainage of wetlands, but assesses the purple heron's conservation status as being of "least concern". (wikipedia)
I stumbled upon a few Purple Herons during my holiday in Portugal in the summer of 2022. The heat haze here was criminal but I managed to get one okay shot through the haze. I saw my first Purple Heron in Garretstown, Cork, Ireland in 1987 with Jim Wilson! A rare bird for Ireland then.