Tag Archives: Bird

Double Gold and a Great Tit

The garden feeder is in big demand at the moment. The dull days are not making for great photos, none the less here are two Gold Finches and a Great Tit grabbing a spot of lunch.

Iced Duck Anyone?

Mallards

These pictures are going back a few months now. The small lake was frozen over during the cold weather and I snapped these guys just standing around on the ice. In the foreground of the photos we have Mallards with what I think are Black-headed guls in winter plumage in the background.

The photos were taken in Arklow, County Wicklow, on a pretty dull day with snow laden clouds. The photos are not of great quality but I just wanted to break my duck with, well, erm, ducks!

Grey Heron visits The Claddagh on the Corrib River, Galway

I have tried to get a photo of the Grey Heron in and around the Galway coast on a fair few occasions. They were either too far away or flew off the minute I got the camera out. Last week however things were a little different. It was one of the first nice spring days of the year and I had lunch down by the Spanish Arch overlooking the Corrib. I decided to cycle back to work the scenic route via The Claddagh. This chap was just sitting on top of a car cool as you like. I guess he was doing the same as me, enjoying the nice day and the river view and who can blame him. The Heron was decent enough to pose for a mobile phone pic. Who needs to go on a photo trip to see nature close up when all you have to do is head for town.

Great black-backed gull

Kilmore Quay – Herring Gull and Great Black-backed Gull

Kilmore Quay Co. County Wexford is a favourite summer day trip. On my last visit I snapped these gulls hovering around the fishing boats. I find it tricky to identify gulls but I think I may have got these guys right. The book says that the Great Black-backed Gull is the largest of our gulls and these guys were big. It is a lovely spot to wander around and for a spot of refreshment and a bite to eat you could not do better than Kehoe’s Pub. The Saltee Islands are off the Kilmore Quay coast and during the summer you can take a trip around the Islands. It really is a stunning trip to take – like watching wildlife a documentary, but it is real and right on our own doorstep here in Ireland. You might even see a puffin or two if you are lucky.