February 12, 2012

World Wetlands Day

Filed under: Announcements — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , — Samuel Connolly @ 7:56 pm

February 2 was World Wetlands Day, honouring the creation of the World Wetland’s Commission at Ramsar in Iran in 1971, and I was kindly invited to the unveiling of a new website dedicated to Irish wetlands to celebrate, designed by Áine O’ Leary: www.irishwetlands.ie/ .

The event was held in Wicklow County Buildings and was hosted by Deirdre Burns (Wicklow’s Heritage Officer) and Councillor Sylvester Burke. The County Manager, Eddie Sheehy was presiding and also in attendance were three very special guests: ecologist Karin Dubsky the chair of Ireland’s Ramsar Committee, BirdWatch Ireland ornithologist Dick Coombes, and renowned wildlife film-maker and naturalist Éamonn De Buitléar.

After the indoor event Dick Coombes led us on a wetlands walk, assisted by botanist Faith Wilson, one of Wicklow’s greatest living naturalists.

Below are just a just a small selection of photos from the day.

From left to right: Karin Dubsky, Éamonn De Buitléar, Cllr. Sylvester Burke, County Manager Eddie Sheehy and Deirdre Burns opening the event.

 

Áine O'Leary introduces the new website of Ireland's Ramsar Committee.

Karin Dubsky and Éamonn De Buitléar enjoying some humour at the festivities.

Dick Coombes, one of Ireland's best known ornithologists, leading us on a wetland walk in the Murrough area of Wicklow Town. Deirdre Burns is on the right taking the photo that can be seen on page 6 of this week's Wicklow People newspaper. Faith Wilson is unfortunately hidden by her position behind the second field scope.

 

February 6, 2012

A Slowly Arriving Spring

Filed under: Announcements — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , — Samuel Connolly @ 2:25 pm

Ireland has escaped the extreme wintery conditions that have struck the rest of Europe, including the island of Great Britain, but soil temperatures are still below normal for this time of year and so far the crocuses in my garden, the most accurate gauge of the arrival of spring, have not risen and flowered, although other people have reported finding crocuses. However, there have been some nice surprises due to the Siberian system that struck Europe, and a few days ago I photographed a peculiar warbler in my garden. Not being a warbler expert by any means I showed a series of photos (taken through a foggy window) to Dick Coombes of Birdwatch Ireland, and it seems that the mystery warbler is, in fact, a Siberian Chiffchaff, a subspecies of the Chiffchaff warbler that arrives in Ireland for the summer.

Siberian Chiffchaff photographed in Newcastle in Wicklow, seen here foraging for insects in tubs of garden plants.

January 27, 2012

Winter Beauties

Filed under: Announcements — Samuel Connolly @ 4:19 pm

There is no doubt that we have birds in Wicklow rivalling even the most respendant tropical birds for colour. Winter can be a great time to see them, due to the lack of foliage and the tendency of these birds to come to feeders. Here are two beauties I photographed today, a magnificent Blue Tit, and the larger, and equally colourful Great Tit, which is also a superb singer.

A Blue Tit on a feeder. This species was originally recorded by Linnaeus as Parus caeruleus, but DNA studies have led many modern biologists to reclassify this species in a separate genus to other Tits, as Cyanistes caeruleus.

Although it is still very much winter in Wicklow, albeit a mild one, the birds have begun to sing their territorial songs, proclamations of ownership of land from which they will soon be harvesting food for their hatchlings. Spring is already in the air.

 

The Great Tit, Parus major, is a terrific singer and as colourful as a tropical parrot. These birds are extremely common in Wicklow, as they are right across Ireland and Europe

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