Welcome to the liminal space between Halloween and Christmas; where the only assured thing is hearing people complain about how dark it gets by 4 p.m.. It's a moody, introspective time, quiet in the wake of one big holiday and anticipation of the next. I think we need something bright to carry us through these… Continue reading Redshank – Calling All Crimson Commandos
Can you feel that chill in the air? The hazy season of magic is almost upon us; the veils between worlds are beginning to thin. All manner of spirits are drifting onto on our plane, and today we're going to be talking about one who takes the form of a bird. Shy and elusive, they… Continue reading Jay – The Spirit of the Forest
Unfortunately summer didn't have a slow fade out this year. It was a blink-and-you'll-miss-it transition into autumn, where I am typing this now from under a blanket while sipping a mug of tea. As a farewell to days baked warm by the sun, we'd like to talk about a bird who thrives among the long,… Continue reading Reed Bunting – Summer, Seeds, and Stubble
Happy Tuesday; happy July; happy birthday to me! My birthday wish this year was to write about a bird I really like for my birth month's bird blog — which meant hoofing it to get pictures of them in time for the big day. Though their shape is iconic, they are nimble fiends that never… Continue reading Long-Tailed Tit – The Flying Teaspoon
O melancholy, thy name is November. Is anyone else feeling the seasonal mood drop between Halloween and Christmas? I know I am; every fibre of my being wants to hole up in a nest of blankets and sleep for 32 hours. Fortunately, I know the remedy for this feeling is getting up early to take… Continue reading Black-tailed Godwit – From Iceland to Irish Shores
The heaviness of autumn has truly draped itself upon us. At some point in the last couple of weeks the world became just a little more muffled under the constant pattering of rain. I know that soon I'll be listening to the wind keening down the chimney and breathing in the smoky haze of winter… Continue reading Rook – Resplendent Requiems
Summer is finally in full-swing and that means folks are flocking outdoors! While you're enjoying fish and chips on the pier or a sambo in St. Stephen's Green, I'm sure you're keeping your eyes peeled for any crafty gulls trying to sidle up to you to nab a nibble. We're all well accustomed to herring… Continue reading Great Black-Backed Gull – The Maritime Marauder
Here's a fun fact for you: my birthday is in July, and for my birth month, I wanted to talk about a bird that's as iconic as I am. We're lucky to be blessed by high-flying, long-haul bird travellers from far away places, and this month's bird is no exception. But they're also a familiar… Continue reading Swallow- Summer’s Skyborne Sign
July for me has always been the month of events. My birthday is right at the start of it, kicking things off with a bang. Then there's usually all sorts of things that follow that - trips, meetups, hangouts with friends and family. The bird we'll be discussing in this article happens to be well… Continue reading Common Guillemot – Pass Me the Auks
For many people in Ireland, the word "crow" is a catch-all term used to describe almost every black bird they see. This assumption is sometimes correct, since more often than not these birds do usually belong to the Corvidae family, of which the crow is a member. But this generalisation glosses over the unique traits… Continue reading Jackdaw – A case study on leucism
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