The summer months have a habit of wiping my memory of the biting gales, which are out in full force these dark winter evenings. Maybe it's karma for my not having hayfever when pollen is drifting about on the wind; my eyes stream because my hair whips into them at Mach 1 speed. Yet I… Continue reading North Bull Island – From Sandbar to Sanctuary
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
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
This month's bird is one that not too many people are a fan of. If you've ever dared to eat a sandwich on a park bench, you've probably been harassed by a number of these birds. They are the infamous, much-beloathed Herring Gull (Larus argentatus), known here at home as Faoileán scadán. A row of… Continue reading Herring Gull – The Infamous Scavenger