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
We interrupt your regularly scheduled Bird Blog to bring you an important news bulletin. Summer is quite an exciting time for birding because we get so many colourful characters flying in from oversees; many of them expected and some of them not. The bird we'll be talking about today is an example of the latter,… Continue reading Red-Footed Falcon – A Surprise Vagrant!
Lá Fhéile Bríde shona daoibh; Happy Imbolc! The razor sharp wind and dreary grey skies may not seem very festive, but the worse the weather is on Brigid's day, the shorter the period of time before spring is finally here (or so we hope). In honour of our principal lady saint, we'll be talking about… Continue reading Oystercatcher – Brigid’s Bird
New year, same Bird Blog! After the whirlwind of glittery lights and cinnamon-y smells that is December, it's nice to be settling into 2025 with the quiet meditative process of writing about a bird - and what a bold bird it is! We're the starting the year off right with a bird who's brash, loves… Continue reading Brent Goose – They’re Good Geese, Brent
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
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
I've been seeing more patches of blue sky and flower bulbs bursting into life lately, and I feel like brighter days are well on their way. I wish I could say the same for this month's bird but unfortunately, they seem destined to vanish from our island in the imminent future. Before that happens, we… Continue reading Curlew – Doomed to Disappear?
It can be difficult to convince yourself to get out of the house on a cold, windy day, especially now in winter when the temperature keeps dropping. But if you manage to muster up the courage to head outside, consider heading out to the coast. Winter is a fantastic time to see lots of interesting… Continue reading Turnstone – Our Coastal Digger