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
Lá Bealtaine shona daoibh; Happy Beltane! The hazy sun and dried grass have me itching for a cold drink, sunglasses, and some tunes. What a time to be welcoming the summer solstice. Traditionally this holiday has ties to the robin, but in light of an ghrian ag scoilteadh na gcloch, we've decided to talk about… Continue reading Stonechat – Between a Rock and a Prickly Place
Daffodils, show me your sunny crowns! That 10-day period of no sun had me brooding and contemplative, to the point where even writing felt like a colourless activity. It's also not the best weather for birdwatching, but I must say the twittering symphony of birdsong has helped me keep it together while waiting for the… Continue reading Meadow Pipit – The Changeling’s Prey
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
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
It's already over. Summer lasted thirty seconds and I didn't even get to go on a picnic? I had to pull a jacket out of the wardrobe the other day? I am craving soup? Truth be told, I like autumn. It suits my complexion, my outfits look better, and I can buy a hot chocolate… Continue reading Pigeon – From Cliffs to Cobblestones
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
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
There will actually be two birds discussed in this post: the pied wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii) and the grey wagtail (Motacilla cinerea). The pied wagtail, glasóg shráide in Irish, is a common sight around urban areas. I remember walking through my college campus each morning and being accompanied by these sprightly little birds dashing across… Continue reading Wagtails – Little Movers
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