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
Happy first day of summer! I love June for all its bright colours - whether they be from nature or from people getting into the Pride spirit; not to mention the great weather we'll get once students start the junior/leaving certs. Ironically, today's bird is a monochrome monarch with a limited colour palette and a… Continue reading Black Guillemot – (L)ittle (G)uillemot (B)ird (T)ime!
Second late birdblog post in a row, a new record that we'll try hard not to break. Summer is definitely in full swing, as evidenced by the bursts of colour I've been seeing across people's gardens. The world is so bright, I have to wear sunglasses every time I step outside to avoid squinting -… Continue reading Little Egret – Fancy-Feathered Fresh-Face
We're posting this month's post later than intended because our personal lives have been pretty chaotic the last few weeks. Have you ever heard the phrase "April showers bring May flowers"? Well, we've been going through more of an April whirlwind; and that's not even including the actual stormy weather we've been subjected to. As… Continue reading Chaffinch – The Red King Sings!
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?
We're back with the first instalment of Bird Blog in 2024! To kick things off, we'll be talking about a common bird that you'll easily be able to find amongst the reeds and vegetation that line the banks of our waterways - a nice easy one to check off your birdwatching list for the year.… Continue reading Moorhen – Our Little Swamp Chicken
The post-Halloween-pre-Christmas curmudgeon that is November sure can feel like a slog; a dark, cold, wet slog. As the weather gets worse, the last thing you may want to do is get up and get out of the house to do some bird watching, especially down by the coast where the wind can really bite… Continue reading Shelduck – The Goosiest Duck