Get closer to the wild side of Ireland
Calvin Jones is a freelance writer, author, birder and lifelong wildlife enthusiast. He is founder and managing editor of IrelandsWildlife.com. He lives in West Cork, and spends as much time as possible getting closer to Ireland's wildlife, and sharing it with others.
June in Ireland is a month of long days, with sunny periods interspersed with showers and longer bouts of rain. In early June spring is giving way to summer, temperatures are rising and the Irish countryside comes alive with a kaleidoscope of wildflowers and the industrious hum of pollinating insects. It’s a fantastic time of [...]
Against all odds a mini-heatwave seemed to have descended on Ireland. The sun blazed out of a sky for once devoid of cloud as we met up in the car park at Barleycove beach in West Cork. It was early June and we were looking for butterflies. Our target species for the day was the [...]
In general Ireland’s local authorities seem to see roadside verges and hedgerows as areas to be trimmed and tamed. You see evidence of verge cutting and the decimation of hedgerows everywhere as you drive around the country. Neatly side-stepping the law in the name of health and safety, local authorities relentlessly slash hedges, ripping them [...]
The recent “State of Nature” report published in the UK highlights the staggering and shocking decline of some of our nearest neighbour’s most iconic wildlife species. The figures from the report — compiled by 25 of the UK’s top wildlife organisations — make for a sobering read. 60% of the species surveyed have declined over recent [...]
“Shark infested waters” isn’t a term you normally associate with the Irish coastline, yet in late spring and early summer the Irish coast is one of the best places in Europe to see one of the world’s largest sharks. Basking sharks (Cetorhinus maximus) are the largest fish in the North Atlantic, and second largest in the [...]
It’s late May on The Calendar Road, the month of Bealtine. Sinéad gets a rare opportunity to stop in the warmth of the sun and reflect on the Festival of Bealtine, and the changes in May along this rural byway. Click play in the audio player below to listen to April’s Calendar Road podcast here — or [...]
Butterfly enthusiasts Abigail Brewer, Damaris Lysaght and Ciaran Cronin are leading a guided butterfly field trip in West Cork on Saturday 08 June. The day is open to everyone of all knowledge and experience levels, and offers a great opportunity to get out in the field with experts to search for butterflies. The team is [...]
In true “lastminute.com” style, the IWDG is offering Ireland’s Wildlife readers a special one-off discount of €10 off the normal €90 course fee for this weekend’s Summer Whale Watching Course on Cape Clear Island off the West Cork coast. Hey… that’s MORE THAN 10% OFF! The course offers a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the [...]
The team of volunteer experts at Colebrooke Estate in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland were crowned “All Ireland BioBlitz Champions” for 2013 over the weekend with an impressive closing tally of 1,086 species in 24 hours. Colebrooke beat Lough Key Forest Park, Co. Rosscommon (959 species); The Burren National Park, Co. Clare (947 species) and Wicklow National [...]
The Secret Life of the Shannon is a brand new two-part documentary exploring the amazing life on Ireland’s iconic River Shannon. It airs this coming Sunday the 26 May at 6:30pm on RTÉ One as part of RTÉ Goes Wild season. The second episode will air the following week, same time, same place. Credit where [...]
Connect with Ireland's Wildlife