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Ireland’s Wildlife Features

9 top tips for feeding your garden birds

Robin -- feeding garden birds

During the winter short days and long nights limit the time birds have to forage, while at the same time natural food becomes more scarce. Our garden birds have increasingly come to depend on the food we provide as an essential supplement to what they can find for themselves at this challenging time of year. According….

12 Expert tips on choosing binoculars for birding and wildlife observation

Choosing the right binocular

Binoculars are perhaps your most indispensable piece of wildlife watching equipment. The right pair of binoculars can enhance your enjoyment of and engagement with the natural world exponentially. But choosing binoculars for birding and wildlife watching can be a tricky proposition. At Ireland’s Wildlife we get to try a wide range….

Making the most of Spring Migration

Grasshopper Warbler

Spring migration is an exciting time of year for birding in Ireland. During this relatively brief window from early April until the end of May birds are on the move. There’s a changing of the guard as our winter visitors, like waders, ducks, winter thrushes and the occasional exotic visitor….

New threats facing Ireland’s seals

Grey Seal Bull

To the untrained eye, a grey seal and a common seal may look the same, yet there are key differences. Grey seals are huge. Males can weigh up to 300kg and grow to 2.5 metres long, whereas common seals are almost a third of the size. Grey seal pups are….

Irish wildflower favourites

Yellow Toadflax

Early summer sees our wildflowers resplendent and is a great time of year to search for a wide range of species blooming in our meadows, verges and woodland. Here, guest contributor Rosie Jones (no relation) shares a few of her favourites (CJ). I’ve always loved learning about wildflowers, vibrant and….

Birding for Beginners: The Next Steps

A razorbill coming back to its nest on an Irish cliff

In this, the final feature in our four-part series on beginning birdwatching, we take a look at some ways you can take your budding birding hobby to the next level. Birding is an exciting and diverse hobby that has something for everybody. One of the real beauties of catching the bird watching….

Birding for Beginners: bird watching equipment

Little Egret

In this feature, the third in our four-part series on beginning birdwatching, we take a look at some of the equipment owned by birders, and how choosing the right equipment will help you to develop your bird watching skills. While it’s true that all you need to start your bird watching….

Watching Whales, Dolphins and Basking Sharks

A brace of fin whales on the surface with the West Cork coast in the background

Two of our most popular articles here on Ireland’s Wildlife are features on How to Watch Basking Sharks and How to Watch Whales and Dolphins. Ireland’s marine wildlife is showcasing in an incredible two-part documentary, “Ireland’s Deep Atlantic”, at the moment as part of RTÉ’s Our Wild Island series of programmes….

Birding for Beginners: getting to know your local birds

Wren

In this feature, the second in our four-part series on beginning birdwatching, we take a look at your garden birds, your local patch, and how getting to know them better can help you improve as a birder. It’s tempting when you’re just getting started with bird watching to head immediately….

Birding for Beginners: why watch birds?

The blue tit -- one of the most striking of our common garden birds

Bird watching or birding is a fascinating pastime enjoyed by vast numbers of people around the world. It’s a hobby that’s growing in popularity here in Ireland as more people discover the joy that watching birds can bring. From following the antics of common birds at our garden feeders, to….

The World Land Trust

World Land Trust (WLT) is an international conservation charity, which protects the world’s most biologically important and threatened habitats acre by acre. Since its foundation in 1989, WLT has funded partner organisations around the world to create reserves, and give permanent protection to habitats and wildlife. World Land Trust’s mission….

How to see more wildlife

Guided wildlife watching

There’s something a little bit special about a wildlife encounter. It taps into a childlike sense of wonder that all too often remains hidden beneath our sensible adult facade. For a brief moment we’re transported to a simpler, more natural world, and reminded of how we fit into it. It’s….