Ireland's wildlife logo.

reviews

Gear Review: Vanguard Endeavor Bags

Pros: Designed with the birder / nature enthusiast in mind. Neutral olive colours and robust, non-rustle fabrics, thoughtful design. Insulated food pocket inspired. With three sizes in the range there’s a bag for every occasion Cons: Hard to find anything specific to fault here… a couple of spurious features I’d question….

Book Review: Ireland’s Birds; Myths, Legends and Folklore

Birds have always held a special draw for me. It was a a fascination with birds that first kindled my interest in wildlife as a youngster. I guess you could say that they were my first wildlife love, and while I’m interested in all sorts of wildlife today, birds will always hold a special significance. I….

Book Review: Britain’s Habitats: A Guide to the Wildlife Habitats of Britain and Ireland

Britain's Habitats

Understanding habitats is an important part of wildlife watching. Whether you’re targeting a particular species or looking to find as much wildlife as you can on a trip to a particular location, knowledge about the various habitats you’re likely to encounter, and the species they support, is a key part of a successful wildlife….

Book Review: The Complete Naturalist

The Complete Naturalist Book Review

When I was a youngster I was forever outdoors exploring all the nooks and crannies and marvelling at the wild world that unfolded before my eyes, ears and nose. In the garden, down the woods, at the beach, along the riverbank — there was a never-ending world to explore, literally….

Book Review: Insects of Ireland

Insects of Ireland -- inside the book

I’ve always had a fascination with minibeasts. As a child I used to lie in the long grass for what seemed hours at a time, watching the drama of the miniature ecosystem unfold in front of me. What I was seeing, quite literally under my nose, was every bit as dynamic,….

Book Review: Narture — nature / art manual for primary schools

Narture

When it comes to conservation there’s nothing more important than encouraging young children to connect and engage with the natural world around them. Children have an innate curiosity for nature that makes them open to exploring its secrets — but that connection doesn’t last long. Unless we nurture that spark of interest….

Gear Review: Lensmaster Gimbal RH-2 Tripod Head

Lensmaster Close Up

Pros: Strong, lightweight and easy to set up. Professional grade finish. Very smooth pan and tilt, and extremely stable and well balanced once you’ve found your gear’s centre of gravity. Excellent for photography (with long lenses or digiscoping), but also surprisingly effective for normal “scoping”. Competitive price for a top quality gimbal….

Book Review: Finding Birds in Ireland

Finding Birds in Ireland by Eric Dempsey

One of the biggest problems faced by bird watchers visiting Ireland — or indeed resident birders travelling to other parts of the country — is finding the best places to look for birds and other wildlife. Sure, you can pick a likely looking piece of habitat and spend time exploring….

Book Review: Ireland’s Wild Orchids, A Field Guide

Species account of the Pyramydal Orchid

Ireland’s orchids are a fascinating group of plants, and are among our most  beautiful and evocative wildflowers. There’s always a thrill when you spot the flower spike of an orchid thrusting skyward through the grass or pushing through the surface of a bog. Then comes the tricky part. You know….

Nikon Fieldscope ED50 Review

Nikon Fieldscope ED50 -- as reviewed in Bird Watching magazine

Pros: tiny size, lightweight, outstanding performance and image quality. Amazingly packable — ideal travel scope or second scope for birding and wildlife watching situations where you need to keep down the bulk. Cons: pearlescent green perhaps not the most flattering of colours for a scope (go for black), low light performance not….

Ireland’s Wildlife Reviews to feature in Bird Watching Magazine

Ireland's Wildlife reviews to feature in Bird Watching Magazine

We’re delighted to announce the next step in the evolution of Ireland’s Wildlife’s new Wildlife Gear Review section. We’re partnering with Bird Watching, the UKs most popular bird and birding magazine, to bring Ireland’s Wildlife Reviews to a whole new audience. Bird Watching will publish Ireland’s Wildlife reviews of high….