Photo Gallery

Ducklings by the Dargle

Saturday 17th April 2021

Duck spotted in overgrowth by the riverbank

She is approached by a drake that has been swimming with another duck

He chases the duck back into her nest

He then chases after her very agressively

She sounds scared as she tries to escape him pulling at her feathers

After this agression which lasted about a minute he calmly entered the river to join the duck he had been with before

The mother duck then exited her nest with her brood which numbered fifteen ducklings

They all joined mother duck in the water

As I photographed the ducklings this hooded crow alighted on a post about three feet away. This bird showed no fear whatsoever

Meanwhile this grey wagtail, a regular by the river was looking for food among the stones

Mother and babies enjoy a swin in the river close to our side

She coaxed them on to the riverbank.

This heron flew past and hopefully did not spot the ducklings as I believe they are predators.

This starling is partial to a small fish !!!

A blue tit in the nearby trees

I photographed this blackcap singing melodiously at a different location.

I spotted my first swallow of this year looking very well after the marathon journey to summer with us

Another photo of the blue tit

The old Solus Tower at Little Bray. A memory from bygone days.

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A few recent photos taken very recently. It is a very exciting time as all the birds are pairing up for the breeding season and some have already begun building their nests

This shag was busy fishing on the Dargle
He takes a dive!!! Success !!!!! The Shag Photo sequence of two swans landing on the Dargle

Swans courting on the Dargle

Two cygnets reaching maturity

The Grey Wagtail Two Pied Wagtails Grey Hooded Crow taking a bath. Dipper diving Spot the Heron Three Brent geese fly past They fly low past Bray Harbour wall A beautiful crow Little Egret Prime real estate near Old Bray Golfclub

End of February 2021

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A few nature observations from the Peoples Park. Lower Dargle Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow. 3rd February, 2021.

My first time to spot a beautiful dipper in action!!

This cormorant was very busy fishing

Delighted to make a correction on this one. An ornitologist friend of mine has advised me and I am very grateful that this bird is in fact a shag (same family as cormorant). It is smaller than the cormorant and frequents the river less . Great to have been there at the right place at the right time.

Just dived!!

Can stay underwater for ten to fifteen seconds and when they surface it can be quite a distance from where they dived

Great excitement when we spotted this dipper. It was a beauty and we observed it doing a bit of DIPPING!!!!

A wagtail just flew past in this shot!!!

This beautiful mistle thrush brought back some memories. The first time I saw this magnificent bird was when I was a child in Frayne, my townland outside Athboy, Co. Meath. An ash tree grew at the front of our house. About ten feet from the base there was a three branch fork. Every year the mistle thrush built her nest here. There would be four eggs and the four always hatched. When she would leave the nest we would be able to have a look. Never bothered her when we would be out playing . She would never fly away. We could sit at the kitchen table and observe the comimgs and goings. It was pure magic.

Juvenile gull

Black headed gull

This grey hooded crow was busy by the river turning over stones to catch unsuspecting prey

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Plenty of action by the Dargle River at the People’s Park, Lower Dargle Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow, Ireland yesterday, January 22nd 2021

Male and female mallard

Black headed gull in winter plumage. In summer it has the black head (actually it is dark brown). In winter it just has the dark spot behind the eye. They were the most predominant gull in the People’s Park yesterday