Some of the beautiful birds one can see at the East Coast Nature Reserve
Sea Road, Newcastle, Co. Wicklow.
Sunday 19th February 2023
Goldfinch
Male Blackbird
Wigeon
Male Greenfinch
Male Chaffinch
Goldfinch in flight
Blue Tit
Greenfinch in flight
Great Tit
Male Chaffinch
Blue Tit
Male Greenfinch on left
and female greenfinch
Cute Blue Tit
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Residents of
East Coast Nature Reserve
On our visit to East Coast Nature Reserve at Newcastle, Co. Wicklow, Ireland we were delighted to meet some of the residents on a beautiful warm Sunday afternoon. Sunday 2nd October, 2022
Singing one of natures beautiful arias!!!!
How was my performance???
A Dock Bug. It’s menu mostly seeds and leaves from docks
Crane Fly
Ballooning Spider. After a little research I’ve learned that this spider exudes electrostatically charged silk which when caught by the wind lifts it into the air so it can move from one area to another
Ballooning Spider. After a little research I’ve learned that this spider exudes electrostatically charged silk which when caught by the wind lifts it into the air so it can move from one area to another. Caught the silk in this one !!!
Sparrows gorge on these ripe blackberries
Meadow Pipit
Meadow Pipit in the air
Male Stonechat
It is joined by some sparrows
I’m off
A pair of Starlings
Drone fly on blackberry flowers
House Sparrow
Dragon fly known as the Darter I’m informed
Dragon fly known as the Darter I’m informed
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Bray to Greystones Cliff Walk, Bray, Co. Wicklow, Ireland certainly didn’t disappoint with it’s abundance of wildlife. Saturday/Sunday 17th/18th September 2022
Such an abundance of blackberries on the Cliff Walk
There were a number of seals very close to the coastline
These pigeons just took to flight as we passed the cornfield
Irish Ferries Boat passing by along the coast
Common Hawthorn Berries
Beautiful Fox Moth Caterpillar
A pair of Cormorants
A Parasol Mushroom
A pair of inquisitive Magpies
Herb Robert flower
You certainly have to pinch this one! Seal having a nap!!!
You certainly have to pinch this one! Seal having a nap!!!
Cormorants relaxing on a rock
This little beauty was keeping an eye on proceedings!!
Knapweed flower
Flowers of the Molucca Bramble
Kish Lighthouse
A pair of Collared Doves
A Cormorant taking off
Pair of Great Cormorants
A Cormorant flying past a Seal
Cuckoo-pint
Seal
Seal taking in some air
European Shag
A pigeon in flight
Plenty of Shags on this Rock. You might see the odd one on the Dargle River now and again. Closely related to the cormorant but smaller
Cormorants
Pigeon in the cornfield
Red Valerian
Our friend the Seal!!!
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East Coast nature Reserve, Sea Road, Newcastle, Co. Wicklow, Ireland is a magic place that never disappoints. It’s a nature lovers paradise . Such a selection of beautiful creatures , birds, insects, wild flowers, fruits and the MOST BEAUTIFUL DRAGONFLY!!!!!! It posed and the only time it moved slightly is when the camera clicked. There was always a little jerk of it’s head then. I finished the album with a few of the beautiful sheep that were grazing peacefully in the field
Sunday 21st August 2022
Common Darter
Speckled Wood
Stonechat
Meadow Brown
Greenfinches squabble
Blackberry fruit about to ripen
Male Linnet
Redpoll
Small Tortoishell
Large White
Goldfinch
Honeybee
And now to the next flower
Male Chaffinch
Pheasant
Common Blue
Common Blue
Meadow Pipit
Female Chaffinch and Blue Tit
Greenfinch
Dragonfly
—–O—–
Female Wood Duck and Wildlife
by the
Dargle River,
Bray, Co, Wicklow, Ireland
17th August 2022
Wood Duck is native to North America. They are held in wildfowl collections . I was so surprised to see this female Wood Duck swimming on the Dargle River so I presume it escaped from a collection. Some have escaped in England and Wales and are considered an invasive species.
This bird is very healthy and as I was leaving this area of the Dargle, (beside Egan’s Complex) it took to flight and proceeded down stream
Shop Cornflower
Red Admiral
Wawthorn Berries
Hooded Crow
Female Mallard Duck
Little Egret
just caught a fish
Greenbottle Fly
Robin Redbreast
White Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
Juvenile Herring Gull
—–O—–
Bray Air Display Sunday July 24th 2022
My second Photo Album
Irish Air Corps Casa 253
Irish Air Corps flyover
Irish Air Corps put on a display
The Mustang
The Mustang
Royal Jordanian Falcons Gave a display at the Bray Air Show
Royal Jordanian Falcons Gave a display at the Bray Air Show
Royal Jordanian Falcons Gave a display at the Bray Air Show
Royal Jordanian Falcons Gave a display at the Bray Air Show
Royal Jordanian Falcons Gave a display at the Bray Air Show
Royal Jordanian Falcons Gave a display at the Bray Air Show
Royal Jordanian Falcons Gave a display at the Bray Air Show
Royal Jordanian Falcons Gave a display at the Bray Air Show
Irish Naval Service Ship LÉ William Butler Yeats and the Irish Coast Guard on duty off the Bray Coast during the Bray Air Show 2022
Catalina Flying Boat
A wave from the Catalina Flying Boat
The Vampire, interceptor plane for the Royal Air Force
The Vampire, interceptor plane for the Royal Air Force
Irish Air Corps Pilatus (Plural probably Pilati !!!)
Irish Air Corps flying over LÉ William Butler Yeats
Irish Air Corps Pilatus
Irish Air Corps Pilatus
Irish Air Corps Agusta Westlands AW 139
Irish Air Corps Agusta Westlands AW 139
on the green helicopter take off area
at the base of Bray Head
The Gallery at the Cross on Bray Head had a great view from here !!!!
The Irish Air Corps
flew over the Irish Naval Service Ship LÉ William Butler Yeats
and the Irish Coast Guard
Make a Wish Aeroplane flown by Eddie Goggins aka
The Flying Dentist gave a jaw-dropping performance
Make a Wish Aeroplane flown by Eddie Goggins
aka The Flying Dentist gave a jaw-dropping performance
Make a Wish Aeroplane flown by Eddie Goggins
aka The Flying Dentist gave a jaw-dropping performance
Make a Wish Aeroplane flown by Eddie Goggins
aka The Flying Dentist gave a jaw-dropping performance
Garda Helicopter
Garda Helicopter
Garda Helicopter
Aer Lingus Regional Aeroplane
The Irish Coast Guard Helicopter
The Irish Coast Guard Helicopter
The Irish Coast Guard Helicopter
The Irish Naval Service Ship LÉ William Butler Yeats
People viewing the Bray Air Display
from the Helicopter take off Area
—–O—–
I captured this photo this afternoon, 23rd July 2022, close to the old Golf Club , Bray. The bird on the left trying to land I’m sure is a Willow Warbler. The perched bird is a Male Stonechat and and the bird on the right is a juvenile Stonechat begging for food!!
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A Visit to Bray Air Display
24th July, 2022
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An Unusual Visitor
An unusual visitor to our garden today.
Did a little research on it and I believe it’s the Geina Moth.
It is small. 17mm (.669 inches)
Absolute Beauty !!!!!
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Wild life at Shanganagh Park never ceases to amaze !!!
June 2022!!!
Three Long Tailed Tits
Marmalade Hoverfly
Off to the Next flower
Taking in the sun
Juvenile Blue Tit
A soft landing
Sparrow
In transit
Off to the moon
Chaffinch in full song
Spider lurking under the daisies
Shop Yellow Rattle
—–O—–
Little Egret
fishing on the
Dargle River
Bray
Co. Wicklow
May 2022
—–O—–
Wheatear photographed at the East Coast Nature Reserve, Newcastle, Co. Wicklow. Absolutely beautiful to see in flight with it’s very prominant white rump!!!!
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Wildlife at
East Coast Nature Reserve
Sunday 27th March 2022
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Blackbird Performing
one of his masterpieces
Song Thrush
Strong Thrush
stretching for those berries
Drone Fly
Female Greenfinch
Male Greenfinch
Male Greenfinch
(I love them so much I had to put up a second photo)
Female Chaffinch
Male Chaffinch
Female Chaffinch
Female Sparrow
Dunnock
Blue Tit
Male and Female Stonechat
Female Sparrow
Male Teal
in the flooded field
Greenfinch
keeping an eye on me
—–O—–
Great Spotted Woodpecker at East Coast Nature Reserve, Sea Road, Newcastle, Co. Wicklow. Sunday, 27th March, 2022. Two firsts: First time to see one and first time to photograph one!!!!
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Wildlife at Rathmichael Woods
Saturday 26th March 2022
Singing one of Natures Arias
A first for me !!
Chiffchaff
one of our summer visitors
Furze coming into bloom
The beautiful Comma Butterfly
I think this is a very large queen bumblebee
She was very busy exploring the grass verge
looking for a suitable location for her nest
Song Thrush singing beautifully and keeping an eye on the food above
Song Thrush
Fly on a coltsfoot flower
Two Hodded Crows
Plane overhead in transit
London to Los Angeles
—–O—–
Mother Blackbird feeding her baby in our garden
Sunday 20th March 2022
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Visitors to our Garden
March 2022
Robin Redbreast
Lovey-Dovey
in the treebeside our house
Collared Dove
Coal Tit
Female House Sparrow
Male House Sparrow
Male Blackbird
Peekaboo
Collared Dove relaxing after it’s meal
This little beauty is a new visitor to our garden.
It is the Blackcap.
It has a beautiful song and I believe it’s nicknamed the Northern Nightingale!!!
Blackcap. Just so happy to see it I put in a few extra photos
Blackcap
Male Blackbird
Male Blackbird. He came down to day on to the fence and started to sing (about eight feet away) but unfortunately a rook came down and that was the end of his performance!!!!
The Rook himself
Female Blackbird and a Male House Sparrow
Love these little Pied Wagtails
Starling
Blue Tit
(the most regular visitor)
Female Blackbird
Dunnock
(another bird with a nice song)
Blackcap
Last but certainly not least
” The King or maybe the Queen)
Comes down quite often and only visits the pot plants.
Live food I would think it is after
—–O—–
The birds that visit us regularly to get some food and we are very lucky to have two large trees in front of the house where many birds come to visit!!! January 2022
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This Beautiful Starling visited our garden for some food
January 2022
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A Few More Photos from the River dargle
Always happy to see this little beauty !!!
Grey Heron in Flight
The Little Dipper
Successful Herring Gull fishing !!!
Cormorant taking in the sunshine
—–O—–
Some wildlife captured on the River Dargle , Bray, Co. Wicklow, Ireland on Friday afternoon, 8th October, 2021
Mallard dining on the Dargle
Grey Heron in flight
Gull coming in to land
Grey Heron
Grey Heron in Flight
The Dive
Male Mallard
Grey Wagtail
White Mallard Duck
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Wildlife in Rathmichael Wood, Shankill, Co. Dublin
I have to say we found this wood by accident. Absolutely beautiful place teeming with wildlife. Great place to have a most enjoyable walk
Mistle Thrush (one of my favourite birds)
My first photo of the beautiful Male Crossbill. I had only read about them up until now
Stood by the pond and not one dragonfly would land so here is one in flight!
Hen Bullfinch
Little door to a fantasy house on a tree trunk!!!
Long Tailed Tit
Mushroom for tea?????
Speckled Wood Butterfly
Green-veined White Butterfly
Meadow Brown
Small Copper Butterfly ( Small but beautiful !!! )
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Photos taken at East Coast Nature Reserve, Sea Road, Leamore Upper, Co. Wicklow, Ireland
Irish Linnet
This little Stonechat fledging found it difficult to perch in the strong breeze!!!
Still finding it difficult to perch!!!
Robin Redbreast!!!
Hen Chaffinch!!!
Tortoiseshell Butterfly
Tortoiseshell Butterfly
Always popping up!! Stonechat!!
Juvenile Starling
Cousins!! Little and Large. Magpie and Raven
Juvenile Stonechat
Great Tit
Reed Bunting
House Sparrow
Whitetroath
Pied Wagtail
Two Whirligig Beetles
We thought this Hen Black was injured.
We should not have worried.
She was just sunning herself.
Flew away when we got closer
Meadow Brown Butterfly
Male Chaffinch
Meadow Pipit
Hen House Sparrow
—–O—–
Birds Pollinators and More
Bray Head
Ireland
Sunday 20th June 2021
Cock Bullfinch
Speckled Wood Butterfly
Sailing and Paragliding at Breay Head
Juvenile Robin
Cock Stonechat
We enjoyed watching this paraglider at Bray Head, Bray, Co. Wicklow, Ireland
Juvenile Robin
Blue Tit
Speckled Wood Butterfly
—–O—–
River Dargle Never Disappoints
A strool along the Dargle River
Bray
Co. Wicklow
Ireland
Friday 18th June 2021
This duck and her ducklings were very well camouflaged
Little Egret in flight
Little Egret fishing
Pigeon coming in to land
Landed
Pied Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
Sand Martin in flight
Sand Martin
Sand Martin
Grey Heron fishing
Success
The water in the Dargle was very clear and fish were clearly visible
A Cock and Hen Blackbird at the side of the Dargle
A close up of the Hen Blackbird
A Cormorant sunning itself close to Bray Harbour Bridge
Cormorant commences fishing
Having success
A large fish this time
A Busy Bee
Take off sequence of a Cormorant on the Dargle
Airborne
Magpie
Grey Hooded Crow
Rook
A spot of grooming
Adult and young Starlings
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A Walk up to the Cross on Bray Head
then along the upper walk and down to the Greystones Road
The beautiful Stonechat
This Grey Hodded Crow was watching us intently
Hen Stonechat
Juvenile Stonechat
Cannot forget the Robin!!!!
Whitethroat
Rhododendron???
Whitethroat in flight
Irish Cock Linnet
A Beautiful Rook
Mistle Thrush
A Song Thrush beautifully going through it’s repertoire
on the highest perch it could find
Don’t know the name of this beauty yet???
Off to the next flower
Of all the birds I have photographed I never came across a more inquisitive little one than this.
He would keep looking at us then come forward a few more yards until he was literally beside us.
It was a real treat.
This Greenfinch was quite a distance away near the Old Greystones Road
Where is she off to???
This magnificent flower is growing on the Greystones Road
—–O—–
A walk around one of the trails at
Vartry Reservoir
Sunday 30th May
2021
A Grey Wagtail minus his tail
He was very busy fly catching by the side of the Reservoir
Grey Wagtail in flight with an issect he just caught
A doomed insect !!!
A Blackcap in full flow !!!! They have a beautiful song
A person visiting the reservoir informed me
there are plenty of brown trout in it.
These were very small fish possibly brown trout fry
There were great numbers of them in the reservoir
He pops up regularly!!!
This bird literally plucked the insect out of the flower
The air was full of insects
Birds and fish were feasting on them
Long Tailed Tit
Beautiful cock Chaffinch
Hen Bullfinch
Another photo of the cock Chaffinch
The humble bumble!!!
Little Grebe in the distance out on the reservoir
Blue Tit
A Wren gave us a serenade
—–O—–
The Birds and the Bees at Festina Lente
A beautiful afternoon spent wandering around the Walled Gardens at Festina Lente,
Bray, Co. Wicklow, Ireland enjoying nature at it’s very best, Sunday, 16th May, 2021
One of the many terapins at the sanctuary in the Gardens
The underwing is a different colour to the top
Lots of swollows breed in the stables and are a joy to watch in the gardens
Not everything is perfect in nature but this butterfly had no problem flying from flower to flower
There is always one of these beauties close by especially
where the gardeners have been working on their allotments
This hen blackbird has found a little morsel!!!
Swallow in flight
—–O—–
Nature is flourishing in Bray and it’s environs. These photos were taken on Sunday afternoon 25th April 2021, in different areas of Bray, Co. Wicklow, Ireland
This heron captured in flight on the Dargle River
Legs down for the landing!!!
Landed!!!!
Dandelions are in bloom everywhere at the moment. They are a highly nutritious plant both for humans and wildlife
These three little ducklings have grown very quickly. In the last folder of photos taken, there was the mother and fifteen ducklings. A gentleman studying the wildlife on the Dargle informed me that so far nine or ten of the ducklings have survived. These ducklings have moved further up the river and I took these few photos from opposite Egans Complex, Upper Dargle Road
Pied wagtail
White Butterfly
Just took flight
Shortly afterwards it was joined by another
This was a busy little honeybee. Notice the pollen pouch on it’s leg
Euphobia
Mistle thrush in the field
The walk took us under some very large trees and there was a rustle in the leaves and out popped this inquisitive grey squirrell. He kept wagging his tail
He wasn’t in any hurry to run away
Eventually he scampered off
Coal Tit
Tree creeper
No denying this beauty!!!
A beautiful goldfinch
What is he feasting on? The highly nutritious dandeloin seeds!!!!
This blackbird was singing beautifully as are all cock blackbirds at the moment. His mate would be hatching nearby
Honeybee busy on the dandelion flower
The people at the Cross were treated to an exhibition of paragliding
The Kish Bank Lighouse in the distance
—–O—–
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.
—–O—–
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