Declan Murphy

Coltsfoot is a lovely spring flower that is often overlooked as just "another dandelion."
It has a brief flowering period and will be gone in another few weeks for another year.

A very aptly named Bluethroat on Brownstown Head in Waterford.
It was incredible to see not just one - but two of these bejewelled dazzlers yesterday.
@birdwatchireland.bsky.social

I do enjoy growing hellebores. After the white Christmas varieties comes the stunning reds.
None is more impressive than Helleborus Anna's Red, featuring rich red-purple blossoms adorned with a crown of creamy stamens.

Bumblebees love them, and I saw 3 big bumblers on them together this afternoon.

Not to mention their close relatives, Whinchats - named after the old name for gorse, 'whin'.

Gorse is so overlooked as a native plant. Land covered in gorse is usually described as wasteland.

But this early flowering plant is great for bees and butterflies and invaluable for nesting birds.

Nice to see this long staying juvenile crane in Kilkenny.
I have seen several adults over the years, including a flock of 5 together, but this is the first juvenile plumage I've seen.

It begs the question, was it born in Ireland?
@birdwatchireland.bsky.social

Lesser Celendine glowing in the sunshine, a sight which always lifts the heart.

One of our earliest native flowers, widespread and abundant yet beautiful and elegant.

Delighted to be featured on tonight's "Mooney Goes Wild" on RTE Radio 1 at 10pm.
Featuring the lives of Ireland's Goosanders, it was recorded while watching 19 courting birds at dawn in Co. Wicklow.

Also available on playback
@rte.ie @rteone.rte.ie
@birdwatchireland.bsky.social

Incredible to see a total of six Black-necked Grebes today between two sites in Co Wexford.
Most years I'm lucky to see just one or two.
Adorable little birds, and dare I say it, darn cute!

"Global Temperatures Shattered Records in January"

"Hottest January on record shocks scientists"

Frightening to see these headlines in both The Financial Times and The New York Times.
Last month's average world temperature clocked in at 1.75⁰ above pre-industrial times.
#climate

Venus was shining brightly against a most beautiful evening sky tonight.
Saturn was barely visible in the frosty twilight, well below Venus towards the horizon.
Jupiter sparkled above me, with Mars rising in the East to complete a wonderful planetary procession.

Badgers provide such great opportunities for nothing watching (usually by sitting up a tree in the dark!) and recording with trail cams.
Endless insights into their hidden world.
And, hours of entertainment.
@irishwildlifetrust.bsky.social

The Goosander may be a duck, but it certainly does not quack like a duck!
Nor, for that matter, does it look like a duck.
Serpentine in appearance and sinuous in its movements, this fish-eating duck of mountain rivers is a real treat to see.
@irishwildlifetrust.bsky.social

Delighted to capture a #badger emerging early from a local sett with my trailcam
@irishwildlifetrust.bsky.social

Dippers are early breeders and already starting to prepare for nesting in the coming weeks.
Lots of displaying and singing males at many of Wicklow's bridges this weekend

Lovely views of 19 Goosanders this morning in Glendalough. The displaying flock included 3 beautiful males.
The very first rays of the dawning sun painted a light golden wash across their pristine whiteness as they emerged from the shadows of the lakeside.

Lapwing in the sunshine looking like a watercolour painting.

Such gorgeous colours ...
Such a gorgeous bird!

Enjoyed seeing the resident Ring-billed Gull in Blackrock, Co. Louth today.

This North American vagrant has been returning here each winter for many years.

A hint of spring in the wicklow woodlands and along the mountain rivers today.
Dippers singing, woodpeckers chasing through the trees and Great Tits singing and displaying to each other.

I was not expecting to see many birds while enjoying the snowy vistas of Scarr Mountain, so the sight of two Red Grouse flying past me was a big surprise.

The deep snow on the hilltops had forced them to move to much lower altitudes than I would normally encounter them at.

Woodland birding in winter is, well, - challenging!
The occasional Goldcrest or Coal Tit calling can often be the highlight.

Fortunately, this evening's late foray produced a small group of Crossbills.

Well done @brianmccloskey98.bsky.social for getting Irish birding a bit of primetime coverage on @rte.ie

Maybe Nationwide or RTE News will be joining us seawatching this year!

"... And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence."

First light in the Wicklow Mountains is welcomed by nothing other than the sounds of gently lapping waves and a sharp wind.

Neither birdsounds nor the noise of mankind cuts through the "silence".

A welcome experience after Christmas.

Barely visible in the pre-dawn gloom, these Goosanders in Glendalough were just some of over 70 species I saw during my New Year's Day birding around Wicklow.

Dipper, Blackcap, Black Redstart, Kingfisher, Fieldfare, and Gannet were some of the other birds of interest.

An enjoyable start to 2025!

New Year's Day dawned grey, gloomy and cold in Glendalough.
However, the sight of 17 Goosanders cavorting amongst the white-topped waves made for a lovely start to my birding year.
#birdwatching

One of my best years for botanising, 2024 brought me to many new places and revealed many new plants, including some of our rarest.

Favourites included Oysterplant and Wood Geranium in Northern Ireland, Clustered Clover in Wexford, and Yellow Saxifrage on Benbulben.

But there were so many more!

So, as the year draws to a close - what was my 'bird of the year'?

Probably the same as most Irish birders, the Yellow-crowned Night Heron.

Gorgeous bird
Easy to see
No identification issues!

What more could you want?

Having given up on Twitter, I have decided to move here. Hopefully, some of my followers will find me!
Otherwise, it could be lonely!
But, I'm never lonely when birdwatching or walking as I usually have my best friend with me, as seen here on Scarr Mountain in Wicklow on St. Stephen's Day.