Some pictures I took recently

Hotei

Female Emperor Moth Saturnia pavonia

Capercaillie

Great yellow bumblebee from the farm: On the verge of extinction in Ireland

keps

and for my next trick.....



heron

New Home

Swan's Lake move over, it's time for Heron's Arabesque.

Hotei

House Martin








Dunnock




Stonechat








Wren fledglings

Nightforce 65X55

Some of these photos were taken almost 500m away so are heavily cropped...

thyme

I thought this was a sparrowhawk until I checked the card and zoomed up a bit more and seen that it is a cuckoo, not the first time I've seen it in that area.


And a Fox heading home in the early morning sunshine.

splish

Sehirus luctuosus (Forget-me-not Shieldbug) from yesterday at Carlow site where I had the 1st record since 1926 for the species last year.

Forget-me-not Shieldbug Sehirus luctuosus by Ciarán Byrne, on Flickr

keps

This kingfisher was static on a twig( momentarily) when I lined up the shot- but took off just before I pressed the shutter release:D

I suppose I could pretend that I was trying to capture a photo which conveyed 'motion':)


flight

Nightforce 65X55

Capercaillie

four spotted chaser:

Hotei

Loads of Four-spotted Chasers on the wing at the moment






Blue-tailed Damselfly



Female Blue-tailed Damselfly (form rufescens)




Damselfly nymph exuvia




Male Hairy Dragonfly

OpenYourEyes

One of the tallships from Dublin Port Riverfest did a lap around Rockabill this morning - two things very few people get to see from their front door!

Terns and Tallships by Brian, on Flickr


Terns and Tallships by Brian, on Flickr

keps

Great photos OYE -especially the first one- a classic. Feels like something from Darwin's era.

Pity the full sails weren't up- but you can't have everything:)

thyme

Hopped across a mucky drain down the forest yesterday morning and I frightened the life out of two of theses little foxes, they were snoozing at the base of a tree at the edge of the drain. This one stayed for a few seconds.


And a Dingy skipper again, a smaller one this time.

Hunchback

I am so glad I came across this thread - the images are just so so beautiful. Except maybe the Damselfly but everything has it's function! (Just kidding).

It made me realise as well that I just classify far to many small birds as Robins

keps

CKonetheonlyone wrote: »

I am so glad I came across this thread - the images are just so so beautiful. Except maybe the Damselfly but everything has it's function! (Just kidding).

It made me realise as well that I just classify far to many small birds as Robins

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Hotei

I spent several evenings last week trying to photograph a winnowing Common Snipe. Winnowing (or drumming) is a fascinating sound a male Common Snipe makes in flight as part of a mating display. They extend narrow tail feathers at right angles and dive at speed producing this amazing sound. Many years ago, I heard this strange sound in the dark of night and wondered what on earth it was, but apparently they will display like this on moonlit nights during the Spring. My images don't do the display justice to be fair, but it's extremely difficult to constantly track the bird in flight when holding a camera with a 600mm. lens attached.

The short clip at the following link gives you an idea of what a winnowing Common Snipe sounds like:
http://www.arkive.org/common-snipe/gallinago-gallinago/video-06a.html

Lambsbread

Green Heron by AindriuH, on Flickr

thyme

Butterfly Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta ).

Nightforce 65X55

splish

Cyllecoris histrionius adult beaten from oak.

Cyllecoris histrionius by Ciarán Byrne, on Flickr

Nightforce 65X55

Hotei

'Damsel in Distress' - I like it!

Daroxtar

I know it's only a pic taken with the phone but I thought I'd share it.

Hotei

Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth Hemaris tityus

I was really caught off guard with this little beasty earlier, and had the wrong lens attached, so they're not the clearest of shots unfortunately.
These are a native species of moth (unlike the Hummingbird Hawk-moth which is a summer visitor), and can be seen nectaring in damp pastures and on bog margins in the midlands and the north-west. This individual was feeding on Bush Vetch. They're not all that common by all accounts and in fact was the first time I have seen one. It was a nice surprise!




Not the sharpest shot, but this shows its transparent wings with narrow, brown borders:

Hotei

keps

kingfisher

Gaspode

Eyepatch

Please re-size.