Imagine living in North America for the wildlife.

AnimalRights

We're def hard done by in this country ('Cept maybe for Puffins/Swans).
Look at the about of Bald Eagles flying around in the picture and the guy himself said that this was just a portion of them in the area.

Photo by Dave Vichich from DPreview site
rest of the pics here.
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1032&message=30925514

I think he over sharpened them myself but the actual captures are wonderful.

Paulw

I've been to the US and Canada many many times.

I was in Vancouver, BC, the year before last, and the eagles were everywhere. First one I saw I was so excited about .... and then I noticed another, and another, and at the end of an hour walking, I lost count how many I saw.

Just a shame I didn't get enough photos of them.

Overblood

I've actually been trawling google the last day or two looking up irish wildlife. Not very exciting, unless you count that escaped panther up the north! I'd like to get into photographing our wildlife anyways no matter how unexciting.

I live in an area that fairly populated with deer, but I just don't know how to track them properly. Should I lay in wait or actively hunt them steve irwin style? Would be nice to get a few pics of them in the wild.

I also found out that we have a few pine martens, cute little cat-monkey things!!:pac:



They're a very secretive species though, rarely seen.

anladmór

is it possible to bring such animals here and let them breed?

whyulittle

anladmór wrote: »

is it possible to bring such animals here and let them breed?

http://www.goldeneagle.ie/

Covey

Jesus lads, far away hills and all that.

For wildlife there's absolutely no need to leave Ireland. Great diversity here as good as anywhere without exception.

For flocks, there's gulls, oyster catchers, starlings, lapwings,brent geese etc.

For colour, it's hard to beat some of the more common birds, mallard, starling, street pidgeon and of course the less visable kingfisher or puffin.

Was there a rush to O'Connell St. in January when there were a couple of hundred exotic looking waxwings just above head height, oblivious to most people?

Who has photographed stoats, otters, mink, or other common mammals?

Spare the airfare, it's all around you's.

coylemj

anladmór wrote: »

is it possible to bring such animals here and let them breed?

We have neither the space or diversity to accommodate foreign species, just read this piece about what happened when four American grey squirrels were released into the wild in Co. Longford in 1911...
http://www.wicklownationalpark.ie/pages/mammalsgreysquirrelweb.php

af_thefragile

I'ld say N.America overall is quite an amazing place to take pictures. Not just for wildlife but for landscape, city etc. Got some amazing wildlife, mountains, caves, desert, cities, its got the whole lot!
I'ld love to visit or maybe even live in Alaska sometime. Its an amazing place...

And i think you can spot Falcons in dublin from time to time too... i think... thought all i've seen in the city are mostly sea gulls and pigeons.

Covey

af_thefragile wrote: »

though all i've seen in the city are mostly sea gulls and pigeons.

You've obviously not looked :pac::D

Do you think you'd look more if you were in Alaska:pac:

oshead

I can feel a boards meet up session coming on. Anyone have any suggestions?

Covey

oshead wrote: »

I can feel a boards meet up session coming on. Anyone have any suggestions?

Your house seems full of bugs O's, maybe start there :p;)

Overblood

coylemj wrote: »

We have neither the space or diversity to accommodate foreign species, just read this piece about what happened when four American grey squirrels were released into the wild in Co. Longford in 1911...
http://www.wicklownationalpark.ie/pages/mammalsgreysquirrelweb.php

They're vermin and they're taking over our native red squirrels territory. So it's perfectly legal to kill them to bits anytime you see one. I'd love to get one with my catapult and conjure up a bit of a stew.

Covey

Overblood wrote: »

They're vermin and they're taking over our native red squirrels territory. So it's perfectly legal to kill them to bits anytime you see one. I'd love to get one with my catapult and conjure up a bit of a stew.

Emm. Not really the attitude to have imo. Pheasants, probably came from India for example, you can't blame the animal, it's the people that are to blame.

eas

this fella lives on my doorstep in Wicklow Town. I've never seen an otter in Canada (lived there for 26 years)

af_thefragile

Covey wrote: »

Emm. Not really the attitude to have imo. Pheasants, probably came from India for example, you can't blame the animal, it's the people that are to blame.

Dey tuk err jerbs!!...??

Trojan911

AnimalRights wrote: »

Look at the about of Bald Eagles flying around in the picture and the guy himself said that this was just a portion of them in the area.

This fella landed on a golf course in NY some years ago when I was over & interrupted play until it decided to move on.



I was deer stalking well into the Kerry mountains yesterday & saw one of the eagles circling above us,

Unfortunately it was a choice of adding the camera to the load or leaving it so I left it behind. Next time instead of carrying a rifle I will carry the camera.

AnimalRights

Overblood wrote: »

So it's perfectly legal to kill them to bits anytime you see one. I'd love to get one with my catapult and conjure up a bit of a stew.

I hope you're joking.

Dragan

Overblood wrote: »

I live in an area that fairly populated with deer, but I just don't know how to track them properly. Should I lay in wait or actively hunt them steve irwin style? Would be nice to get a few pics of them in the wild.

It mostly depends on the land you plan on tracking them across. Are we talking open fields or woodlands here?

Calina

If you are in Dublin, Bull Island is a pretty decent place to go for birds.

That being said, comparing Ireland with North America is a bit unfair on Ireland, plus, just because you're bored with feral urban foxes and the odd badger doesn't mean the average NAmerican isn't bored with the average raccoon.

It's a bit like landscape - we think parts of Australia and America are amazing but they don't have what we take for granted.

bradnailer

I lived in Canada for a few years and saw a little bit more wildlife there then I have here, but I spent alot more time in the "wild":D then I do here.You gotta get out there to see anything.
I saw lots of beaver there but that's another story:D

DaireQuinlan

AnimalRights wrote: »

I hope you're joking.

I hope so too ! I mean Grey Squirrels are stringy and unpleasant, Red Squirrels are the delicious ones. mmmm.


More seriously, Grey Squirrels ARE vermin. Red Squirrels are native here, grey squirrels are an invasive species. They crowd out the reds because of a couple of reasons, more time spent foraging, much bolder than the reds and more aggressive, and last but not least because they carry a virus that they're immune to and is fatal to the reds. My parents own a few acres in wicklow with a deciduous wood. Years ago there were a brace of red squirrels there. They're long gone though, replaced with a bunch of grey squirrels instead.

I mean all you have to do is walk through the botanic gardens during squirrel breeding season to get an idea how pervasive the greys are ...

Calina

Okay.

the question of controlling the number of grey squirrels is OFF TOPIC. Bear this in mind before hitting the keyboard on the subject again, you all, okay?

Alun

DaireQuinlan wrote: »

I hope so too ! I mean Grey Squirrels are stringy and unpleasant, Red Squirrels are the delicious ones. mmmm.

I was always under the impression that it was the other way round, and even seem to recall hearing someone on a program on British TV (Countryfile?) encouraging people to eat greys for that very reason. I haven't eaten either though, so can't offer any real opinion one way or the other.

Calina

AnimalRights. by the way, if you're interested, I'd recommend a look at this guy's site Vincent Munier. He has some very nice stuff, particularly of birds.

The only point I would raise is it takes a lot of patience - I mean a serious amount - to do wildlife photography. How would you feel about that?

Trojan911

Your right, there lots of wildlife out there. It is a matter of knowing where to photograph it.

For instance, while lying in wait for deer, I have seen foxes, badgers, hedgehogs, hares, rabbits, many different types of birds, including an eagle in Kerry, all unaware I was there, so they were acting natural in their environment.

The deer season is over at the end of this month so I intend to use my stalking skills to photograph some wildlife in my spare time. Not full time, just some framed for the walls in the house.

Paulw

Some of mine from Canada -






And some from Ireland





Wildlife is all around. Just a matter of looking for it.

Overblood

Calina wrote: »

Okay.

the question of controlling the number of grey squirrels is OFF TOPIC. Bear this in mind before hitting the keyboard on the subject again, you all, okay?

Cant we veer off topic for two seconds?

I hope you're joking.

No I am NOT joking. They are vermin. Read DaireQuinlans well informed post there. Grey Squirrel stew comin' up!

Valentia

Ah! There's tons of wildlife here. I have never really gone out of my way to photograph it and I have taken quite a few shots that I am happy with. I often dream of packing everything in and going at it full time.

The problem is it wouldn't keep bread on the table. As Calina says the biggest thing with wildlife photography is patience. In my limited experience any decent shots that I have got required waiting.

I wont mention the two years it took to get the puffin taking off, that's in another thread.

Here is one example. Just out for a stroll one Sunday I spotted this Heron waiting at a weir. I figures he was more than likely "fishing" so I waited. I waited quite a long time. Many people would just have taken a quick shot in passing and left it at that.



Here's one anyone could have taken with a bit of patience:



And, of course, there is always luck:

bovril

Having only gotten into wildlife photography in a big way in the last 6 months (mostly birds), there is too much wildlife and good places to go. There are is never a shortage of birds around the place from common garden birds to very rare birds. Take for example the little blue heron which was in Galway this year for approx 2-3 weeks. In one weekend plane loads of people arrived from as far as Scandinavia and the UK to see this bird and or get a shot of it. It was the first reported case of this bird in Europe.

I want to try and capture what Ireland has to offer before I try and get some shots of birds further afield. It's not easy to get a great shot and I don't think I'd get one over the course of a 2-3 week holiday.

bernard0368

There is plenty of wildlife around, The liffey has plenty of otter, kingfisher, mink,
Squirrel both red and grey, water voles any amount of birds in one area there is the odd eggret and what i believe to be a white Ibis one local farmer told me this one bird shows up for Feb and march every year and always on his own.
I am trying to get some decent wildlife shots but I keep bring the damn Lurcher with me and he thinks everything that moves including deer must be chased and preferably end up as dinner.