Focusing On Wildlife

Feeding Frenzy On The Sand Dunes

Fri, 27 May 2011 15:57:52 +0100

Earlier this week during a break between the Atlantic storms (weatherwise May has been a disaster!) I got the chance to spend a few hours on the sand dunes at Barley Cove in West Cork. This is an unspoilt wildlife refuge with a tidal lake surrounded by tall grasses, a large area of rush-fringed sand dunes, and a river with sandy cliffs.

On this particular day there was a feeding frenzy taking place due to the mass hatching of ground beetles. The sand martins and wheatear were taking full advantage of this supplement to their normal diet.

Several hundred larger birds were also actively feeding on the newly-hatched beetles including great black-backed gulls, herring gulls, rooks, hooded crows, jackdaws and choughs.

Click on the thumbnails and select "birdsong" to get the full effect.

White Storks hunted down

Sun, 22 May 2011 10:38:20 +0100

The largest flock of White Storks ever recorded in Malta has been shot at from several different locations, as the birds sought overnight shelter in Malta. At least six of the 200-strong flock of storks were seen to be shot down, while another injured stork was recovered but had to be euthanized by a vet. Another two injured storks were recorded in flight with dangling legs and missing feathers.

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How to shoot an Emperor Dragonfly

Thu, 19 May 2011 21:43:49 +0100

Insects have wing beats ranging from 12 beats per second for a large butterfly to 250 beats per second for a honeybee. Photographing insects in flight is one of the greatest challenges for all wildlife photographers.

This article describes how to capture crisp, sharp images of the Emperor Dragonfly in flight.

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Waders on the West Coast of Ireland

Fri, 13 May 2011 12:32:39 +0100

Ireland is a vital refuelling-stop for wading birds - knot, dunlin, godwit, redshank - on their way back to the Arctic from African coasts. Many wading birds, however, prefer to stay the whole year because the climate is so mild - they know that the rich, estuary mud never freezes and is a reliable food source.

Why Not Use RAW Format In Your Photography?

Tue, 10 May 2011 09:46:15 +0100

The price of memory has come down dramatically in the last couple of years, and many top-end DSLR's can now shoot in RAW format with a high frame rate. This article examines the arguments for and against adapting your photographic process to accomodate RAW format?

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Songbirds in the Leafy Lanes of West Cork

Thu, 12 May 2011 10:25:25 +0100

Many of the songbirds to be found in the leafy lanes of West Cork at this time of the year are only summer visitors. Examples include the Chiffchaff, Sedge Warbler, Willow Warbler and Wheatear. Click on the thumbnails to hear the birdsong and to browse the individual high-resolution images.

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Colourful Landbirds of Puerto Rico

Mon, 09 May 2011 19:01:04 +0100

Thirty-one landbird species were photographed during a three-week vacation in Puerto Rico during January 2011. Some of the most colorful are highlighted below. Browse more photos by clicking on the thumbnails:

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