doneraile wildlife park

While on a visit to friends in the rebel county we took a rainy stroll through Doneraile Wildlife Park. It has some fine mature trees and riverside walk. 

Riabhóg Mhóna

I can't quite identify this bird for sure, firstly I thought it was a starling, but it seems too light in colour. Then I thought it was thrush, but too small. After a bit of poking around the birdwatch ireland website it could have been a Skylark. But, most likely it's a Meadow Pipit;

sparrowhawk

 I spotted this sparrowhawk on a telephone line the other evening and grabbing my camera tried to zoom in as much as I could. The image is a bit dark, but it's the first photo I've managed to get of this cool bird. I've seen it quite a bit around about, but it's usually far too fast for me. This one was obviously distracted enough with a bit of grooming to be concerned with me. Just as I was checking the photos I had got, and ready to change settings, I looked up and it was gone...

Murder!

A murder of crows fussing and cawing, then settling briefly...

cut-away bog swans

These swans have become much more plentiful in this area since this area of bog became partially cut-way in the past 10 years or so. 

dreoilín

The wren, the wren, the king of all birds,

St. Stephen's Day was caught in the furze,

Although he was little his honour was great,

Jump up me lads and give us a treat.

As I was going to Killenaule,

I met a wren upon the wall.

Up with me wattle and knocked him down,

And brought him in to Carrick Town.

Drooolin, Droolin, where's your nest?

Tis in the bush that I love best

In the tree, the holly tree,

Where all the boys do follow me.

Up with the kettle and down with the pan,

And give us a penny to bury the wren.

I followed the wren three miles or more,

Three miles or more three miles or more.

I followed the wren three miles or more,

At six o'clock in the morning.

I have a little box under me arm,

Under me arm under me arm.

I have a little box under me arm,

A penny or tuppence would do it no harm.

Mrs. Clancy's a very good woman,

a very good woman, a very good woman,

Mrs. Clancy's a very good woman,

She give us a penny to bury the wren.

robin

My children were busy rummaging through leaves for conkers when I noticed this fella watching from a distance. As they moved along he quickly popped down to do his own rummaging through the leaves for some tasty morsels.

coal tit

This Coal Tit was too busy to notice me. It was flicking through the bird seed, taking only the occasional, presumably tastier, seed and discarding the rest.

dove

A pair of these beautiful birds visit the hen house every day to steal some of the hen's food. If they were crows or jackdaws I'd run them, but who could begrudge these doves a few morsels.

mother pheasant

A mother pheasant and some chicks wandered into the garden last evening. I grabbed my camera and tried to sneak towards them to get some snaps. As I approached, the chicks disappeared, but the mother stayed to protect her young..

She wouldn't run away and showed no fear.

Some squawking and hissing followed, and some flapping of wings
as she ran towards and away from me.

Barely visible are the chicks.

As I went away she kept a watchful eye on me.

swallows

A pair of swallows nested in the water pump shed in April, and successfully reared some young.

Family of Swallows.

Also I found this interesting story about swallows; http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2315290