Irish Wildlife Observations 2013.

between loop head and kilbaha yesterday.
A pod of dolpins 10-15 id say feeding on mackeral, 2 large seals, a young seal pup, which was a first for me, and the widest array of sea birds.
Oh and the savage pollock too

Saw a Chough this evening, a Red-Billed. Never been so close to one before, it was literally directly below me just above the waterline on a rock when I was doing a bit of sea trout spinning. Striking looking bird.

Massive pod of dolphins in Brandon bay last week...

Saw quite a few of these Comb Jellies while LRF in Donegal Bay 28th August 2013; with the bright sun and rippled surface it was difficult to get a good picture and I realise now I should have used manual focus rather than auto which focussed on the surface rather than a few inches below. However the pics give some idea of what they look like. In the second pic. you can make out how the light reflects off the rows of beating cilia which they use for locomotion. They were approximately 4" long.

@ Cathalger; the photo of the Emperor moth was taken on the 6th of June 2013.

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seen this beauty in killarney yesterday..what a spectacular bird

http://s1277.photobucket.com/user/rooos ... state=copy

Was virtually hand feeding three otters with a few fresh mackerel in the docks in Galway last weekend as it was getting dark. Didn't get any pictures unfortunately but I didn't know they could become so tame. They would come up to about 10 feet from you and snort to get your attention. Amazing to see how they've adapted to the free food on offer.
Was a couple of mink there as well earlier in the evening which curiously seemed more timid...

a sorry sight unfolded yesterday morning on the little beach directly adjacent to waterfoot pier in Glenariff, Red Bay, Co.Antrim,
a young sei whale was stranded and, after struggling for some time, unfortunately eventually died
estimated at 8metres and 5ton. the carcass is still there now

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10201091791831183
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151719146568863

Saw an otter while trout fishing on Lough Melvin a couple of days ago, I tried to sneak up closer to get a photo but it maintained a distance of about 80yds from the boat so the photo just looks like a stone in the water, not much point in putting that up!

another bloomin whale washed up! thats two in a week
http://www.u.tv/News/Second-whale-dies- ... 2d8729717d

Beautiful Otter swam across an inlet of Muckno Lake this morning. Crossed about 20 yards in front of me. Wonderful to watch. It was being harried by a gull and lashed out at it a few times. No camera to hand but never mind, it would have distracted me from enjoying the moment anyway.

While out fishing in Donegal recently I heard the racket of a tern, usually a noisy bird but this one had good reason; it was being harried by a skua. A few moments later another skua joined the attack. I'm not too well up on skuas but I think they were Arctic skuas. The first photo is a bit blurry, taken in a rush, but you can see the distinctive tail feathers. The second photo shows both skuas and the hapless tern.

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one i forgot to mention here last month around the 15th i was out in east galway with work going down a boreen around 11 in the day and came to a fork in the road and went left - there was a large bush blocking the left side but i must have starteld a pine martin - and he bounded onto the road and across in front of me only 6/7 metres away

i know these lads are rarely seen in daylight - i had only seen my first dead one last year on the road

some sight

A friend of a friend took this lastnight. Looks like a dolphin down on sandymount. Any ideas on the hole in its head?
Possibly decomposing after being dead at sea for awhile.

Saw quite a few of these Comb Jellies while LRF in Donegal Bay 28th August 2013; with the bright sun and rippled surface it was difficult to get a good picture and I realise now I should have used manual focus rather than auto which focussed on the surface rather than a few inches below. However the pics give some idea of what they look like. In the second pic. you can make out how the light reflects off the rows of beating cilia which they use for locomotion. They were approximately 4" long.

@ Cathalger; the photo of the Emperor moth was taken on the 6th of June 2013.

are they the ones they call "by the wind sailors"?

Saw quite a few of these Comb Jellies while LRF in Donegal Bay 28th August 2013; with the bright sun and rippled surface it was difficult to get a good picture and I realise now I should have used manual focus rather than auto which focussed on the surface rather than a few inches below. However the pics give some idea of what they look like. In the second pic. you can make out how the light reflects off the rows of beating cilia which they use for locomotion. They were approximately 4" long.

@ Cathalger; the photo of the Emperor moth was taken on the 6th of June 2013.

are they the ones they call "by the wind sailors"?

No John, by the wind sailors are like blue ovals, up to 10cm long, with a triangular "sail". They get washed ashore and stranded from time to time though I haven't seen them for quite a while.

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thanks for that , johnwest.