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Wildlife in Ireland

  • 13-11-2006 10:19AM
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,735 ✭✭✭


    I was watching a travel programme about Africa etc and it got me thinking about the wildlife in Ireland.

    Can anyone tell me what there is here to photograph??


Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,504 ✭✭✭Roen


    Too lengthy to get into here, but the short answer is LOADS!
    Lots of birds, summer and winter, lots of mammals, for instance we have the healthiest population of Otters in Europe. Great variety in sea and river life. Huge amount of insect life, some of which is migrant. It's not unusual for a butterfly or moth to have made it here from North Africa, which I think is genuinely impressive considering their size.

    On the downside most of it is under threat, but there are a few success stories out there as regards specific species.

    I've made getting the perfect Little Egret shot and getting a Stoat shot my Holy Grail for the foreseeable future.

    I'm actually heading off right now to see what winter birds have arrived in Wexford.

    Good luck.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,775 ✭✭✭Sebzy


    Hey what about the Fota Wildlife park if your looking for big nasty animals :)
    Oh yea it's in Cork.
    http://www.fotawildlife.ie/


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,735 ✭✭✭mikeanywhere


    Thanks Roen,

    I'll clear Antelope and Zebra's off the list then :D:D


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 154 ✭✭ladgie353


    Anybody else knows any wildlife parks in Ireland?
    It would be nice to use this thread to list them.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,764 ✭✭✭Valentia


    Aparently Temple Bar on a Saturday night is a good location ;)


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,819 ✭✭✭rymus


    yeah.. plenty of wildlife there.. Although you probably will need to bring along a gamekeeper with a rifle, as you would with any kind of safari.

    Fota is nice, but bring your long lens.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,775 ✭✭✭Sebzy


    Doneraile Wildlife Park
    Kilfinane, Co. Limerick.

    Fenit Seaworld
    Fenit, Co. Kerry.


    Fota Wildlife Park
    Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork.

    Doneraile Wildlife Park
    Doneraile, Co. Cork.

    Castle Espie Wildfowl and Wetlands Centre
    Comber, Co. Down.

    Ulster Wildlife Centre
    Crossgar, Co. Down.


    Castle Espie Wildfowl Centre
    Comber, Co. Down.

    Delamont Country Park
    Downpatrick, Co. Down.

    Lagan Valley Regional Park
    Belfast, Co. Antrim.

    Crossgar
    Crossgar, Co. Down.

    Wildlife
    Kilkeel, Co. Down.

    Beautiful Marina on Seafront
    Dingle, Co. Kerry.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,819 ✭✭✭rymus


    Glenveigh park in Donegal is nice too... as is Lough Key forest park near Boyle, Co. Roscommon.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,504 ✭✭✭Roen


    Well when you said wildlife, I thought you meant real wildlife, not parks and the like.
    I did see an elephant loose in a field in the middle of Wicklow once, that was kind of a surreal moment I can tell you!

    Anyway I got this ferocious beast today.

    ISO 800, 300mm f5 1/125

    mg517901copydr0.jpg


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 713 ✭✭✭Carrigman


    The Lough in Cork City is a great place for photographing a wide range of swans, ducks and geese. Make sure you pronounce the place correctly if seeking directions from the locals. It's "De Lok".


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,368 ✭✭✭Covey


    Dublin City has some of the most accessible wildlife around. Deer in the Phoenix Park, no problem in spotting a fox after dark and some of the best birdlife in Ireland, two miles from O'Connell St. in and around Bull Island , where if you hang around the golf course your guarenteed to see wild irish hares. Squirrels in the Botanic gardens, seals in a lot of spots but very accessible in Skerries.

    T.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,319 ✭✭✭sineadw


    Hey where'd you get the red squirrel Roen? Haven't seen one of them about in.. well... ever.

    Was going to echo Phoenix Park. I got some great shots of seals in Skerries harbour last year too, but not sure this time of year. I had a kestrel sitting on my fence-post eating a mouse or something when I lived in Tyrone, but didn't get to the camera in time. There's loads of stuff out there.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,319 ✭✭✭sineadw


    Sebzy wrote:

    Beautiful Marina on Seafront
    Dingle, Co. Kerry.

    Oh and I got some good ones in the aquarium in Dingle. Not exactly wild I know..

    And Fungi of course :)

    If you're into underwater stuff there are some great dolphin/whale watching trips/dives out of Cork/Kerry/Galway/Probably the whole west coast.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,504 ✭✭✭Roen


    sineadw wrote:
    Hey where'd you get the red squirrel Roen? Haven't seen one of them about in.. well... ever.

    Was going to echo Phoenix Park. I got some great shots of seals in Skerries harbour last year too, but not sure this time of year. I had a kestrel sitting on my fence-post eating a mouse or something when I lived in Tyrone, but didn't get to the camera in time. There's loads of stuff out there.

    I've actually seen more red than grey in my life, I must be lucky. You'll get them countrywide but the ones I've seen have been in Waterford, Kilkenny, Carlow and Wexford, which was where this was taken this morning.
    Cute little things.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,763 ✭✭✭Fenster


    Going around Galway city, there's otters all over the canals, although they are *really* hard to get a capture of unless you stake out a few spots on a quiet morning.

    Go up the river and you have harriers, hawks and partriges in the park behind Currys and further out from there. You haave badgers, foxes, etc., as I once had the pleasure of being chased through a forest by a badger. There's also many places around the county with deer.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 128 ✭✭ender ender


    If you spend a few hours walking in the Wicklow mountains you're bound to see some deer, but they don't let you gett too close. You could take the easy option and shoot in the Phoenix Park!
    There's any amount of sea birds too, though I'm sure someone else could tell you exactly what time of year to look for them


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,504 ✭✭✭Roen


    The islands and the cliffs for the Spring/Summer sea birds, and the Winter for the migrant ones. The Wexford slobs are alive with Greenland geese after Crimbo, anything up to 10,000 of them!
    The Dungarvan and Tramore bay areas of Waterford also have a huge amount of winter birds too.


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