Some pictures I took recently

gzoladz

keps wrote: »

Spotted this guy on the Dodder near The Dropping Well

Thinking it might be a teal???
Can anyone confirm?

Added later

This is the female

Teal indeed, Ireland's smallest duck. I have never seen one in the Dodder, well spotted!

keps

Blue Tit gives thumbs up to audience while doing high wire act:P



blue tit

keps

gzoladz wrote: »

Teal indeed, Ireland's smallest duck. I have never seen one in the Dodder, well spotted!

Thanks Gustavo... I checked my Jim Wilson guide book and thought it was a teal ok - but then thought..'hey' they are not meant to be on the Dodder!

OpenYourEyes

A lone Lapwing on the shores of Lough Ree today - hopefully given the time of year and general lack of Lapwing flocks around today, this bird might be considering breeding locally!

Lapwing by Brian, on Flickr

bernard0368

ThunderCat

.

ThunderCat

What I think is a Peregrine Falcon. Anyone able to tell for sure?

keps

Dodder today
Dipper- nest building


dipper

Means Of Escape

Absolutely no need of help thank you

gzoladz

Kingfisher and Sparrowhawk

keps

Again today on The Dodder

dipper

Hotei

Honesty Lunaria annua
Not a native plant species, but it has naturalized.






Toothwort Lathraea squamaria
I spotted this rare plant (most recorded in the northeast of the island) on a road verge while driving the backroads of west Kildare this afternoon. It was growing in small colonies under large deciduous trees. Not having chlorophyll, it is parasitic on the roots of trees and shrubs including Hazel, Willow, Elm, Alder, and Poplar. To my nose, it had a rather sickly-sweet scent. Honey bees were busily foraging on its flowers.








Brimstone

fin12

University College Cork

splish

Hairy Shieldbug Dolycoris baccarum

flyingsnail

Golden Crowned Kinglet



2017_04_02_6028 on Flickr

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

flyingsnail wrote: »

Golden Crowned Kinglet



2017_04_02_6028 on Flickr

Goldcrest, surely? Unless you're in the US.

whyulittle

Taken in Ireland? If so, it's a Goldcrest.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinglet

flyingsnail

Indeed you would seem to be right, they look very close when you are trying to figure out what they are

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

flyingsnail wrote: »

Indeed you would seem to be right, they look very close when you are trying to figure out what they are

Yes, but it's always worth looking at the distribution of any bird you are looking up.

keps

dipper

keps

@flyingsnail

Great Goldcrest pic... they are so small and move so fast that it is difficult to get a good sharp photo like you did.
Well done:)

Hotei

ThunderCat

Amazing photos as usual Hotei. What mm lens are you using to get the subjects to fill so much of the frame?

ThunderCat

Great photos of the dipper keps. The dipper on the dodder is fast becoming the new grey wagtail of lucan demesne as you seem to be able to capture it most days. Great stuff. The rush of the water really adds to the photo too.

New Home

Stupid question from a clueless person - would I be right in saying that there isn't a chance in hell that photos of a quality similar to these could be taken with a mobile phone camera?

Hotei

ThunderCat wrote: »

Amazing photos as usual Hotei. What mm lens are you using to get the subjects to fill so much of the frame?

Thanks very much ThunderCat.
I use the Tamron 150-600mm. telephoto zoom lens (Nikon fit). It's a brilliant lens, and I think most of the lads and lassies who upload images here have the same lens. I used to use a 300mm. lens, but it just didn't have the range for subjects such as birds and mammals.

keps

ThunderCat wrote: »

Great photos of the dipper keps. The dipper on the dodder is fast becoming the new grey wagtail of lucan demesne as you seem to be able to capture it most days. Great stuff. The rush of the water really adds to the photo too.

Cheers..yes, there are a pair of Dodder dippers pretty active nt too far from where I live- think they are nest building and hopefully planning a
family:)

Wonder could it be these same two who were 'courting' back in November?
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=101575397

Also taken with a Tamron 150-600.

ThunderCat

Hotei wrote: »

Thanks very much ThunderCat.
I use the Tamron 150-600mm. telephoto zoom lens (Nikon fit). It's a brilliant lens, and I think most of the lads and lassies who upload images here have the same lens. I used to use a 300mm. lens, but it just didn't have the range for subjects such as birds and mammals.

Thanks for the reply Hotei. I suspected it might be something like a 600mm lens. I have a 250mm one which to be fair I'm happy with but someday, someday Keep them coming anyways!

ThunderCat

keps wrote: »

Cheers..yes, there are a pair of Dodder dippers pretty active nt too far from where I live- think they are nest building and hopefully planning a
family:)

Wonder could it be these same two who were 'courting' back in November?
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=101575397

Also taken with a Tamron 150-600.

Thanks for the reply keps. Great lens. And as for the dippers and all your other regulars, it's an exciting time of the year for you to see if they produce young. Can't help but get a little attached when we see the same birds every day.

keps

New Home wrote: »

Stupid question from a clueless person - would I be right in saying that there isn't a chance in hell that photos of a quality similar to these could be taken with a mobile phone camera?

Hi New Home- thanks for your great support on this site.

You are right in thinking that a mobile camera is not really a suitable one for wildlife photos- you might be lucky now and again to get close to a duck, pigeon or robin.
However,I think all would agree that to get decent wildlife pics you need a Long/Telephoto Lens. This type of lens will allow you to 'zoom in' on your intended subject, hopefully without disturbing or spooking them.