Search Results ... (626)
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North East Slob Channel
North East Slob Channel
Photograph of the North East channel of the North slob on the Wexford Wildfowl Reserve.
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Burren Stone Walls
Burren Stone Walls
Linear features in the Irish landscape, such as stone walls, hedges and tree lines are a very important from an aesthetic, cultural and conservation viewpoint. They are part of the landscape of our cultural heritage but they also act as an essential resource for wildlife. Stone walls may appear, on first glance, to be barren lifeless structures but they are habitats for a range of flora and fauna species. Lichens, ferns and mosses grow directly on the rock surface, helping to make it more hospitable for other organisms in providing shelter and food. Insects find the nooks and crannies of stone wall an ideal home, and large holes can even become safe nesting spaces for small birds. The importance of stone walls in forming a network which allows animals move (disperse) from one area to another is also a much needed conservation function of such linear features.
With kind permission of the Irish Wildlife Trust
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Mountain Avens 1
Mountain Avens 1
English Name: Mountain avens Botanical Name (Latin): Dryas octopetala Irish Name: Leaithín Order: DIOTYLEDONES Family: ROSACEAE Brief Description: Mat-forming, evergreen, perennial herb; leaves glossy, dark green above, white below, margins indented; flowers solitary on erect, dark reddish stems covered with dark red glandular hairs; petals 8 or more (this character is very variable), pure white; stamens numerous, yellow.
Carsten Krieger
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Fragrant Orchid
Fragrant Orchid
English Name: Fragrant orchid Botanical Name (Latin): Gymnadenia conopsea Irish Name: Lus taghla Order: MONOCOTYLEDONES Family: ORCHIDACEAE Brief Description: Perennial herb, to 0.4m tall; with 3?5 leaves at base, 2?3 smaller ones on stem; inflorescence cylindrical, densely packed with rose-pink to mauve (rarely white) flowers; lateral sepals spreading, so flowers are wider than tall; fragrant.
Carsten Krieger
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Spring Gentian 2
Spring Gentian 2
English Name: Spring gentian Botanical Name (Latin): Gentiana verna Irish Name: Ceadharlach Bealtaine Order: DIOTYLEDONES Family: GENTIANACEAE Brief Description: Dwarf, perennial herb, inconspicuous except when flowering; with basal rosette of leaves; flowers rich blue with white ?eye?, petals 5.
Carsten Krieger
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Grey Heron
Grey Heron
The Grey Heron[Ardea cinerea]
Lorcan Scott Duchas
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Bewick, Mute and Whooper Swans
Bewick, Mute and Whooper Swans
Bewick's swan (Cygnus columbianus) is the smallest of the Irish swans. Bewick's come to Ireland from mid October to march after spending the breeding season in Siberia. Bewick's can be distinguished from the Mute and Whooper swans by the large amount of black on its bill. They feed on leaves shoots and roots and are found in flooded grasslands, saltmarshes and lakes. Bewick's and Whooper swans are both on the amber list of bird species of conservation concern in Ireland. Whooper swans (Cygnus cygnus) are large birds with a long thin neck and black legs, they have a large yellow triangular patch on their black bill. A winter visitor to Ireland from Iceland, it roosts on lowland farm areas near the coasts, flooded fields or lakes. Whoopers feed on aquatic plants, grass, grain and potatoes. The Mute swan (Cygnus olor) is Ireland largest bird. It has a long s-shaped neck and an orange bill with a black base. It is now quite common in Ireland and can be found living very close to man on canal and in urban parks. It feeds on water plants, insects and snails.
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Wigeon
Wigeon
The wigeon (Anas Penelope) is a medium sized duck with a round head and a small bill. Male widgons have a grey body, pink breast, chestnut neck and head with a yellow forecrown. In flight, birds have white bellies and males have a large white wing patch. Birds overwinter in Ireland, escaping the harsh weather of their summer grounds in Iceland, Scandaniva and Russia. In Ireland and the UK widgeons roost on estuaries, coastal marshes and lowland lakes. Widgeons eat aquatic plants, grasses and roots and produce 9 eggs generally. Theses eggs are incubated for 3 and a half weeks, and once hatched are immediately brought to water. Chicks fly after 45 days. Although not under immediate threat, due to loss of its habitat here, widgeons have been placed in the amber list of bird species of conservation concern.
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Valley View
Valley View
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Begerin Graves
Begerin Graves
Photograph of the remaining graves stones on Begerin Island on the north slob in Wexford