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Cormorants
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Copyright Cormac Mac Gearailt
Image is present on following page(s): River Shannon, Helvick Head, Lough Derg, Biodiversity, The Nanny, Fauna, Islands
Cormorants -
Pinus Sylvestris
Digital photograph of a Scots Pine, taken at Woodstock Estate, Inistioge, County Kilkenny
Pinus Sylvestris -
Fritillary butterfly
Silver-washed fritillary: This large butterfly is associated withold broad-leaved woodland. The eggs are usually laid on the bark of a mature tree in an area where the larval food plant, common dog violet, is available. The adults fly in sunny gladesin late summer. (Richard Nairn)
Copyright R. Nairn
Fritillary butterfly -
Ringlet Butterfly
Photograph of a Ringlet butterfly resting on a bramble leaf. This butterfly has a light brown colour with a thin white rim around its wing edge.
Ringlet Butterfly -
Mountain Avens
The mountain avens is an Arctic-Alpine plant. It flowers abundantly in sheets of cream and gold in the Burren, Co. Clare.
Courtesy of Carsten Krieger.
Image is present on following page(s): Flora
Mountain Avens -
Llamas
Llamas are native to South America
Image is present on following page(s): Features of Roscommon, Global Biodiversity Gallery
Llamas -
Implement used for gathering seaweed
A seaweed crook. Used for gathering seaweed.
Courtesy Clare County Library
Image is present on following page(s): Quilty
Implement used for gathering seaweed -
Arctic Terns
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Copyright Mike Brown
Image is present on following page(s): Bird Visitors to Our Coasts, June, Global Biodiversity Gallery
Arctic Terns -
Birds Foot Treffoil (L) and Grey Seal (R)
A renage of flora and fauna can be found on Scattery Island. This image shows a common plant, Birds Foot Treffoil, and a grey seal.
Image is present on following page(s): Scattery Island
Birds Foot Treffoil (L) and Grey Seal (R) -
Storm Petrel
The European storm petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus) is a small bird, little bigger than a sparrow. It appears all black with a white rump. It flies very close to the water surface, and often feeds in flocks behind trawlers. Petrels breed along the rocky west coast of Ireland in offshore islands from May to September. It winters at sea. It eats fish plankton and crustaceans. It is thought that 67- 75% of the worlds storm petrels breed in the UK and Ireland. They are nocturnal birds, never venturing too far from their nests to feed. This bird is protected under the EU Birds Directive, which means that its is of high conservation importance in EU terms. One of the largest storm petrel colonies in the world is on Inishtooskert comprising of approximately 27,155 nests. It is on the amber list of birds in need of conservation for Ireland.
Image is present on following page(s): Skellig Islands, Ocean Islands
Storm Petrel -
The Dense-Flowered Orchid
Dense-flowered orchids are common in the Burren. Orchids flower to a calendar that begins in late April and continues into September. The orchid flower spikes are composed of densely packed, small pink or white flowers.
Courtesy of Robert Thompson.
Image is present on following page(s): Flora
The Dense-Flowered Orchid -
Sea Spaghetti, Spanish Point, Co. Clare
A variety of seaweed commonly known as 'sea spaghetti'.
© M.D. Guiry; www.species.ie
Image is present on following page(s): Seaweed harvesting in Clare
Sea Spaghetti, Spanish Point, Co. Clare -
Pine Marten
The Burren provides a natural habitat for one of Ireland's shyest mammals, the pine marten.
Image is present on following page(s): Union Wood, Fauna, Wildlife in The Burren, Fauna
Pine Marten -
Oyster Thief, New Quay, Co. Clare
Oyster Thief, a variety of seaweed.
© M.D. Guiry; www.species.ie
Image is present on following page(s): Harvesting seaweed on the River Fergus
Oyster Thief, New Quay, Co. Clare -
Kelp, Finavarra. Co. Clare
Coastal communities in Ireland and Scotland used to harvest kelp, burn it and sell the ashes. The ashes contained substances which were used in glass making and pottery glazing.
© M.D. Guiry; www.species.ie
Image is present on following page(s): Seaweed harvesting in Clare
Kelp, Finavarra. Co. Clare -
The Harebell
The harebell is a delicate wildflower and a member of the bluebell family. On rare occasions, these flowers are white, but mostly they are blue. They are found in the Burren, Co. Clare.
Courtesy of Carsten Krieger.
Image is present on following page(s): Flora
The Harebell -
Humpback Whale
This image depicts the fluke of a diving humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) in dark grey sea. The fluke is dark grey/black colour, with a white edge. The distinctive scars on the fluke can be used to aide in the identification of an individual whale. The technique, known as photo-identification has been used by the IWDG to positively ID a humpback whale which has returned to the same area of West Cork at the same time of year, three years running. The tip of the fluke is covered with barnacles. Adult humpbacks can range in length from 11-16m. Scientists believe that humpbacks use the deep waters of the Rockall trench as a migration corridor, but individuals have been spotted in Irish waters of the south and west coasts. In addition humpbacks have been observed inshore in the Autumn/winter period in recent years along the south coast. Due to over exploitation of this species humpbacks are considered an endangered species in the Atlantic. A single calf is born very 2-3 years.
Copyright Pádraig Whooley; Courtesy of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group
Image is present on following page(s): Whales, Whales, Whales, 2010, January, Whales, Ocean Islands
Humpback Whale -
Kerry Slug
This black and white picture depicts The Kerry slug. It generally grows to approximately 7-8cm in length, has a dark brown body with light brown spots. The slug as two sets of tentacles, characteristic for all terrestrial slugs and snails. It is (apparently) the only slug species that will curl itself into a ball when it is disturbed. It has a Lusitanian distribution, which describes animals and plants that only occur along the western seaboard of Europe and not in the interior of counties. The Kerry slug likes wet weather and feeds on lichens living on rocks and lower tree trunks. The Kerry Slug is an important species and is well protected appearing under Annex II and Annex IV of the European Union Habitats Directive. Being an Annex II species means that the area in which the Kerry Slug lives is guarded under Irish and European law as a Special Area of Conservation. Being listed as an Annex IV species means that the Kerry Slug is an animal of European Community interest and requires strict protection.
Image is present on following page(s): Rivers & Lakes, Bridges & Species: Post-Glacial Colonisation
Kerry Slug -
Michael Viney, Author of the Flora and Fauna Feature
Michael Viney is the author of “Ireland: A Smithsonian Natural History,” published in Belfast by the Blackstaff Press. He lives in west Mayo and writes the column “Another Life,” on ecology and natural history, for the Weekend Review of the Irish Times.
Image is present on following page(s): Ireland's Natural World
Michael Viney, Author of the Flora and Fauna Feature -
J. P. Brunker picture
Picture of the author of Flora of the County of Wicklow relaxing with his pipe.The botanist spent much of his spare time on excursions through Wicklow.
used with kind permission from R. Nairn
Image is present on following page(s): Flora of the County of Wicklow
J. P. Brunker picture -
Flagstone Blue
Wet limestone pavement, showing clints and grikes. Grass growing in the grykes.
Carsten Krieger
Image is present on following page(s): Wild Plants of the Burren
Flagstone Blue -
Horseriding in field
Photograph of a group of horses and riders on the north slob.
Horseriding in field -
Aeriel view of Bull island
Aeriel view of Bull island, including Clontarf and Howth Head
By kind permission of Dublin City Council.
Image is present on following page(s): The Wildflowers of Bull Island:The Grassland Dunes
Aeriel view of Bull island -
Wren (Dreoilín), Dog Rose (Feirdhris), Blackberry (Dris) and Hedge Bindweed (Ialus Fáil)
Picture shows a Wren, Dog Rose, Blackberry and Hedge Bindweed
Original work carried out under contract to South Dublin County Council
Image is present on following page(s): Hedgerows
Wren (Dreoilín), Dog Rose (Feirdhris), Blackberry (Dris) and Hedge Bindweed (Ialus Fáil) -
Gorse Meadow Habitat
Gorse (Ulex europaeus) is beginning to take over this wet meadow. If left unchecked this wet meadow habitat will eventually develop into scrub. In time this will lead to a change in species composition from one that was predominantly grass and herbaceous plants to one that is mainly woody.
Betsey Hickey
Image is present on following page(s): Habitats of Carlow
Gorse Meadow Habitat -
Poll Salach
Bare limestone pavement with grikes and erratic
Carsten Krieger
Image is present on following page(s): Wild Plants of the Burren, The Ancient Island
Poll Salach -
map coastal area Wicklow
Main coastal features of County Wicklow. The northern half of the coast is dominated by the shingle barrier of the Murrough while the southern coastline is sandy with a series of rocky headlands.
commissioned for Wild Wicklow publication
Image is present on following page(s): Wild Wicklow, Flora and Fauna of Wicklow
map coastal area Wicklow -
Top Mullach Mor August
A view taken from the top of Mullach Mor showing limestone outcrop interspersed with fields and trees.
Carsten Krieger
Image is present on following page(s): Wild Plants of the Burren, The Burren
Top Mullach Mor August -
Location & Main Features of County Wicklow
Map of Wicklow showing rivers, mountains & towns.
Copyright R. Nairn
Image is present on following page(s): Wild Wicklow
Location & Main Features of County Wicklow -
Ireland's Natural World
Ireland's Natural World by Michael Viney, the story of plant and animal life of Ireland, from the Ice Age 10,500 years ago, through to the present day.
With kind permission of the Irish Wildlife Trust
Ireland's Natural World -
The Baily Lighthouse
The Baily Promontory viewed from the East mountain, showing heathland and grassland, two of the characteristic habitats of the peninsula.
Image is present on following page(s): Howth Peninsula
The Baily Lighthouse -
Pleasure Grounds, Woodstock House
Photograph of the Pleasure Grounds, Woodstock Estate looking due east from the Flower Terrace
Image is present on following page(s): Woodstock Estate
Pleasure Grounds, Woodstock House