Have you heard the one about the Kingfisher, the Mink and the Otter?

This an oil pastel/ water colour piece I did of a kingfisher, having spent time watching a Kingfisher nest on the River Deel, Co. Limerick last summer.I'm hoping to photograph them this year with some luck and copious amounts of patience! Nonetheless I'm ambitious.

Kingfishers are a truly beautiful species which ignite river scenes with their firey oranges and vibrant blues as they dive beneath the meniscus with impressive skill and ease.  

While watching last year's Kingfishers I made an interesting observation. The Kingfishers had chosen to nest on a meander which was the long established territory of a dog Otter. The River Deel has seen an unfortunate increase in Mink numbers, an invasive species, which have wiped out Water Hen populations on the river and are known to predate Kingfisher nests (as was seen on this year's Springwatch). Dog Otters, however have been known to defend their territory persistently from Mink, there have even been reports of dog Otters killing Mink in extreme circumstances. On the River Deel there have been no reports of Mink on the meander defended by the Otter which is also the chosen nest site of the Kingfisher. This definitely appears to be responsive behaviour by the Kingfisher and simply interdependence at its best!      

Velvet Feathered, Inky Eyed.

The African Vulture is an incredible raptor. Having had the pleasure of working with vultures I have a huge liking for the species and I am awestruck each time they spread their gargantuan wings and circle effortlessly. 

Vulture numbers have plummeted alarmingly in recent years; due to use of certain join relief gels which are used on livestock in parts of India. Chemicals used in these gels remain in an animal’s system after their death, which when consumed by vultures leads to their demise. It is often said vultures are ‘ugly’ or unattractive birds, to this I have to state my solid opposition. Unfortunately this opinion among the general public has meant vulture conservation projects have received much lower interest and support than other conservation projects. Unless action is taken vulture populations will continue to decline and the species will face extinction. For more information on vulture conservation projects see The Vulture Conservation Foundation- www.4vultures.org  

Chiffchaff at Dawn

Clear skies, deep yellow blossoming Gorse Bushes and the Chiffchaff’s onomatopoeic call; a true scene of summer. For me the sound and fleeting sight of the Chiffchaff is one associated with such a scene. However this picture, misleading as it may seem, was taken not on a hazy summer’s afternoon but on what could have been an arctic morning in April. 5:30 a.m. to be exact, as I listened to the dawn chorus in a picturesque corner of country side in west Limerick. The morning wasn’t as ideal as it may sound from that description, as I was fighting frostbite to get this shot!

The Chiffchaff is a migratory leaf warbler species, which graces us here in Ireland with its presence in the summer months, wintering in Southern and Eastern Europe and Northern Africa. They’re a fantastic little species that undertake a remarkable migration journey for their size, considering they weigh just 9 grams, the same as a euro coin! This little individual thankfully filled a beautiful silhouette frame.