'Ireland's First'

Check out the preview of Ireland's First, a unique documentary on the 1st White Tailed Sea Eagle chick in Ireland in over 100 years! (Preview available at this link: Ireland's First)

Ireland’s First follows the historic and dramatic story of the first White Tailed Sea Eagle chicks to take to Irish skies in over 100 years, from hatching to fledging and the trials and tribulations faced by the chicks and adult birds alike. I've had the pleasure of presenting and narrating this documentary alongside dedicated cameraman Nigel Beers Smith and talented editor Klaus Kappis.

The eagles’ story unfolds over Lough Derg’s picturesque waters, a site which first had its shores occupied by the pair in 2011. Since then, the iconic silhouette of the Sea Eagle has become a common sight over Mountshannon. For over six months wildlife cameraman Nigel Beers Smith has photographed and filmed these incredible raptors, capturing intimate mating displays and powerful hunting trips as the pair battled to raise their chicks. The story follows not only the tale of the eagles but looks at the efforts and influences of The Golden Eagle Trust at this crucial time in Ireland’s most ambitious reintroduction program.

This documentary, Ireland’s First, holds record of one of the most important events in the history of Irish conservation. In seeing the return of this truly majestic, now breeding species, a natural balance has been restored to Ireland’s biodiversity. It can now be expected that the sight and sound of Irish born White Tailed Sea Eagles will continue to become more and more common.

Preview available at this link: Ireland's First

I've set up a Facebook page for my art and photography, where I've been posting some updates. Check it out at www.facebook.com/alainewildlife

A Wander on the Coast...

Coastal locations are teeming with all sorts of unique flora and fauna, from the minute to the massive and Spanish Point in Co.Clare is no exception, and a day spent in the sand dunes of Spanish Point in early July proved very productive indeed!

Most sand dunes are planted with Marram Grass, a long rooted plant suited to the harsh sandy terrain found in sand dunes. Marram Grass binds the sand grains and prevents sand being carried during harsh weather conditions, this limits the harmful effects of inconvenient sand deposition and preserves the habitat provided by sand dunes allowing wildlife to thrive.

                                White Clover

                                Red Clover

                                House Fly (Musca domestica) on Dandelion

These dunes happened to be host to both Red and White Clover, a favourite of many pollinators, two flora species which have seen a notable decline with the extensive use of pesticides in both agricultural and domestic use. These clovers are hugely beneficial to many pollinators, particularly bee species, and as a result Spanish Point's sand dunes were buzzing with invertebrate life.

 

It wasn't just invertebrates inhabiting this niche, a noisy flock of predominantly juvenile Starlings were probing the soft sands and scavenging.

If you wish to express any interest in purchasing any of these photographs or any others on my blog please don't hesitate to enquire at nilaoi.1997@gmail.com

 

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.  

Disintegration by Urbanisation

The urban starling is a noisy and inescapable of life in any town or city, particularly my own. Many people are subject to all sorts of irritation from starlings be it pinching food from their feeders, creating a dropping collage in their gardens or nesting in undesired places.I for one was woken at 6:00am on a regular basis throughout the summer by noisy nesters in my roof but i can safely say despite the inconvenience i couldn't have been happier to have them! They arrive in their numbers to any urban site bearing food and are supremely adapted to an urban lifestyle. I consider them an attractive bird with their ultra violet spangled plumage and the male's raised hackles while singing boldly. 

Male birds are distinguishable from their female counterparts by a bluish tinge to base of the beak in mature birds, longer hackle feather and often a darker iris than the female. He develops a complex repertoire of mimiced sounds which he sings to attract a mate, the more complex the song the more mature the bird.

One of the greatest spectacles in the natural world is surely starling murmuration. Hundreds upon thousands of birds swirl across amber autumn skys in an incredible aeronautical display before going to roost.

Unfortunately, not everyone shares my fondness for the starling and they have been 'controlled' in many towns and cities across the world. The introduction of new agricultural methods has made rural survival challenging for the starling. British starling populations have experienced a decline of over 2/3 in recent years.

In the above piece 'Disintegration by Urbanisation' I've aimed to highlight the threat human actions pose to this fantastically adaptive and resourceful little bird.

Despite setbacks for the species, starlings are continuing to thrive in some areas and are even the most common species in many towns and cities.    

Down Town.

Down Town.

This was a piece I did on the topic 'Down Town', which I was given in early November. I've had to develop a project on that topic incorporating a 2D piece, a book craft and a 3D piece. My interpretation of the topic was based around urbanised wildlife and its ever growing presence in our towns and cities.

This painting was done using various mixed media including oil pastel, watercolour paint, chalk pastel and coloured pencils. I took inspiration from Chris Packham's photography and Ewen McCauly's city scapes, both of whom featured in my support studies. The rich browns and beiges of the Barn Owl are in opposing contrast to the bold and somewhat gaudy colours of the city skyline to highlight the Barn Owl's 'misplacment' and chosen urban niche. 

This is a required preparatory sheet showing my previous sketches, usage of mixed media and brief outline of my background research.

Light on Leaves.

 Nature's Humble Beginnings.

Light Filtered Flora.

When ambling through forests in pursuit of great wildlife sightings, I can't help but become both captivated and fascinated by the growth and life by which I am surrounded. Light filtering through a crowded canopy is a stunning sight by all respects. It caused me to raise the question as to just how important light is to our flora, and essentially to us. Photosynthesis is a process many people are familiar with, but just how familiar? Over the course of this week I'm hoping to demonstrate and record the effects and process of photosynthesis to be published here. From labs to forests I'll be doing all I can to gain a better understanding of the process as a whole. I'll be taking a look at photosynthesis in action and finding exactly what's happening when light hits leaves.

If you have any questions you'd be interested in finding the answer to I'd love to hear them, post them below and I'll most definitely get around to answering them in the published clips.

Wonders of the World of Flora

Light's Path

 Canopy Canvas

Visible Sky

Blue on Grey

The Grey Heron is a regular sight near any waterway, bearing food to the heron's liking! Providing food to the liking to a Heron is no challenge as they have been reported to take all sorts; from fish and amphibians to young waders, water foul and even young rabbits, the opportunistic heron knows no boundaries. In this picture however, I've focused not on their success as a predator but their elegance. 

Message in a Bottle.

'The Fox Went Out on a Windy Night...'

This is a piece I've done of a red fox, a species that undoubtedly receives its fair share of persecution and occasional negative media stories. Despite this the red fox is a charismatic and rather handsome mammal to glimpse, even if you're one of those lucky people that get their bins raided! I can't deny spending several hours in countryside hedgerows in the hope of sighting one. Or standing in pitch darkness at an unreasonable hour listening to the screaches of a vixen.

Although many theories are proposed as to why foxes use loud barks like this, the theory I support is that it is used to locate dogs before hunting, as dogs bark and howl at the sound revealing their where abouts to the fox. I've heard on regular occasion dogs barking and howling wildly after a vixen's bark, especially at early dusk. This makes sense no doubt, as if the fox is venturing out to hunt at this time it is only lodgical to assume the fox could be checking the location of dogs.

I am filled with excitement when I'm awarded a glimpse of the cheeky vulpes and hope rare negative media stories don't provoke irrational culls or unnecessary persecution.

Falco Tinnunculus

If it's  not a crime to pick a favourite bird then mine's the Kestrel. With rich chestnuts, downy browns and the male's characteristic slate blue head, the Kestrel's plumage leaves little to be desired. Inks black strips sit below the falcon's eyes, these watercolour like strokes are not simply for display, each minute feature serves a definitive purpose. The markings are known as malar stripes which deflect excess light from raptor's eyes and absorb the light on account of the black pigment. An idea adopted by American footballers. 

However of all the Kestrel's adaptations, it's their remarkable ability to hover which fascinates me, an ability shared only by the Barn Owl in Irish bird species. Kestrels achieve this feat of flight by using their supremely adapted wings to not only apply enough thrust to remain air born, but detect and manipulate rising air thermals. The falcon's uses it's broad tail both stabilise and direct itself. All decisions made by the Kestrel while hovering are literally made in milliseconds. The raptor's head remains motionless during the hovering which allows it to use its ultra violet vision to its best advantage.

Raptor's ability to see in ultra violet is a direct function of the structure of their eye. The retina, the photosensitive membrane in the eye, is over 1.5 times thicker than ours in raptors. Raptors also have high cone and rod cell numbers. Cone cells act as photo receptors while rod cells process and filter extreme low light. All contributing to their ability to track mammal blood and urine trails, on account of their ultra violet vision. Considering 75% of a raptor's skull is occupied by their eyes, it is to be expected that exceptional sight be one of their attributes.

The Kestrel is a truly remarkable falcon and a product of several million years of  evolution and natural selection at it's best, stealing the top spot as my favourite bird.

Vibrant Visitor

Here's some snaps of a male Chaffinch. A garden commoner but not to be overlooked none the less. Arriving to gardens usually in their numbers, particularly in Winter months, they're not the ones to start feeder scraps and brighten up our tables with peaches, reds, greens and greys.

Sika's Shore

This is a female White Tailed Sea Eagle, the very species being reintroduced in Kerry at present as part of Ireland’s raptor reintroduction programme by The Golden Eagle Trust. A White Tailed Sea Eagle pair nested in Mount Shannon last year only to have their clutch fail, which is not uncommon in young inexperienced pairs. The pair has returned to the nest site in Mount Shannon already and it is hoped they will breed successfully this year. The White Tailed Sea Eagle has also been subject to cruel and fatal poisonings of late, despite education drives by the trust. This bird photographed is Sika, a captive Eagle at The Burren Birds of Prey Centre. Sika, while being flown this year, was joined by a wild White Tailed Sea Eagle much to the shock and delight of the centre’s falconers. It just goes to show despite circumstances these birds can survive here, as they have in the past, and are successfully branching out and establishing territories. It is a dream of mine and many others to see this majestic species thriving and plentiful once more. For more information on The White Tailed Sea Eagle or any of the three Irish raptor reintroduction programmes see www.goldeneagle.ie