The Flickr Markcarmody Image Generatr

Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com

The Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) is a small wading bird, one of two species of turnstone in the genus Arenaria. It is now classified in the sandpiper family Scolopacidae but was formerly sometimes placed in the plover family Charadriidae. It is a highly migratory bird, breeding in northern parts of Eurasia and North America and flying south to winter on coastlines almost worldwide. It is the only species of turnstone in much of its range and is often known simply as Turnstone.

At all seasons, the plumage is dominated by a harlequin-like pattern of black and white. Breeding birds have reddish-brown upper parts with black markings. The head is mainly white with black streaks on the crown and a black pattern on the face. The breast is mainly black apart from a white patch on the sides. The rest of the underparts are white. In flight it reveals a white wingbar, white patch near the base of the wing and white lower back, rump and tail with dark bands on the uppertail-coverts and near the tip of the tail. The female is slightly duller than the male and has a browner head with more streaking.

Non-breeding adults are duller than breeding birds and have dark grey-brown upperparts with black mottling and a dark head with little white. Juvenile birds have a pale brown head and pale fringes to the upperpart feathers creating a scaly impression. (wikipedia)

This was taken along the West Pier, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin. The birds have come in from Iceland and other northern parts to spend the winter along the Irish coasts. Always busy feeding, chattering and can be quite tame.

Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com

The main pond of Stephen's Green, Dublin.

Taken on a Leica M4-P camera body with a Leica Summarit 35mm f2.5 lens on Santa Rae colour film (ISO 125). Developed and scanned by the excellent John Gunn Camera Shop on Wexford Street.

Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com

The Peacock butterfly is widely distributed in Ireland (and is found in Europe and temperate Asia as far east as Japan) and can be found in most habitats. It is probably the most beautiful of all the Irish butterfly species. It has predominantly red wings with superbly coloured large eyespots. The underside is a very dark brown. It hibernates through the winter. It may be frequently seen on nectar plants such as thistles at any time of the year except for a period in June/July. It has a single brood annually.

This was taken in Lullymore peatlands on the Bog of Allen in Co. Kildare.

Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com

The pigeon whisperer near St. Stephen's Green, Dublin, with the LUAS passing by in the afternoon.

Taken on a Leica M4-P camera body with a Leica Summarit 35mm f2.5 lens on Santa Rae colour film (ISO 125). Developed and scanned by the excellent John Gunn Camera Shop on Wexford Street.a Rae Summer

Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com

The Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena) is a migratory aquatic bird found in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. Its wintering habitat is largely restricted to calm waters just beyond the waves around ocean coasts, although some birds may winter on large lakes. Grebes prefer shallow bodies of fresh water such as lakes, marshes or fish-ponds as breeding sites.

The Red-necked Grebe is a nondescript dusky-grey bird in winter. During the breeding season, it acquires the distinctive red neck plumage, black cap and contrasting pale grey face from which its name was derived. It also has an elaborate courtship display and a variety of loud mating calls. Once paired, it builds a nest from water plants on top of floating vegetation in a shallow lake or bog.

Like all grebes, the Red-necked is a good swimmer, a particularly swift diver, and responds to danger by diving rather than flying. The feet are positioned far back on the body, near the tail, which makes the bird ungainly on land. It dives for fish or picks insects off vegetation; it also swallows its own feathers, possibly to protect the digestive system. The conservation status of its two subspecies—P. g. grisegena found in Europe and western Asia, and the larger P. g. holboelii in North America and eastern Siberia—is evaluated as Least Concern, and the global population is stable or growing. (wikipedia)

This individual spent part of the winter months in and around Dun Laoghaire harbour in Dublin, Ireland. It is a scarce bird in Ireland, generally only occurring in winter.

Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com

The old with the new on Adelaide Road, Dublin 2.

Taken on a Leica M4-P camera body with a Leica Summarit 35mm f2.5 lens on Santa Rae colour film (ISO 125). Developed and scanned by the excellent John Gunn Camera Shop on Wexford Street.

Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com

The Mediterranean gull (Larus melanocephalus) is a small gull. This gull breeds almost entirely in the Western Palearctic, mainly in the south east, especially around the Black Sea, and in central Turkey. There are colonies elsewhere in southern Europe, and this species has undergone a dramatic range expansion in recent decades.

The Mediterranean Gull is slightly larger and bulkier than the Black-headed Gull with a heavier bill and longer, darker legs. The breeding plumage adult is a distinctive white gull, with a very pale grey mantle and wings with white primary feathers without black tips. The black hood extends down the nape and shows distinct white eye crescents. The blunt tipped, parallel sided, dark red bill has a black subterminal band. The non breeding adult is similar but the hood is reduced to an extensive dusky "bandit" mask through the eye. This bird takes two years to reach maturity. First year birds have a black terminal tail band and more black areas in the upperwings, but have pale underwings. (wikipedia)

A recent colonist, the Mediterranean Gull arrived in Ireland in 1995 and first bred in the Republic in 1996 in Co. Wexford. Prefers low lying islands near the coast on which to breed. Only two or three pairs breed but this is likely to increase with more and more birds seen in suitable habitat in the breeding season. Regularly breeds, at Ladies Island Lake in Co. Wexford, along with other nesting seabirds, including Black-headed Gulls, with which it is often associated. In winter, Ireland attracts birds from northwest France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland and the Baltic States, occurring from September to April.

This is the second record of Mediterranean Gull for Griffith Park in Co. Dublin. An fine adult bird beginning its moult to breeding plumage. Great to see.

Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com

The heads outside Cabinteely House in Co. Dublin.

Taken on a Leica M4-P camera body with a Voigtlander APO-Lanthar 50mm f2 lens on Wolfen colour film (ISO 500). Developed and scanned by the excellent John Gunn Camera Shop on Wexford Street.

Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com

The Red Kite (Milvus milvus) is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. The species is currently endemic to the Western Palearctic region in Europe and northwest Africa, though formerly also occurred just outside in northern Iran. It is a rare species which is resident in the milder parts of its range in western Europe and northwest Africa, but birds from northeastern and central Europe winter further south and west, reaching south to Turkey. (wikipedia)

The Red Kite's diet consists mainly of small mammals such as mice, voles, shrews, young hares and rabbits. It also feeds on a wide variety of carrion including sheep carcasses and dead game birds. Live birds are also taken and occasionally reptiles and amphibians. Earthworms also form an important part of the diet, especially in the spring.

As scavengers, red kites are particularly sensitive to poisoning. Illegal poison baits set for foxes or crows are indiscriminate and kill protected birds and other animals. This has occurred to the Red Kites from the reintroduction programme here in Ireland. Legislation has now changed such that leaving poisoned carcasses out on land is illegal. However, enforcement of this new law could prove difficult to police.

On the 19 July 2007, the first thirty red kites of the reintroduction program here were released in Co. Wicklow. The first successful breeding was in 2010. This stunning adult was soaring over some fields east of Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow.

Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com

The Great Palm House in the Botanic Gardens, hidden by the summer foliage.

Taken on a Leica M4-P camera body with a Voigtlander APO-Lanthar 50mm f2 lens on Wolfen colour film (ISO 500). Developed and scanned by the excellent John Gunn Camera Shop on Wexford Street.

Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com

The Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) is a diving duck from North America. This strong migrant is a rare but regular vagrant to western Europe and Ireland, mostly from October to March, almost always associating with flocks of Tufted Duck. In September/October 2008, a flock of 15 was recorded on Inishmore on the Aran Islands.

It is very similar to Tufted Duck but is slightly smaller and lacks a crest. Adult males can be separated from Tufted Duck by having much greyer flanks with a white vertical stripe, as well as different pattern on the bill (broad white stripe near the tip). Adult females appear quite different to female Tufted Duck, being much paler overall and having an obvious white eyering. Also shows a hint of the obvious vertical white stripe found on the flanks of the male. Juvenile Ring-necked Ducks are similar to females, though the head pattern is not as contrasting and lacks the broad white stripe on the bill.

They mainly feeds by diving for freshwater invertebrates (beetles, shrimp). Ring-necked Ducks will also feed on plants, such as pondweeds.

This lone male was found by Ian Stevenson on the ponds in Farmleigh House in Phoenix Park, Dublin. The ring around its neck is visible in this photo.

Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com

Cigars and Laptops in Dublin 2.

Taken on a Leica M4-P camera body with a Voigtlander APO-Lanthar 50mm f2 lens on Wolfen colour film (ISO 500). Developed and scanned by the excellent John Gunn Camera Shop on Wexford Street.

Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com

The White-throated Dipper (Cinclus cinclus) is an aquatic passerine bird found in Europe and the Middle East, also known as the European Dipper or just Dipper. The species is divided into several subspecies on colour differences, especially of the pectoral band. The Dipper of Great Britain and Ireland is known as the "Brown-Bellied" Dipper (C. c. gularis), while the Irish race is Cinclus cinclus hibernicus.

The Dipper is a rotund, short-tailed bird, dark above and white-breasted, closely associated with swiftly running rivers and streams or the lakes into which these fall. The Dipper often perches bobbing spasmodically with its short tail uplifted on the rocks round which the water swirls and tumbles.

It acquired its name from these sudden dips, not from its diving habit, though it dives as well as walks into the water. It flies rapidly and straight, its short wings whirring swiftly and without pauses or glides, calling a shrill zil, zil, zil. It will then either drop on the water and dive or plunge in with a small splash. From a perch it will walk into the water and deliberately submerge, but there is no truth in the assertion that it can defy the laws of specific gravity and walk along the bottom.

A pair of Dipper on the Tolka River in Griffith Park near Dublin city centre.

Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com

A shot of the Coldplay gig in Croke Park, Dublin in 2024.

Taken on a Leica M4-P camera body with a Voigtlander APO-Lanthar 50mm f2 lens on Wolfen colour film (ISO 500). Developed and scanned by the excellent John Gunn Camera Shop on Wexford Street.

Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com

The Black Guillemot or Tystie (Cepphus grylle) is a medium-sized alcid.

Adult birds have black bodies with a white wing patch, a thin dark bill, and red legs and feet. They show white wing linings in flight. In winter, the upperparts are pale grey and the underparts are white. The wings remain black with the large white patch on the inner wing.

Their breeding habitat is rocky shores, cliffs and islands on northern Atlantic coasts in eastern North America as far south as Maine, and in western Europe as far south as Ireland.They are one of the few birds to breed on Surtsey, Iceland a new volcanic island. In the UK it is a fairly common breeding bird in western and northern Scotland and Ireland. In the rest of Great Britain they only breed at St. Bees Head in Cumbria, the Isle of Man and on east Anglesey in north Wales. Some birds breed in Alaska where their range overlaps with the similar Pigeon Guillemot.

These birds often overwinter in their breeding areas, moving to open waters if necessary, but usually not migrating very far south.

They dive for food from the surface, swimming underwater. They mainly eat fish and crustaceans, also some mollusks, insects and plant material. (wikipedia)

This was an adult winter bird at the mouth of Dun Laoghaire harbour earlier in the Spring of 2025.

Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com

The White-throated Dipper (Cinclus cinclus) is an aquatic passerine bird found in Europe and the Middle East, also known as the European Dipper or just Dipper. The species is divided into several subspecies on colour differences, especially of the pectoral band. The Dipper of Great Britain and Ireland is known as the "Brown-Bellied" Dipper (C. c. gularis), while the Irish race is Cinclus cinclus hibernicus.

The Dipper is a rotund, short-tailed bird, dark above and white-breasted, closely associated with swiftly running rivers and streams or the lakes into which these fall. The Dipper often perches bobbing spasmodically with its short tail uplifted on the rocks round which the water swirls and tumbles.

It acquired its name from these sudden dips, not from its diving habit, though it dives as well as walks into the water. It flies rapidly and straight, its short wings whirring swiftly and without pauses or glides, calling a shrill zil, zil, zil. It will then either drop on the water and dive or plunge in with a small splash. From a perch it will walk into the water and deliberately submerge, but there is no truth in the assertion that it can defy the laws of specific gravity and walk along the bottom.

A bike discarded in the Tolka River in Griffith Park near Dublin city centre is used as a perch by a local Dipper. The recent rains have pushed a lot of leaf litter and other debris into the bike. It is a shame how we treat our river systems in Ireland (and elsewhere).

Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com

A sign on a wrought iron gate in Glasnevin, Dublin 9. A harsh lesson and reminder to always close the gate (or door) after you.

Taken on a Leica M4-P camera body with a Voigtlander APO-Lanthar 50mm f2 lens on Santa Rae black and white film (ISO 125). Developed and scanned by the excellent John Gunn Camera Shop on Wexford Street.

Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com

There are three species: the Bohemian waxwing (B. garrulus), the Japanese waxwing (B. japonica) and the cedar waxwing (B. cedrorum). The Bohemian waxwing is a starling-sized bird. It is short-tailed, mainly brownish-grey, and has a conspicuous crest on its head. The male of the nominate subspecies has a black mask through the eye and a black throat. There is a white streak behind the bill and a white curve below the eye. The lower belly is a rich chestnut colour and there are cinnamon-coloured areas around the mask. The rump is grey and the tail ends in a bright yellow band with a broad black border above it. The wings are very distinctive; the flight feathers are black and the primaries have markings that produce a yellow stripe and white "fishhooks" on the closed wing. The adult's secondaries end in long red appendages with the sealing wax appearance that gives the bird its English name. The eyes are dark brown, the bill is mainly black, and the legs are dark grey or black. In flight, the waxwing's large flocks, long wings and short tail give some resemblance to the common starling, and its flight is similarly fast and direct. It clambers easily through bushes and trees but only shuffles on the ground.

The range of the Bohemian waxwing overlaps those of both the other members of the genus.
The Bohemian waxwing's call is a high trill sirrrr. The Bohemian waxwing has a circumpolar distribution, breeding in northern regions of Eurasia and North America.

This waxwing is migratory with much of the breeding range abandoned as the birds move south for the winter. Migration starts in September in the north of the range, a month or so later farther south. Eurasian birds normally winter from eastern Britain through northern parts of western and central Europe, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and northern China to Japan. North American breeders have a more southeasterly trend, many birds wintering in southeast Canada, with smaller numbers in the north central and northeastern US states. Birds do not usually return to the same wintering sites in successive years. One bird wintering in the Ukraine was found 6,000 km (3,700 mi) to the east in Siberia in the following year.

In some years, this waxwing irrupts south of its normal wintering areas, sometimes in huge numbers. The fruit on which the birds depend in winter varies in abundance from year to year, and in poor years, particularly those following a good crop the previous year, the flocks move farther south until they reach adequate supplies.They will stay until the food runs out and move on again. (wikipedia)

Always a pleasure seeing Waxwing. This was the only Waxwing in the area, which is unusual. I had a single bird a couple of months previously in the broader area, so I wonder whether this is the same bird gone undetected since. Fabulous birds. Difficult to get a clean shot in the thick Rowan-type tree.

Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com

Reflections in Capel Street, Dublin 1. Who can you spot?

Taken on a Leica M4-P camera body with a Voigtlander APO-Lanthar 50mm f2 lens on Santa Rae black and white film (ISO 125). Developed and scanned by the excellent John Gunn Camera Shop on Wexford Street.

Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com

The green-winged teal (Anas carolinensis) or American teal is a common and widespread duck that breeds in the northern areas of North America except on the Aleutian Islands. It was considered conspecific with the Eurasian teal (A. crecca) for some time, but the two have since been split into separate species. This is once again under debate and the two species may be joined togetehr again.

This dabbling duck is strongly migratory and winters far south of its breeding range. It is highly gregarious outside of the breeding season and will form large flocks. In flight, the fast, twisting flocks resemble waders. (wikipedia)

Very similar to Common Teal and care is needed to separate the two species. Adult male Green-winged Teal can be identified by the white vertical stripe on the flank, a feature never shown by Common Teal. Adult male Green-winged Teal also lack the obvious horizontal white stripe, while the yellow markings on the head are much reduced. Adult females and juveniles are indistinguishable from Common Teal. (BirdWatch Ireland)

There are several records a year in Ireland. This male, flanked either side by his distant Eurasian Teal cousins, was found in Broadmeadows in the Swords Estuary, Co. Dublin.