Irish Hare

While out and about today searching for the female Marsh Harrier at Tool's Lough in the Burren, I came across this Hare who was sitting out in an open field in the rain.  He was not too worried about me approaching him and he sat up and had a good scratch and a preen, shaking off the rain, before trotting off to another field nearby.

Rose Chafer Beetle

This Rose Chafer Beetle Cetonia aurata at the Burren National Park was finding it hard to cope with the heavy drops of rain as he searched for a dry spot to hold out till the rain eased off.

Transparent Burnet Moth

These Transparent Burnet Moths Zygaena purpuralis were also active in the Burren today, dodging rain drops and feeding on flowering orchids.

Garden Chafer Beetle

Adverse weather stopped me from heading out to islands of the Mayo coast this week so I ended up wondering around the Burren yesterday evening and today.  While in the Burren national Park at Mullaghmor, I came across loads of Garden Chafer Beetle Phyllopertha horticola mating and eating their way through thousands of Hazel tree leaves.

Whooper Swan

This family party of Whooper Swans were in a small turlough North of Lough Bunny in the east Burren Lakes this afternoon.  This year due to the lakes and turloughs freezing over with about 7 inches of ice, many of the wildfowl like these Whoopers have be forced to feed in non traditional sites.