I came upon Frog spawn during the week which is always a sign that Grey Herons have started to nest. On Tuesday while at Knock Pier I noticed the Grey Herons were already sitting on eggs on the nest here with one bird guarding the colony at the top of the trees. There not the only ones that have realised that Spring has sprung as I came across nesting Cormorants and Ravens building nest, the three species that are quick and the first to start breeding every year.
We tend to forget how lucky we are here in Ireland to have so many Otters. I see them almost on a daily basis when spending so much time working outdoors. This dog Otter was happily munching his way through small crabs close to the shore near Kilrush. Unfortunately he was far down below the cliffs at Aylevarroo so I could not get level with him at any stage. Nevertheless always delighted to see this fantastic mammal.
Otter near Kilrush John N MurphyWhen I was growing up as a young bird in Clare in the 1970's and 80's, Buzzards extremely rare. I recall on more than one occasion once I was on the road and driving in my late teens, travelling all the way up to the Mourne Mountains in county Down to see Buzzards. This and the main road to Belfast were few of the places on the island of Ireland where one was guaranteed to see Buzzard in the early 1980's. Now of course they are a common bird of prey throughout the country with up to 30 pairs nesting in Clare every year. I still hold a fondness for them and any day I see one I'm reminded of how rare they were in the not so distant past.
The last few weeks our local foxes have become extremely vocal at night, especially during the still frosty weather where their barks and screech's echo over the landscape. Everywhere I go lately they are out in the open running around like headless chickens as they seek out partners or large dog foxes are killing each other over territories. Here are a few photos of animals during this weeks outings.
After years of talking up the Sony RX10 Mark IV and lots of my friends purchasing one, I eventually splashed the cash and bought one during the week. The first shots I got were of a few Great Northern Divers off Seafield Pier at Quilty. I am very pleased with what I have seen from the camera so far. You can judge for yourselves what you think. More shots to follower over the weekend.
