Ireland from above Octomore Farm

I was up above Octomore this afternoon.  There were some  fierce hail showers about.  The village in the left foreground is Port Charlotte.  Ireland is just visible on the horizon to the right.  Carl

Biggest wave ever recorded off Ireland - 67 feet

Guardian.co.uk

Top windspeed off Malin Head is 87mph today.

Donegal from the High Road yesterday evening

Whooper Swans at Rockside

The big flock of Whooper Swans is still gracing the stubble fields at Rockside.  It will be interesting to see how long they stay before moving on to their traditional winter destinations in Ireland.

'The Natural History of Ireland's Dragonflies' - Brian Nelson and Robert Thompson

Many thanks to Brian Nelson for his fascinating and inspirational talk about the Dragonflies of Ireland at the Centre last week.  He was also kind enough to donate a copy of his book 'The Natural History of Ireland's Dragonflies' to our library.  The book, which is a truly sumptuous hardback production stuffed with stunning photographs is written in an accessible (as opposed to academic) style and looks as good on a coffee table as it does in the library of a serious natural historian.

It is available from Amazon.

Whooper Swans (Cygnus cygnus)

This group of Whoopers dropped onto Loch Indaal last weekend for a short while during the course of their migration north from their winter feeding grounds, probably in Ireland.

100 Killer Whales off Ireland and Scotland

Full Story - Wildlife Extra