The Wonderful Birdlife Of The Coolim Cliffs

Last year, during my yearly visit to the Coolim Cliffs, I wrote this: https://autismneurodiversity.com/2024/08/16/magnificent-insects-on-the-coolim-cliffs/ And perhaps some of you are thinking, wouldn't it be great if I wrote another post about the birds of the Coolim Cliffs? Well, your wish will very soon be granted, and by very soon I mean immediately, because that's what … Continue reading The Wonderful Birdlife Of The Coolim Cliffs →

A Raven, A Kestrel, And Bees!!!!!

Before I go on a long cycle, I always check the weather forecast beforehand. I like the security of knowing that there'll be no rain, it won't be too hot or too cold, and that the wind won't be strong enough to make for a difficult cycle. But, before my last cycle, the weather forecast … Continue reading A Raven, A Kestrel, And Bees!!!!! →

Finding Hope Along the Cork Harbour Greenway

https://imgur.com/mjbkwq1 Black Tailed Godwits I feel for the last few years hope is something that's been in short supply. The horrific genocide in Palestine, the re-election of Trump, the seemingly unstoppable climate change catastrophe, well, it could be stopped if the powers that be wanted to, but they won't, and the fact that an unbelievable … Continue reading Finding Hope Along the Cork Harbour Greenway →

Bottlehill Forest Is A Great Place To Listen To Bird Song. But It Shouldn’t Be.

One of my favourite places to listen to bird song, and record bird song, is Bottlehill Forest (I'm not sure if that's even the exact name of the place, but that's what I've come to know it as.) Some of my clearest recordings of robins and chaffinches were recorded there. And now I look forward … Continue reading Bottlehill Forest Is A Great Place To Listen To Bird Song. But It Shouldn’t Be. →

A Zebra Jumping Spider Comes To Visit Me On My Backyard Patio Table

https://imgur.com/nefMSOD Possibly the world's best spider. One of the reasons I got obsessively into wildlife was my absolute fascination with jumping spiders. I would watch video after video after video about them, and Adrian Tchaikovsky's Children Of Time was also a big part of it. That's a book about how jumping spiders are given a … Continue reading A Zebra Jumping Spider Comes To Visit Me On My Backyard Patio Table →

The Arrival Of The Baby Birds, One Of The Best Times Of The Year!

https://imgur.com/DK8CskG Three cygnets in the Lough. I wrote last year about how much joy I get from seeing baby birds slowly grow into adults over the span of often as little as a few months: https://autismneurodiversity.com/2024/07/12/the-elation-of-seeing-baby-birds-growing-up/ And they grow up so fast! People say that about humans. No, humans do not grow up fast. Thirteen … Continue reading The Arrival Of The Baby Birds, One Of The Best Times Of The Year! →

Amazing Pilots, The Peregrine, The Kestrel And The Mute Swan

Sometimes I'm blown away by the fact that birds are sentient aircraft. When I overhear people complaining about how there are too many pigeons or seagulls around, I think about it the other way, I feel privileged that I get to share a planet with such amazing animals. Birds are amazing pilots. And what I'm … Continue reading Amazing Pilots, The Peregrine, The Kestrel And The Mute Swan →

The Best Action Films Are Right Above You.

Will we ever return to the classic action films of old? Will the Marvel films ever find their way again? Are our films doomed to forever be a mess of crappy looking C.G.I? Well, what if I told you there was something better than any action film in the cinema, and all you have to … Continue reading The Best Action Films Are Right Above You. →

The Music Of Other Minds

As I write this, I can hear music outside. It's the music of a mind so different from mine. A brain diverged from my own by at least 300 million years of evolution. It's the music of, a woodpigeon! The sound of a wood pigeon I recorded: https://xeno-canto.org/977080 https://imgur.com/7UYfcA5 WOO-WOO-WOO-WOO!!!!! I love the song of … Continue reading The Music Of Other Minds →

After Months Of Frustration I Finally Photographed A Kingfisher

To me kingfishers are like the aurora borealis of the bird world. There is a lot of luck involved in seeing one, and the attempt can lead to a lot of frustration and dissapointment. I haven't even seen the Aurora Borealis yet, and I'm almost forty. Despite knowing the difficulties that were in store for … Continue reading After Months Of Frustration I Finally Photographed A Kingfisher →