Are Oystercatchers One Of Ireland’s Most Underrated Birds?

I've talked before about Betteridge's Law of Headlines, which is "Any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word no." But this isn't quite Betteridge's Law, because the answer to the question, "Are oystercatchers one of Ireland's most underrated birds?", isn't "No", it's, "I don't know, maybe?" I spent the … Continue reading Are Oystercatchers One Of Ireland’s Most Underrated Birds? →

Gannets, Gannets, Gannets!

Gannets are a pretty cool seabird that I first saw August last year. Here's a picture. https://imgur.com/0bGKAX6 First gannet sighting. I assumed when I took this photo that a gannet was an extremely elusive bird, and that there was a good chance this would be my first and last time seeing this mighty bird. Thankfully, … Continue reading Gannets, Gannets, Gannets! →

Bird Fight!

Over the last few weeks I have been making a few trips to The Lough, one of my favourite birding areas in Cork City. I usually go there a lot during this time of year, given that the baby birds are being born. And I saw quite a lot of little birds, experiencing life for … Continue reading Bird Fight! →

Long-Tailed Tits Really Are The Sweetest, Loveliest Little Birds

This is a long-tailed tit. https://imgur.com/u9EjDZ5 AWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!! Now, I know what you're thinking, you don't want to learn any more about this bird, because, surely you will find out that this bird isn't quite as nice as they seem! It always turns out that way with the really cute birds doesn't it! Like, robins, who … Continue reading Long-Tailed Tits Really Are The Sweetest, Loveliest Little Birds →

How To Start Recording Birdsong

I started recording bird song, and other vocalizations, in May of 2024. But funnily enough, I didn't really get into it properly until a bit later, preferring the camera over the microphone. This had a lot to do with the fact that, recording bird song has its fair share of frustration involved in it, and … Continue reading How To Start Recording Birdsong →

The Starling, One Of The Most Original Singers I’ve Ever Heard

Have a listen to this: https://xeno-canto.org/1066013 This is an example of one of my absolute favourite birdsongs. Indeed, the sound of starlings often gets me to do another bit of recording even when I'm really tired and need to go home. When I'm recording birds, I go into such a state of hyperfocus that my … Continue reading The Starling, One Of The Most Original Singers I’ve Ever Heard →

The Sedge Warbler, The Frank Zappa Of The Bird World

During the Summer of this year (2025), I spent many happy days in the Glen River Park listening to the birds singing. Whether it was the jovial baritone of the wood pigeon, the achingly beautiful tones of a blackbird, or the relentless, breathless clicking of the stonechat, all of these sounds brought me great joy, … Continue reading The Sedge Warbler, The Frank Zappa Of The Bird World →

Servitude Or Death, The Fate Of Earth’s Animals.

I talked in my previous blogpost: https://autismneurodiversity.com/2025/10/17/harpers-island-a-place-where-birds-are-allowed-to-thrive/ about how the slender billed curlew is extinct. There are no more of them left. Any sighting you get of one, will be a photograph. Any sound you hear from them, will be a recording. Now, let's contrast that with another bird. The domestic chicken. How many of … Continue reading Servitude Or Death, The Fate Of Earth’s Animals. →

Harper’s Island, a Place Where Birds Are Allowed To Thrive

I read something the other day that left my deeply upset. The slender billed curlew is extinct. https://www.unep-aewa.org/en/news/slender-billed-curlew-officially-declared-extinct-wake-call-migratory-bird-conservation An amazing animal, a sentient, intelligent creature, will never fly through our skies again, simply because it had the misfortune to encounter humanity. And yes, while plenty of animals went extinct before humans were on Earth, habitat … Continue reading Harper’s Island, a Place Where Birds Are Allowed To Thrive →

New Sights And Sounds Around Courtmacsherry

I often see or hear new birds I've never seen before around Courtmacsherry. This is in large part because the area is effectively three bird friendly environments in one. It's got few if any of those Coilte plantations, and I've written about those here: https://autismneurodiversity.com/2025/06/12/bottlehill-forest-is-a-great-place-to-listen-to-bird-song-but-it-shouldnt-be/ And a lot more proper woodlands that are nice places … Continue reading New Sights And Sounds Around Courtmacsherry →