The Bird Photographer of the Year competition is an annual celebration of avian imagery that captures some of the most breathtaking photographs of birds from around the globe. The competition is open to photographers of all ages, from anywhere in the world, and features some of the world’s best bird photography. Each year, the organisers ..read more

Figures from the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) confirm that the red-listed Corncrake has had its most successful Irish breeding season in 25 years with 233 confirmed breeding territories. The 2024 figure represents a 45% increase since 2018. The ground-nesting corncrake is a shy and elusive summer visitor that spends most of its time ..read more

I’ve been using the superb Panasonic Lumix G9 Micro-four-thirds camera for my wildlife photography since I reviewed it here on the site back in 2018, not long after its release. It was… and indeed still is… a fantastic camera for wildlife. With the announcement of the Lumix G9II in late 2023, Panasonic brought its flagship Micro 4/3 stills camera bang up to date… but how does it perform in the field for wildlife photography? Let’s find out. Pros: Blistering all-round performance with incredibly fast burst shooting and substantial increase in buffer size. A new phase-detect autofocus system (n ..read more

Whale Watch Ireland, the annual Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) nationwide public whale watching event, has switched dates for 2024. Now in its 22nd year, this coordinated national event takes place simultaneously at 11 sites around the Irish coast, which means there is a good chance that at least one site will be within striking distance for most people. Traditionally held on the third weekend in August, as part of National Heritage Week, this year the IWDG has decided to bring the event forward to Saturday 18 May, as part of National Biodiversity Week. Writing on the organisation’s web ..read more

A feeding basking shark showing the characteristic white gape (Photo by jdanchoamia via Flickr) “Shark-infested waters” isn’t a term you normally associate with the Irish coastline, yet in late spring and early summer the Irish coast is one of the best places in Europe to see one of the world’s largest sharks. The basking sharks (Cetorhinus maximus) is the largest fish in the North Atlantic, and second largest in the world (beaten only by its slightly larger tropical cousin, the whale shark Rhincodon typus). In spring and early summer these huge, harmless plankton-feeders a ..read more

Pros: Bright, sharp, high-contrast image that delivers plenty of detail at lower magnifications across a wide range of conditions. Large objective lens pulls in plenty of light through twilight and beyond, focus ring integrated into scope body is quick and accurate. Reasonably compact for a full-size scope. Excellent build quality and ergonomics. Arca-Swiss compatible foot handy if you pair it with an Arca Swiss head. Best warranty on the optics market. Cons: Image degrades somewhat at higher zoom levels… perhaps more than I’d expect from a scope at this level. While the Razor HD is undoubted ..read more

We’re delighted to announce that we’ve finalised dates for our popular Discover Wildlife Weekends on the West Cork Coast for the 2024 season. We’ll be running 4 weekends spanning spring, summer and autumn next year, and hope you can join us on one of them. Close up views of Basking Sharks on one of our Discover Wildlife Weekends Close up views of Basking Sharks on one of our Discover Wildlife Weekends Close up views of Basking Sharks on one of our Discover Wildlife Weekends Wildlife Weekend Dates for 2024 Weekends will take place from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon on the following dat ..read more

Pros: Fantastic edge-to-edge image quality, sublime ergonomics, great low-light performance and a field of view to rival many 8x binoculars, coupled with outstanding build quality — the NL Pure 10×32 is an exceptional binocular up there with the very best. Cons: While they are svelte, the barrels on the NL Pure are long for a 32mm binocular, so they are perhaps not as compact as you might expect. Tight-fitting eyepiece rain-guard can lead to accidental movement of eye-cups during use. No lock on the dioptre adjustment, although this was never really an issue during the review. Price ..read more

When it comes to outdoor gear that can keep you comfortable in all kinds of conditions, and has the ethical environmental credentials many wildlife enthusiasts look for, UK based manufacturer Páramo is going to be up near the top of a very short list. I’ve been using Páramo rain gear since I reviewed their superb Valez Adventure Light smock here on Ireland’s Wildlife back in 2012. The Nikwax Analogy directional waterproofing system uses no PFCs in the water-repellent finish, and the garments are ethically manufactured in Columbia through Páramo’s partnership with the MIQUELINA Foundation, a me ..read more

Vortex Razor UHD 10×42 Pros: Superb image quality that lives up the name. Exceptionally bright, pin-sharp image across the wide field of view. Smooth, accurate focus and outstanding build quality rounds off what is a very accomplished binocular that holds its own with the best on the market. Cons: A little on the large side for a 42mm binocular — particularly the length. Focus gearing, while smooth and accurate, is a little slow for small, fast-moving birds. Surprising amount of chromatic aberration in some situations for a binocular at this level. Price: c.€1,999 RRP Rating:&nb ..read more