Check out the latest news from the Life on Machair team. Unique sand dunes systems that only exist in Ireland and Scotland. @naturescot.bsky.social @nature.com @foeireland.bsky.social @npwsireland.bsky.social #machair #nature www.lifeonmachair.ie/wp-content/u...

Nice to see Siskin’s back at the feeders. Super tough little acrobats.

Ancient Scot’s pine, or red deal showing as the river erodes in nth #Donegal

Tough ringed plovers in a very cold wind, settling in for the evening. Nth #Donegal

Navelwort, hazel and sea rocket in bloom across Nth Donegal this week for #wildflowerhour

Wonderful #machair dune system in nth #Donegal on the shortest days of the year.

Find fungi displays in Nth #Donegal for #WildFungiHour #wildflowerhour

Ever spotted one of these? Cherry galls, made by the oak tree to protect the tiny insect inside. When the egg is laid in the leaf, the leaf cells create this protective cover. Once they emerge in autumn, the insect lays eggs in the buds which produces a different gall protecting the next generation.

There were more little egrets than I’ve ever seen in the Lennon estuary today. They were a very rare bird in Ireland 30 years ago, now breeding in most counties, including Donegal. You can see it shuffling the mud with its feet to disturb their prey… #birds #donegalbirding

Ling, bell and cross-leafed heathers in a beautiful little patch of bog that popped with colour, near Ramelton, Nth ##Donegal this week for #wildflowerhour

Porcelain fungus on beech trees in lovely Rathmullan woods today, Nth #donegal #fungi

Devils-bit scabious, bog asphodel and some bell heather high in the hills of #Donegal this morning, with a very shiny new queen bee for this weeks #wildflowerhour

Some fine #fungi in the garden this #autumn in nth #donegal

Equinox, 12/12 light and dark, small tortoiseshell or Ruán beag still on the wing. They’ll soon be hibernating. #donegal #pollinator

‘Are there any eels in the River Lennon?’ I’m often asked. This fine sized otter caught two within a few minutes this morning at Ramelton, Nth. #donegal. Always worth looking over the wall after school bus drop-off! #otter #mammals #biodiversity

Spindle tree overlooking Kinnegar bay, Lough Swilly, Nth #donegal. I haven't come across any other spindles this far north...

Beautiful redshanks and godwits yesterday, visiting from far north of here. #donegal provides some wonderful shelter to help them through the winter. #birds

Two beautiful male red-tailed bumblebees, in the Hills of North #donegal #pollinators #invertefest

#ThreeBirdThursday in nth Donegal, a ringed plover and two young sanderlings… #birds

Huge numbers of heather flies high up in Nth Fanad, Co. Donegal today. Great to see so many insects. #InverteFest #pollinators

A few giant woodwasps floating high above Fanad, nth #Donegal last night, at Murren hill. Check out our events page, plenty of nature walks across the county for #HeritageWeek, looking for these characters and others. naturenorthwest.ie/upcoming-eve...

Beautiful horn head, nth #donegal, unique Machair dune system, only found on Ireland and Scotland. Such great farm management. #pollinators #invertebrates

#Donegal abú!

Wonderful parents, forever tidying up. 4th house martin nest this year, 2nd time this nest is being used. Hundreds of bugs being caught from around the area each and every day. #birds

Always someone watching when you’re out and about… #machair #invertebrates

Beautiful #Machair habitat wander yesterday at Magheragallon, west #donegal. The dunes are showing off! #invertebrates

Tough choices but possibly my favourite sand-dune flower, the stunning harebells. At gorgeous, very busy Marble hill beach, Nth #donegal LIFE on Machair Machaire Beo #sanddunes

Stunningly beautiful in their own way… Moon and compass jellyfish washed up at Portsalon beach, Nth #donegal today.

Some fine pest control happening in our long grasses today. Our army of soldier beetles out hunting for aphids. Tune into Highland Radio #donegal tomorrow at 2pm to listen to our latest nature discussions…

Check out these super gardens next time your in #Donegal #pollinators #biodiversity youtu.be/A1lGWX3Md8E

Rock sea-spurrey at beautiful Stroove beach, Nth #inishowen, Co. #donegal

This brave little swallow was the first to fledge from my shed on Monday, very wet day. Its siblings wisely stayed put, I can hear them calling loudly from the office. ( very distracting :) #donegalbirding

Sunfly ( or other super name, football fly :) and dance fly with mayfly pray I think (?), enjoying the never-ending light this week in #Iceland for #insectweek

Moths and butterflies on dunes in west #Donegal sunshine… 6-spot burnet moths, common blue and dark-green fritillary butterflies for #insectweek

Dark green fritillary butterflies and stunning 6-spot burnet moths in 28c heat, west #Donegal today.

White campion and white/red campion hybrid I think? #wildflowerID Plus henbit dead nettle (with some Shepard’s purse seed pod sneaking in) and a lovely scarlet pimpernel, #Rathmullan, Nth #Donegal for #wildflowerhour

The students of Glenmaquin NS found this fresh meadow brown butterfly today in the dunes at wonderful #Rathmullan, Nth #Donegal

Kidney vetch overlooking Culdaff beach with bush vetch and birds-foot trefoil in the wonderfully managed dune system behind ( with a bonus c blue ) #PeaFamily in beautiful nth #Donegal for #wildflowerhour

This wonderful publication has arrived. Highly recommend for anyone interested in Irish butterflies! You can purchase from Biodiversity Ireland at the link below. Also found a common blue today at Culdaff, the atlas tells me all about them! #pollinators shop.biodiversityireland.ie/collections/...

Heath bedstraw, cross-leaf heather, milkwort and some matchstick lichen from blanket bog school wanderings in North Inishowen, #Donegal this week for #wildflowerhour

Marsh cinquefoil, heath spotted orchid, meadow vetch and lesser spearwort amongst carpets of colour for this weeks #WildFlowerHour on the coast in Nth Sligo, making quite a #WildFlowerShow

Beautiful magpie moth caterpillar found by students from Cloontagh NS yesterday on their bog exploring day. Thanks to @Dave Allen for identifying and to The Heritage Council for making the day possible. Turn up the volume for the happy sounds ☝️

Hard to capture the scale and beauty of Horn head, #Donegal. Thousands of razorbill’s, guillemot’s, kittiwakes and others. Excuse the wobbly video, tricky to record and staying in the wee kayak!

Ragged robin for #pinkflowers along with sea pink and rose root stonecrop, all on the edge of beautiful horn head, Nth #Donegal for #wildflowerhour

A wonderful and entertaining dawn chorus with Aengus Kennedy of @naturenorthwest.bsky.social . A lovely selection of birds and a great start to the day. Aengus will be leading another walk tomorrow morning, bookings can be made at www.nationalparks.ie/glenveagh/th...

Wonderfully attentive great tit parent feeding this evening. Visiting with a fresh caterpillar about every two minutes at the moment. #donegal #birds

Beautiful male bullfinch enjoying dandelion seeds for breakfast. Check out the #biodiversityweek2025 nature festival at Glenveagh NP next week. www.nationalparks.ie/glenveagh/th... #birds 🪶

Birds-foot trefoil, emerging sandwort and germander #speedwell at the beautiful Pollet arch, #Donegal for #wildflowerhour @wildflowerhour.bsky.social

The beauty of a Green-veined white butterfly #pollinators #invertefest

Blackbird battles! You can hear this bird responding to a rival songster close by. Willow seeds drifting by in the foreground. Volume up ☝️ If you want to find out more, check out our dawn chorus walks in Glenveagh as part of #biodiversityweek2025 👇 www.nationalparks.ie/glenveagh/th... #birds 🪶