The Irish Wildlife Collection

Book excerpt: Get closer to the wild side of Ireland From humpback whales to dandelions, Ireland's spectacular landscapes and varied habitats are home to a wonderful diversity of life. This book, and subsequent volumes in the series, is a celebration of all things wild on the island of Ireland. It features a selection of the long-running profiles of Irish wildlife that have been running on the back page of Ireland's Own magazine since 2001, punctuated by selected natural history articles that have featured in a variety of high-profile publications including BBC Wildlife Magazine, The Countryman, Wild Ireland, The Irish Independent, The Evening Echo, The Irish Examiner, Ireland's Wildlife, The West Cork Times and others. About Ireland's Wildlife Lifelong wildlife enthusiast Calvin Jones set up Ireland's Wildlife in 2011 to encourage people to get closer to the wild side of Ireland. The site has grown to become one of Ireland's leading wildlife and nature resources, featuring an eclectic mix of wildlife content from feature articles to how-to's to gear reviews and more. Calvin also helps people get more hands-on experience with nature by running Discover Wildlife Experiences on the West Cork stretch of Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way, and through his work with primary school children as a Heritage Specialist on the Heritage Council of Ireland's Heritage in Schools scheme. In this volume: The Barn Owl (Tyto alba) Ireland's best kept wildlife secret Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) Ivy (Hedera helix) Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) Pine martens offer red squirrels a lifeline Dipper (Cinclus cinclus) Stoat (Mustela erminea) Batty about bats Leisler's Bat (Nyctalus leisleri) Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) In defence of weeds Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus) Acorn Barnacle (Semibalanus balanoides) Garden wildlife: it's a jungle out there! Basking Shark (Cetorhinus maximus) Emperor Moth (Saturnia pavonia) Common Frog (Rana temporaria) Otter (Lutra lutra) Otters: a breathtaking wildlife experience The Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) Chemical warfare in the Irish countryside Atlantic Mackerel (Scomber scombrus) Jay (Garrulus glandarius) Anticipation junkie Common Newt (Triturus vulgaris) Long Tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus) Peacock butterfly (Inachis io) Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) Pike (Esox lucius) Pygmy Shrew (Sorex minutus)