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Declan Murphy

@wicklownature.bsky.social
135 followers 67 following 36 posts

Declan Murphy, author and naturalist. Keen birdwatcher, botanist, and dog lover. 'Spirit of the River' published by The Lilliput Press April 2021. 'A Life in the Trees' published 2019. Interested in all aspects of nature. Wicklow, Ireland

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Declan Murphy @wicklownature.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Dropwort, a close relative of Meadowsweet, is confined to parts of the Burren and East Galway. I was surprised to see swathes of it in full flower over the past weekend. I usually associate its pink-tinged blooms with July, not late May. Many plants seem to be flowering much earlier these days.
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Declan Murphy @wicklownature.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
No, not just a Red Clover - this is Knotted Clover, a specialist of dry, sandy or gravely soils on the east and south coast. The leaves are key to identification, covered in gorgeous, soft, downy hairs.
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Declan Murphy @wicklownature.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
A beautiful Small Blue butterfly, one of my favourites and very localised in County Wicklow
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Declan Murphy @wicklownature.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
A magnificent specimen of Sea Kale on the Wicklow coast, an extremely rare plant in Ireland, especially on the east coast.
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Declan Murphy @wicklownature.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
Spring Vetch is an early flowering and very scarce plant known from a mere handful of locations, including only two in County Wicklow. It is also very, very small and inconspicuous. All the more reason to celebrate finding it and especially discovering a new location!
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Declan Murphy @wicklownature.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
The beautiful Meadow Saxifrage, one of Ireland’s rarest plants - and confined to a single location - is blooming magnificently this year. Perhaps the above average winter rainfall has contributed to its success this year.
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Declan Murphy @wicklownature.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
Lovely Green Hairstreak in County Wicklow today. A total of 5, feeding on bilberry bushes near the Wicklow Gap. The green is amazing in the sunshine!
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Declan Murphy @wicklownature.bsky.social · 27/03/2025
Coltsfoot is a lovely spring flower that is often overlooked as just "another dandelion." It has a brief flowering period and will be gone in another few weeks for another year.
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Declan Murphy @wicklownature.bsky.social · 24/03/2025
A very aptly named Bluethroat on Brownstown Head in Waterford. It was incredible to see not just one - but two of these bejewelled dazzlers yesterday. @birdwatchireland.bsky.social
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Declan Murphy @wicklownature.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
I do enjoy growing hellebores. After the white Christmas varieties comes the stunning reds. None is more impressive than Helleborus Anna's Red, featuring rich red-purple blossoms adorned with a crown of creamy stamens. Bumblebees love them, and I saw 3 big bumblers on them together this afternoon.
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Declan Murphy @wicklownature.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
Gorse is so overlooked as a native plant. Land covered in gorse is usually described as wasteland. But this early flowering plant is great for bees and butterflies and invaluable for nesting birds.
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Declan Murphy @wicklownature.bsky.social · 13/03/2025
Nice to see this long staying juvenile crane in Kilkenny. I have seen several adults over the years, including a flock of 5 together, but this is the first juvenile plumage I've seen. It begs the question, was it born in Ireland? @birdwatchireland.bsky.social
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Declan Murphy @wicklownature.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
Lesser Celendine glowing in the sunshine, a sight which always lifts the heart. One of our earliest native flowers, widespread and abundant yet beautiful and elegant.
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Declan Murphy @wicklownature.bsky.social · 17/02/2025
Delighted to be featured on tonight's "Mooney Goes Wild" on RTE Radio 1 at 10pm. Featuring the lives of Ireland's Goosanders, it was recorded while watching 19 courting birds at dawn in Co. Wicklow. Also available on playback @rte.ie @rteone.rte.ie @birdwatchireland.bsky.social
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Declan Murphy @wicklownature.bsky.social · 08/02/2025
Incredible to see a total of six Black-necked Grebes today between two sites in Co Wexford. Most years I'm lucky to see just one or two. Adorable little birds, and dare I say it, darn cute!
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Declan Murphy @wicklownature.bsky.social · 06/02/2025
"Global Temperatures Shattered Records in January" "Hottest January on record shocks scientists" Frightening to see these headlines in both The Financial Times and The New York Times. Last month's average world temperature clocked in at 1.75⁰ above pre-industrial times. #climate
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Declan Murphy @wicklownature.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
Venus was shining brightly against a most beautiful evening sky tonight. Saturn was barely visible in the frosty twilight, well below Venus towards the horizon. Jupiter sparkled above me, with Mars rising in the East to complete a wonderful planetary procession.
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Declan Murphy @wicklownature.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
Badgers provide such great opportunities for nothing watching (usually by sitting up a tree in the dark!) and recording with trail cams. Endless insights into their hidden world. And, hours of entertainment. @irishwildlifetrust.bsky.social
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Declan Murphy @wicklownature.bsky.social · 04/02/2025
The Goosander may be a duck, but it certainly does not quack like a duck! Nor, for that matter, does it look like a duck. Serpentine in appearance and sinuous in its movements, this fish-eating duck of mountain rivers is a real treat to see. @irishwildlifetrust.bsky.social
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Declan Murphy @wicklownature.bsky.social · 03/02/2025
Delighted to capture a #badger emerging early from a local sett with my trailcam @irishwildlifetrust.bsky.social
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Declan Murphy @wicklownature.bsky.social · 03/02/2025
Dippers are early breeders and already starting to prepare for nesting in the coming weeks. Lots of displaying and singing males at many of Wicklow's bridges this weekend
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Declan Murphy @wicklownature.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
Lovely views of 19 Goosanders this morning in Glendalough. The displaying flock included 3 beautiful males. The very first rays of the dawning sun painted a light golden wash across their pristine whiteness as they emerged from the shadows of the lakeside.
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Declan Murphy @wicklownature.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
Lapwing in the sunshine looking like a watercolour painting. Such gorgeous colours ... Such a gorgeous bird!
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Declan Murphy @wicklownature.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
Enjoyed seeing the resident Ring-billed Gull in Blackrock, Co. Louth today. This North American vagrant has been returning here each winter for many years.
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Declan Murphy @wicklownature.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
A hint of spring in the wicklow woodlands and along the mountain rivers today. Dippers singing, woodpeckers chasing through the trees and Great Tits singing and displaying to each other.
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Declan Murphy @wicklownature.bsky.social · 10/01/2025
I was not expecting to see many birds while enjoying the snowy vistas of Scarr Mountain, so the sight of two Red Grouse flying past me was a big surprise. The deep snow on the hilltops had forced them to move to much lower altitudes than I would normally encounter them at.
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Declan Murphy @wicklownature.bsky.social · 07/01/2025
Woodland birding in winter is, well, - challenging! The occasional Goldcrest or Coal Tit calling can often be the highlight. Fortunately, this evening's late foray produced a small group of Crossbills.
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Declan Murphy @wicklownature.bsky.social · 07/01/2025
Well done @brianmccloskey98.bsky.social for getting Irish birding a bit of primetime coverage on @rte.ie Maybe Nationwide or RTE News will be joining us seawatching this year!
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Declan Murphy @wicklownature.bsky.social · 05/01/2025
"... And no one dared Disturb the sound of silence." First light in the Wicklow Mountains is welcomed by nothing other than the sounds of gently lapping waves and a sharp wind. Neither birdsounds nor the noise of mankind cuts through the "silence". A welcome experience after Christmas.
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Declan Murphy @wicklownature.bsky.social · 01/01/2025
Barely visible in the pre-dawn gloom, these Goosanders in Glendalough were just some of over 70 species I saw during my New Year's Day birding around Wicklow. Dipper, Blackcap, Black Redstart, Kingfisher, Fieldfare, and Gannet were some of the other birds of interest. An enjoyable start to 2025!
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Declan Murphy @wicklownature.bsky.social · 01/01/2025
New Year's Day dawned grey, gloomy and cold in Glendalough. However, the sight of 17 Goosanders cavorting amongst the white-topped waves made for a lovely start to my birding year. #birdwatching
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Declan Murphy @wicklownature.bsky.social · 31/12/2024
One of my best years for botanising, 2024 brought me to many new places and revealed many new plants, including some of our rarest. Favourites included Oysterplant and Wood Geranium in Northern Ireland, Clustered Clover in Wexford, and Yellow Saxifrage on Benbulben. But there were so many more!
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Declan Murphy @wicklownature.bsky.social · 31/12/2024
So, as the year draws to a close - what was my 'bird of the year'? Probably the same as most Irish birders, the Yellow-crowned Night Heron. Gorgeous bird Easy to see No identification issues! What more could you want?
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Declan Murphy @wicklownature.bsky.social · 30/12/2024
Having given up on Twitter, I have decided to move here. Hopefully, some of my followers will find me! Otherwise, it could be lonely! But, I'm never lonely when birdwatching or walking as I usually have my best friend with me, as seen here on Scarr Mountain in Wicklow on St. Stephen's Day.
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