List of Contributors

Dermot Breen, Karen Eacrett & family, Julie Francis, Barry Howell, Luke Howell, Finbarr McGabhann, Elaine Keegan, Jim Martin, Dave McNamara, John N Murphy , Stan Nugent, Nuala and Tom Lynch, Bill Ryan, Brenda Riley, Brian Spring, Tom Tarpey & Howard Williams.

Badger John N Murphy

We would be grateful if you would only send in sightings of live mammals

and not dead ones ie. no road kill Badgers or Hedgehogs, Thank You.

Please send your sightings to John Murphy:  or text to 086-3208965.

For information on Wildlife at a National level please check out the Irish Wildlife Trust at www.iwt.ie

To know more about Bats in Clare log onto the Clare Bat Group Website www.clarebatgroup.webs.com

There were hundreds of Painted Lady Butterflies on the tip of Loop Head.

Ten Painted Lady Butterflies, one Cinnabar Moth, two Silver Y Moths, two Large White

Butterflies and dozens of Common Blue and Azure Blue Damselflies at Applewood, Ballycar.

Silver Y Moth Dave McNamara

During the past week 50 million Painted Ladies departed the Atlas Mountains in North Africa, heading Northwards.

Keep an eye out for them in your gardens over the next few days.

There were 50 Painted Lady Butterflies, one Orange Tip Butterfly, one Speckled Wood, one Large White

Butterfly, one Peacock Butterfly,  five Click Beetles, one Silver Ground Carpet Moth, one Pyrochroa Serraticornis Beetle, ten

Azure Blue Damselflies, four Common Red Damselflies, 20 Snipe Flies, ten Common Frogs  and two Leverets

were at Applewood, Ballycar.

Over 50 Painted Lady Butterflies were at Darragh. 

There were 40 Painted Lady Butterflies and three Speckled Moths at Mullagh Mor the Burren.

This morning there were 20 Painted Lady Butterflies at Kilshanny.

There were three Painted Ladies at Seafield and one at Spanish Point.

There was one Hare, one Lattice Moth, one Wood White Butterfly, two Dingy Skippers

and lots of Painted Lady Butteflies at Parknabinnia, the Burren.  

One Frog was in a Garden Pond at Willow Park, Ennis.

One of two baby Leverets taken into care John N Murphy

Mr. neighbourhood Frog looks out from pond Barry Howell

Painted Lady Butterfly John N Murphy

Lattice Moth in the Burren Barry Howell

Pyrochroa Serraticornis Beetle John N Murphy 

Silver Ground Carpet Moth John N Murphy

There was one Little Emerald Moth, a Painted Lady Butterfly, one Speckled Wood and

a Green-veined White Butterfly at Applewood, Ballycar.

One Silver Y Moth, a Striped Twin Spot Carpet Moth and a Devils Coach Horse were at Gort Coirce, Dysert.

One Angle Shades Moth was at Wood Haven in Ennis. 

One Orb Spider was at the Kilrush Road, Ennis.

Angle Shades Moth Barry Howell

Orb Spider Dave McNamara

Striped Twinspot Carpet Moth Dave McNamara

One Hare was at Kilfenora.

One Red-tailed Bumble Bee, a brown Trout, six Common Garden Snails and

a Click Beetle (Ctenicera cuprea) were at the Caher Valley, Fanore.

One Brimstone Butterfly, a Large White Butterfly, one Click Beetle and 

five Snipe Flies were at Applewood, Ballycar. 

Two Sloe Sheild Bugs were at The Carron Perfumery in the Burren.

One May Bug was at Pine Grove Ennis.

One Holly Blue Butterfly, one Marbled White Spot Moth, one Speckled Wood Butterfly, six Bombus

muscorums Bumble Bees, two Bumbus terrestris Bumble Bees and four Common Frogs were at

Gortlecka, Mullaghmore, the Buren.

Sloe Bug John N Murphy

Marbled White Spot Moth John N Murphy

Holly Blue Butterfly John N Murphy

There were four Speckled Yellow Moths, one Green Carpet Moth, two Speckled Wood Butterflies,

one, Leucozona  Lucorum Hover Fly, one Hairy Hawker Dragonlfy, six Common Blue Damselflies,

15 Bombus muscorums Bumble Bees, two Bumbus terrestris Bumble Bees and  ten Common Frogs

at Gortlecka, the Burren.

Two Broscus cephalotes Beetles, and hundreds of Sandhoppers were  on the small beach at New Quay.

One Common Blue Butterfly was at Coolootra, the Burren.

One Fox, one Caddis Fly, one Small Pheonix Moth and one Common Pug Moth were at Roxton, Corofin.

One Silver-Y Moth was at Gort Coirce, Dysert. 

Small Pheonix Moth Dave McNamara

Fox at Corofin Dave McNamara

Green Carpet Moth John N Murphy

Leucozona Lucorum Hover Fly John N Murphy

Broscus cephalotes Beetle at New Quay John N Murphy

At Gortlecka in the Burren  National Park there was on Common Lizard, several Common Frogs,

three Wood White Butterflies, a Walled Brown Butterfly, one Cinnabar Moth and six Speckled Yellow Moths.

Over 30 Common Blue Damselflies, two Large White Butterflies a Speckled Wood, one Brimstone,

one Click Beetle, two Carabus  Beetles, one Gastrophysa Virundula Beetle, one Hawthorn Sheild Bug,

and one Four-Spot Chaser Dragonfly were at Applewood, Ballycar.

Speckled Yellow Moth John N Murphy

Wood White Butterfly Tom Tarpey

One Speckled Yellow Moth was at Mullaghmore, the Burren.

Two Dingy Skipper Butterflies were at Lough Bunny, the Burren.

One Mother Shipton Moth, one Burnet Companion Moth and a Peacock Butterfly were at Parknabinnia, the Burren.

Mother Shipton Moth Barry Howell

One Cinnabar Moth was at Applewood, Ballycar.

One Speckled Yellow Moth, one Green Tiger Beetle, one Heath Moth, four Brimstone Butterflies,

one Hairy Hawker Dragonfly and one Four-Spot Chaser Dragonfly were at Mullaghmore, the Burren.

Several Rhingia capestris flies were at Gort Coirce, Dysert.

A Red-tailed Bumble Bee was seen on the Flaggy Shore.

Hairy Hawker Dragonfly Dave McNamara

One fox was at the Shannon Airport Lagoon.

One Four-Spot Chaser Dragonfly was at Gort Coirce , Dysert earlier today.

There were three Green Hairstreak Butterflies, five Painted Lady Butterflies and a small Copper

at Doonagore Bog, Ennistymon.   Also at Doonagore were five Large Red Danselflies, one Four Spot

Chaser Dragonfly, one Red-tailed Bumble Bee, one Garden Tiger Moth Caterpillar, two Carabus Granulatus Beetles 

and one Ctenicera cuprea Click Beetle.

One Pale Prominent Moth, one Feathered Thorn Moth and one Flame Carpet Moth were at Gort Coirce, Dysert this evening.

One Common Carpet Moth was at Cooloota, the Burren.

One Fox, two Hares and a Common Frog were at Roxton, Corofin.

One Red-tailed Bumble Bee was at Ballygriffey Wood.

Two Rabbits, one Lage White Butterfly and two Small White Butterflies were at Ballycar, Newmarket-on-Fergus.

Carabus Granulatus Beetle John N Murphy

Green Hairstreak Butterfly John N Murphy

Garden Tiger Moth caterpillar John N Murphy

One Wasp was making a hive in a garden shed in Shannon Town.

Common Wasp building a hive or nest Jeff Copner

A fox was seen on the Ennis by-pass and another at Lees Road at 4.30 a.m.

Another fox was heard in the Mullaghmore area around 6 a.m. 

and a Hare with a young Leveret were seen close by.

A Brimstone Moth was at the Quin Road Business Park, Ennis.

Two Wood Mice were at Applewood, Ballycar early this morning.

Three Hares were near the Lighthouse at Loop Head.

One Atlantic Grey Seal was at Doonbeg.

One Atlantic Grey Seal was at Seafield, Quilty.

Brimstone Moth Barry Howell

One Wood Mouse was at Applewood, Ballycar, Newmarket-on-Fergus.

At Fanore National School and sand dunes there was one Oak Eggar Moth Caterpillar,

one Inchneumon Suspicious Insect, six Milipedes, for Flat-backed Millipedes, one Centipede,

18 Common Garden Snails, 22 White-lipped Snails, other banded Snails, one Red-tailed Bumble Bee,

40 Wood Louse, four Daddy Long Legs, one Harvestman, eight Pterostichus madidus Beetles, 25 Black

Slugs and 6 Bombus muscorums Bumble Bees.

Oak Eggar Caterpillar John N Murphy

Flat-backed Millipede John N Murphy

Ichneumons Suspicious John N Murphy

At Mullagh National School there were 12 Millipedes, six Centipedes, 12 Pterostichus madidus Beetles,

one Daddy Long Legs and two Garden Snails.

There were 15 Snipe-Flies, a Large White Butterfly and one Red-tailed Bumble Bee at Applewood, Ballycar.

Snipe-Fly (Rhagios colopaceus) John N Murphy

One Hare was at Ballyblood Bog, Kilkishen.

One Leisler's Bat was at Tireen Lough, near Kilmurray.

One Stoat was at Carron.

One Brimstone, one Large White and one Orange-Tip Butterflies 

were at Lough Atedaun, Corofin.

Hare John N Murphy

One Common Lizard, two Brimstne Butterflies, one 16 Spot Ladybird, one Click Beetle (Ctenicera cuprea)

one Common Heath Moth and one Dor Beetle were at Coolootra, the Burren.

There were two Pterostichus madidus Beetles, one Pterostichus nigrita Beetle, four Common

Garden Snails , five Dusky Slugs and one Centipede at the Shannon Airport Lagoon.

Dor Beetle Dave McNamara

Common Heath Moth Dave McNamara

16-Spot Ladybird Dave McNamara

Ctenicera cuprea Click Beetle Dave McNamara

One Slow Worm was at Mullaghmore, The Burren.

There was a lot of insect hatching to life today with the warm sunny calm conditions.

At Applewood, Ballycar there were two Large White, six Green-veined Whites, one Small

White, two Speckled Woods and one Brimstone Butterfly.

Also at Ballycar were nine Small Blue Damselflies, 14 Small Red Damselflies, eight 

Daddy Long Legs, one Tortoiseshell Caterpillar, two Green Sheild Bugs, eight Click

Beetles, one Common Frog, one 14 Spot Ladybird, one Tetragnaha extensa a Long Leg Spider,

one Red-tailed Bumble Bee, 16 Bombus muscorums Bumble Bees, 3 Bombus terrestris

Bumble Bees and numerous Yellow Dung Flies.

One Brimestone and one Orange-Tip Butterflies were at Dromore Nature Reserve, Ruan.

One Stoat and one Peacock Butterfly near Caherfadda, Kilnaboy.

One Holly Blue, one Peacock, three Orange Tips and five Green-veined White Buterflies near Carron.

14 Spot Ladybird John N Murphy

Green Sheild Bug John N Murphy

Tetragnahta Extensa Spider John N Murphy

Caterpillar John N Murphy

Bombus muscorum Bumble Bee John N Murphy

Bombus terrestris Bumble Bee John N Murphy

Yellow Dung Fly John N Murphy

One male Common Red Damselfly and three Green-veined White Butterflies

were at the old Church and graveyard in Liscannor.

Between Parteen and Kilmore there were three Real's Wood White Butteflies,

one Holly Blue, 32 Green-veined Whites, one Small White, one Large White,

five Orange Tips and on Speckled Wood Butterflies.

Common Red Damselfly John N Murphy

One Fox and a Small White Wave Moth were at Roxton Corofin.

Small White Wave Dave McNamara

One Grey Seal was at Liscannor.

Today at Quilty National School there was one Click Beetle, 12 Black Millipedes, 14 Banded Snails,

one Daddy Long-legs Spider and two Centipedes.

One Otter was at Liscannor Pier.

Click Beetle John N Murphy

Millipede John N Murphy

There were 16 Black Millipedes, 7 Centipedes, one Vine Weevil,  seven Pterostichus madidus Beetles 

lots of Earwigs, one House Fly and six Yellow Slugs at Coore National School, Mullagh, Quilty.

Ten Feral Goats were at Eagle Rock in the Burren.

Goats in the Burren Dave McNamara

There was one Large White Butterfly, one  Anrena Haemorrhoa Bee, one  Empis Digramma Fly, one HouseFly

 and one Nomada Flava Wasp eating bee at Applewood, Ballycar, Newmarket-on-Fergus.

Arena Haemorrhoa Bee, a very small Cuckoo type bee John N Murphy

Epis digramma Fly which attacks other small flies John N Murphy

Rhingia Capestris Fly John N Murphy

Nomada Flava Wasp eating Bee John N Murphy

There were four Green Tiger Beetles, one Red-tailed Bumble Bee and nine Hares near Loop Head Lighthouse.

One Hedgehog was at Applewood, Ballycar, Newmarket-on-Fergus this evening.

Green Tiger Beetle John N Murphy

There was two Orange-Tip Butterflies and a Rhagium bifasciatum Beetle were at the Lees Road Wood, Ennis.

There was a Carabus granulatus hibernicus Beetle at Fenloe Lake, Newmarket-on-Fergus this morning.

There was a Garden Spider at Applewood, Ballycar, Newmarket-on-Fergus.

One Crane Fly was at Gort Coirce, Dysert.

Crane Fly Dave McNamara 

Garden Spider John N Murphy

Carabus granulatus hibernicus at Fenloe John N Murphy

Rhagium bifasciatum Beetle that emerge from pine wood at this time of year John N Murphy

One Red Squirrel was at Clifden, Corofin.

One Brimstone, one Large White and three Orange-Tip butterflies

were at Bridgetown, near Broadford.

Orange Tip Butterfly in the Fairgreen, Ennis.

One Carabus nemolaris Ground Beetle was at Applewood, Ballycar, Newmarket-on-Fergus.

A pair of mating Green-veined White Butterflies were at Gort Coirce, Corofin.

A newly emerged May Fly was at Lough Muckanagh, the Burren (see photo below).

Mating Green-veined White Butterflies Dave McNamara

Mayfly Dave McNamara

Carabus nemolaris Beetle John N Murphy

There is a family of Foxes, a badger and Hares at Cappanalaught,  Sixmilebridge.

There were 160 Common Garden Snails at Fanore Sand Dunes this morning along side

hundreds of Banded Snails and two Rabbits.

Common Garden Snail John N Murphy

One Orange-Tip Butterfly was at Lough Atedaun.

Orange-Tip Butterfly Dave McNamara

A Wolf Spider (not sure what species) was at Gort Coirce, Dysert (see picture below).

Also at Gort Coirce was one Rabbit, which is very scarce in this part of the county.

Three Nursery Web Spiders, one Orange-Tip butterfly and two Green-veined Whites were at Applewood, Ballycar.

One Bumble Bee (Bombus terrestris) was at the Quin Road Business Park, Ennis.

Wolf Spider /Garden Spider? Dave McNamara

Wednesday 22nd April 2009
A Red Squirrel was seen at Lees Road Wood Ennis.

One Nursery Web Spider (Pissaurus mirabillus) was in a vegetable garden in Kilmaley.

Nursery Web Spider Dave McNamara

One Hedgehog, one Leisler's Bat, two Orange-Tip butterflies and three 

Speckled Woods were at Applewood, Ballycar.

Three Orange-Tip Butterflies and lots of Bumble Bees were at the Shannon

Airport Lagoon.

One Orange-Tip Butterfly, three Speckled Woods and two Green-veined Whites

were at Applewood, Ballycar.

One Otter was at Lough Inchiquin.

One Speckled Wood Butterfly was at Willow Park, Ennis.

There was two Speckled Wood Butterflies, two Orange-Tip, four Green-veined White

one Brimestone Butterfly and a Red-tailed Bumble Bee at Applewood, Ballycar, Newmarket-on-Fergus.

Speckled Wood Butterfly Barry Howell

One Brimstone Butterfly, one Speckled Wood, two Orange-Tip and three Green-veined

White Butterflies were at Applewood, Ballycar, Newmarket-on-Fergus.

One Hover Fly (Helophilus pendulus Spp) was also at Ballycar.

One Fox and 31 wild Goats were at he base of the Cliffs near Moveen.

A Pygmy Shrew was at Lees Road Wood.

Several Brimstone and an Orange Tip Butterfly were seen close to Mullaghmore.

Hover Fly John N Murphy

One Red Squirrel was at Cahercalla Woods, Ennis.

One Mink was at the Shannon Airport Lagoon.

One male & one female Orange-Tip Butterflies and one Tortoiseshell and 

one Green-veined White Butterfly were at Applewood, Ballycar, Newmarket-on-Fergus.

One Holly Blue Butterfly was at Mullaghmore, the Burren.

One Orange-Tip Butterfly was at Applewood, Ballycar, Newmarket-on-Fergus.

Holly Blue Butterfly Dave McNamara

A staggering 62 Hares were on the headland near Loop Head Lighthouse.

Also at Loop Head there was a Carabus clatratus beetle (see photo below).

Carabus Beetle on the cliff tops of Loop Head John N Murphy

One of the 62 Hares at Loop Head John N Murphy

There was a Red-tailed Bumble Bee at Ballycar, Newmarket-on-Fergus.

A Fox was at Lough Rath, Corofin.

One Common Red Damselfly was at the Shannon Airport Lagoon.

There was a Stoat at Doonagore Bog, Doolin.

One Grey Seal was at Liscannor.

Fox a night visitor to Daves House outside at Corofin Dave McNamara

One Orange-Tip and one Large White Butterflies were at Darragh.

One Peacock Butterfly and one adult Frog were at Ballycar, Newmarket-on-Fergus.

Two Peacock Butterflies were at the Shannon Airport Lagoon.

One Hedgehog was at Applewood, Ballycar, Newmarket-on-Fergus.

There were nine Hares on Loop Head, west of Kilbaha.

One Fox was heard barking in fields near Willow Park, Ennis.

One Hedgehog was at Applewood, Ballycar, Newmarket-on-Fergus.

One Brimstone Butterfly was at Carron, near Cassidy's Pub.

Brimstone Butterfly John N Murphy

One Pine Martin was near Mullaghmore, the Burren.

Two Otters were seen on the River Fergus, near Willow Park.

One Peacock Butterfly was at Applewood, Ballycar, Newmarket-on-Fergus.

Over 50 Frogs were in a small garden pond at Willow Park, Ennis.

Pond full of Frogs Barry Howell

A Stoat was seen feeding on a dead Hare carcas along the roadside north of Tubber.

Stoat feeding on Hare John N Murphy