Glengarriff Woods Nature Reserve

10/06/2026

Two species new to Ireland found in the Nature Reserve by a visiting entomologist.

A scarce species of dance fly - Rhamphomyia physoprocta - and a damp-loving cranefly - Phylidorea longicornis (not pictured), were both recently found by Ryan Mitchell who is based in the north-west of Ireland. He also spotted one of Ireland’s rarer dragonflies Downy Emerald (Cordulia aenea), which is only known from a handful of other locations in Ireland including Glaninchiquin (Beara), the lakes of Killarney, and in Connemara.

31/05/2026

Live Swift Cam streaming from St Brendan's National School Bantry! The first two chicks hatched today. The attentive parents are still incubating the blind and featherless chicks, keeping them warm in this cool weather, and feeding them insects in the form of a bolus (compressed ball of food).

This wonderful project includes the installation of new swift nest boxes on the outside of the school. It is a collaboration betweeen St Brendan's NS Bantry, Bantry Tidy Towns and James O'Neill (UCC and )

Follow the progress of a pair of Common Swift (Apus apus) on this 24/7 live bird nest camera as they raise their family in a nest box on St. Brendan's Nation...

10/05/2026

Eagle update: over the last 48 days the white-tailed eagle chick that fledged from the Glengarriff nest in 2025 has completed an amazing grand tour of Ireland. She started her journey on the 22nd March and returned yesterday. During her circuit she travelled though 26 counties: Kerry, Cork, Tipperary, Waterford, Kilkenny, Wexford, Wicklow, Kildare, Dublin, Meath, Louth, Monaghan, Armagh, Down, Tyrone, Derry, Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo, Fermanagh, Cavan, Roscommon, Galway, Clare and Limerick.

09/05/2026

Exciting news from the Nature Reserve as a woodpecker nesting hole has been found high up in a dead tree. Will this be the first year that Great Spotted Woodpeckers sucessfully breed in the woods? We're hopeful!

Many thanks to Tony Murphy for alerting us to the potential nest hole and sharing his photos.

08/05/2026

A stunning female Emperor Moth laying eggs on grass in the Nature Reserve's Big Meadow this week. The large eyespots on the wings help deter predators by mimicking owl eyes.

06/05/2026

What a fascinating day exploring the world of earthworms in the woods as part of the international SoilRise project. We found four species during our sampling at four different sites: the unusual Octagonal-tailed Worm (Dendrobaena octaedra) on a mossy fallen oak; Marsh Worm (Aporrectodea limicola) in damp soil close to the Canrooska River; the rare but locally abundant Mottled Worm (A. icterica) in the limehouse field; and the common Grey Worm (A. caliginosa) in the picnic area.

Many thanks to researchers Professor Olaf Schmidt and Stephanie Clune from University College Dublin (UCD) for leading the event; to Brian Reidy (NPWS) for teaching us about soils and their structure; and Dawn ni Laoghaire (intern) for coordinating the day.

03/05/2026

Earthworm event! There are still a few spaces left - 10am Weds 6th May

Learn about earthworms in the Nature Reserve! SoilRise is a project to study the biodiversity of earthworms in Europe. Citizen Scientist power are helping us collect this data.

The National Parks & Wildlife Service and University College Dublin are co-hosting an event in the Nature Reserve on Weds 6th May that you don't want to miss. Spaces are limited. Advance booking required.

Learn about soil biodiversity & discover earthworms in your local area. Take part in a Europe-wide study and learn from UCD expert Prof. Olaf Schmidt about the value of earthworms. NPWS staff will teach us about the importance of species-rich grasslands as a vulnerable Irish habitat.

Book here: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/soilrise-discover-worms-in-the-woods-tickets-1988324787965?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

29/04/2026

The highlight of our popular bird ringing demonstration last Sunday was a gorgeous male Great Spotted Woodpecker. Hopefully this year we will have the first confirmed breeding of woodpeckers in the woods.

Siskins were the most numerous bird ringed on the day, but the group of nearly 25 attendees were also treated to Bullfinch, Chaffinch, Dunnock, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Blackbird, Robin, Wren and Willow Warbler. In the background, we also heard a Cuckoo and a Grasshopper Warbler.

Many thanks to Conservation Ranger Sam Bayley (NPWS) for leading the event, assisted by members of the South-West Ireland Ringing Group and volunteers Dawn and Henry.

27/04/2026

Glengarriff Nature Reserve looking beautiful in the sun in this photo taken by Eileen O’Shea from Bantry Tourist Office.

27/04/2026

Learn about earthworms in the Nature Reserve! SoilRise is a project to study the biodiversity of earthworms in Europe. Citizen Scientist power are helping us collect this data.

The National Parks & Wildlife Service and University College Dublin are co-hosting an event in the Nature Reserve on Weds 6th May that you don't want to miss. Spaces are limited. Advance booking required.

Learn about soil biodiversity & discover earthworms in your local area. Take part in a Europe-wide study and learn from UCD expert Prof. Olaf Schmidt about the value of earthworms. NPWS staff will teach us about the importance of species-rich grasslands as a vulnerable Irish habitat.

Book here: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/soilrise-discover-worms-in-the-woods-tickets-1988324787965?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true