NPWS Wexford Wildfowl Reserve

14/07/2026

We've had lots of people asking us if we plan on doing more bug hunting at the Raven this summer and the answer is yes! The days for the rest of July are as follows:

Tomorrow (Wednesday 15th)
Wednesday 22nd
Tuesday 28th

All bug hunting sessions run from 10AM to 12PM and are free of charge with no need to book. There's also no need to arrive exactly on time or stay for the full session. Whether you drop in for 2 minutes or 2 hours, all are welcome to check out the Raven's amazing tiny inhabitants.

13/07/2026

A message from Rory our South Wexford Ranger.

Thank you to everyone who visited our stall at the 75th Bannow Rathangan Show last Thursday!
Our second year at the show, and we were delighted to be part of the new Biodiversity and Sustainability Village. Great conversations all day about the wildlife and habitats we work to protect here in South Wexford.
Thanks to the organisers for having us, and to everyone who stopped by with questions. See you next year!

12/07/2026

Another windy day down at the Reserve, as you can tell from my shaky filming and the poor dragonfly's wings being blown around.
However, nothing was going to deter this female Emperor from laying her eggs. Different species of dragonfly have distinct ways of laying their eggs in, or on the edges, of water bodies. The Emperor lays hers on floating pondweed.
The biggest Irish dragonfly, they are a beautiful sight to see flying around, or indeed laying their eggs. One of the strangest things I've seen is an Emperor flying past with a butterfly in its mouth. They can catch butterflies and even smaller dragonflies in mid -air and will sometimes eat them whilst still in flight, "nature red in tooth and claw."

11/07/2026

Beautiful Painted Lady - the only butterfly who would actually land for me to get a picture. It's pretty blustery down here at the Centre so most of the butterflies, damselflies and dragonflies are getting blown around hither and yon. Lots of them around though 👍

10/07/2026

Mom's got a piece of food she's not sharing, and the youngster is not about to take that lying down.

09/07/2026

We all want to get out and enjoy this amazing spell of good weather but let’s do it responsibly - without putting nature at risk.

We’re appealing to everyone to be vigilant and not to light fires or BBQs in public places. That includes our National Parks and Nature Reserves, coastal sand dunes, mountains and upland areas, forests, meadows and urban parks. Wildfires like the recent ones in Wicklow Mountains National Park are a devastating reminder of how fragile our natural world is. This destruction not only scars the landscape, destroys habitats and species but also deprives communities of cherished spaces for recreation and connection with nature.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has increased ground crews on fire patrol and has ramped up aerial monitoring this week. If you do notice a fire, do not delay, please call the emergency services on 112 or 999 immediately and give clear details as regards location.

Where fire outbreaks occur at or near recreational areas the following actions should be taken by visitors in the interests of safety.

Do not attempt to intervene or fight fires under any circumstances.
Gather all family/group members and move to a safe fuel-free location such as a car park, upwind of the fire.
Telephone Fire and Rescue Services via 112 and report the fire and its location.
Evacuate if instructed to do so, and cooperate with all Emergency Service Instruction

08/07/2026

For those who've been missing the Lady's Island tern cam this year, it's back up! The vegetation is high right now but you can still see the Roseate Terns coming and going. Enjoy the soothing sights of nature at work.

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07/07/2026

Now that the blackberry bushes are in flower, the pollinators are going crazy for them. It made catching the bees and butterflies during this morning's bug hunting session much harder since they refused to come away from the thorns. There'll be more bug hunting next Wednesday at the same time for those who missed their chance today.

06/07/2026

Mr. House Sparrow is looking lovely today. Like yesterday's pigeon, sparrows are so familiar we overlook them. In fact, they're so very common that their scientific name literally means 'small bird of the house'. But that doesn't mean that they're boring or not worth studying. If nothing else, they deserve props for being so adaptable that they can thrive even in places where human activities have driven most other species away.

05/07/2026

It's 'Pigeon Appreciation Sunday'.
(Disclaimer: this is entirely arbitrary and not a recognised day 😁)
We see pigeons everywhere; woodpigeons like this one, and feral pigeons in towns and cities. The fact that we are so used to seeing them around means that we often look past them, but this is a mistake.
Pigeons are highly intelligent and adaptable birds. Okay, they lay their eggs in the most random of places and their nest building skills are questionable to say the least, but they have the ability to remember faces and can even produce milk to feed their young!
Just because a bird, or any animal, is considered commonplace, doesn't make it any less interesting, or worthy of our respect and care.