From Rahugh, living in Galway city. Part of Mountain Meitheal West and Galway Walking Club . Hiking, photography, nature, cooking- it’s all good. Started a new nature project in 2025https://bsky.app/profile/johnsmyth.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/johnsmyth.bsky.social/post/3muupbke4g22vI've had a camera on this perch in the meadow continuously for 18 months and last week was the first time a Common Buzzard landed on it (they visit the field all the time) #CommonBuzzard #Westmeath #Ireland #Rahugh @birdwatchireland.bsky.social06 Sep 2026 19:14 +0000at://did:plc:d5cdhrct7st4dh6t27gr6bz3/app.bsky.feed.post/3muupbke4g22vhttps://bsky.app/profile/johnsmyth.bsky.social/post/3msqgmhsfu225A juvenile migrant hawker dragonfly resting on purple loosestrife at the edge of my back garden pond in Galway this afternoon (2nd recorded Galway sighting this year) @irishwildlifetrust.bsky.social #migranthawker #dragonfly #aeshnamixta #Galway #Ireland10 Aug 2026 15:38 +0000at://did:plc:d5cdhrct7st4dh6t27gr6bz3/app.bsky.feed.post/3msqgmhsfu225https://bsky.app/profile/johnsmyth.bsky.social/post/3msiqazusjs25House sparrows have more than one brood during the year, which means the parents spend a lot of the summer feeding nagging youngsters, including this one at the meadow last week in Rahugh #housesparrow #rahugh #westmeath #ireland @birdwatchireland.bsky.social07 Aug 2026 14:09 +0000at://did:plc:d5cdhrct7st4dh6t27gr6bz3/app.bsky.feed.post/3msiqazusjs25https://bsky.app/profile/johnsmyth.bsky.social/post/3mrwfrmwrts23This section of drain has since dried up in the last few weeks, but back in late June, it was the perfect spot for birds and animals to drink and bathe safely. This juvenile robin was a regular visitor. #robin #birdbath #wateringhole #Rahugh #Westmeath #Ireland @birdwatchireland.bsky.social31 Jul 2026 07:14 +0000at://did:plc:d5cdhrct7st4dh6t27gr6bz3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrwfrmwrts23https://bsky.app/profile/johnsmyth.bsky.social/post/3mrcfzcuxvk2qAs if swallows didn't have enough to contend with... this one made a number of close fly-bys to try to deter this grey crow. There are a bunch of swallow nests in a shed nearby (captured on one of my trail cams in the meadow during the week) #swallow #greycrow #Rahugh #Westmeath #wildmeadow23 Jul 2026 08:25 +0000at://did:plc:d5cdhrct7st4dh6t27gr6bz3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrcfzcuxvk2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/johnsmyth.bsky.social/post/3mqvqbfm52c2aA pair of wrens in the meadow successfully raised 4 chicks (probably their second brood). Now comes the tricky part of teaching them to forage for themselves. #wren #dreoilín #troglodytestroglodytes #rahugh #westmeath #ireland @birdwatchireland.bsky.social18 Jul 2026 07:24 +0000at://did:plc:d5cdhrct7st4dh6t27gr6bz3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqvqbfm52c2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/johnsmyth.bsky.social/post/3mqlpop5obs25Sh*t’s getting real! Galway flags fluttering at the Mutton Island sewage plant in Galway Bay in advance of the hurling final against Limerick on Sunday14 Jul 2026 07:46 +0000at://did:plc:d5cdhrct7st4dh6t27gr6bz3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqlpop5obs25https://bsky.app/profile/johnsmyth.bsky.social/post/3mqizss3ehk2aA pair of long-eared owls at the meadow in Rahugh last week. The juvenile is in the foreground (and close to the camera, hence the over-exposure) and can be heard calling/squeaking - I'm guessing its parent is behind it. @birdwatchireland.bsky.social #LongEaredOwl #Westmeath #Ireland13 Jul 2026 06:10 +0000at://did:plc:d5cdhrct7st4dh6t27gr6bz3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqizss3ehk2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/johnsmyth.bsky.social/post/3mqfjxszw4s2pAn Emperor dragonfly hunkering down during cold, wet weather last week in Garryland woods, near Gort. #anaximperator11 Jul 2026 20:48 +0000at://did:plc:d5cdhrct7st4dh6t27gr6bz3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqfjxszw4s2phttps://bsky.app/profile/johnsmyth.bsky.social/post/3mpjhve3lck2nAn Oystercatcher photographed on Inis Mór last weekend. The secluded nature of part of the island's coastline is ideal for these birds which lay their eggs on beaches. #oystercatcher #AranIslands #InisMór #Galway @birdwatchireland.bsky.social30 Jun 2026 16:56 +0000at://did:plc:d5cdhrct7st4dh6t27gr6bz3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpjhve3lck2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/johnsmyth.bsky.social/post/3mper5b2oos2nReed Bunting at the meadow in Co. Westmeath, calling to its young that have just left the nest (and are hiding in the nearby hedgerow). @birdwatchireland.bsky.social #ReedBunting #Westmeath #Ireland #wildmeadow28 Jun 2026 19:59 +0000at://did:plc:d5cdhrct7st4dh6t27gr6bz3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mper5b2oos2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/johnsmyth.bsky.social/post/3mp3y7lwgck2hStanley Kubrick, planning his 100th take… #GalwayArtsFestival202625 Jun 2026 08:11 +0000at://did:plc:d5cdhrct7st4dh6t27gr6bz3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mp3y7lwgck2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/johnsmyth.bsky.social/post/3moo6ykftzc22Wonderful to see a flock of eleven Choughs near Black Head in the Burren this afternoon. #chough #corvid #Burren #GalwayBay #Ireland @birdwatchireland.bsky.social19 Jun 2026 20:35 +0000at://did:plc:d5cdhrct7st4dh6t27gr6bz3/app.bsky.feed.post/3moo6ykftzc22https://bsky.app/profile/johnsmyth.bsky.social/post/3mo4g7iee5k22https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtdfBA84ncM12 Jun 2026 18:57 +0000at://did:plc:d5cdhrct7st4dh6t27gr6bz3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mo4g7iee5k22https://bsky.app/profile/johnsmyth.bsky.social/post/3mnuhyhsysc2qGreylag geese with their goslings this morning on Lough Corrib in Galway, near Knockferry. #greylag #goose #LoughCorrib #Galway #Ireland @birdwatchireland.bsky.social09 Jun 2026 15:07 +0000at://did:plc:d5cdhrct7st4dh6t27gr6bz3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnuhyhsysc2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/johnsmyth.bsky.social/post/3mnrsua33xc2qThere is an Irish Hedgehog Survey running this week, so I've submitted my sighting. I'd spotted some scat beside the pond over the weekend so I suspected the hedgehogs were back (after a 4 year absence). This fellow visited earlier this morning. www.irishhedgehogsurvey.com #hedgehog #Galway08 Jun 2026 13:44 +0000at://did:plc:d5cdhrct7st4dh6t27gr6bz3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnrsua33xc2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/johnsmyth.bsky.social/post/3mnk7lna5pc2vIt was cold and wet by the Cregg river at the edge of Galway city this morning, but these 2 Common snipe obligingly landed near to where I was standing (there were 3 other snipe nearby but didn't come as close) #CommonSnipe @birdwatchireland.bsky.social #Galway #Ireland05 Jun 2026 13:10 +0000at://did:plc:d5cdhrct7st4dh6t27gr6bz3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnk7lna5pc2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/johnsmyth.bsky.social/post/3mmrwqx4fvs2vMy wife and I went hiking in the Twelve Bens yesterday. Given my lack of fitness and the heat, there was an element of trudgery to the day. However, at the top of Ben Corr, there was a lot of two-banded longhorn beetles / Rhagium bifasciatum (and busy mating by the looks of it).26 May 2026 21:28 +0000at://did:plc:d5cdhrct7st4dh6t27gr6bz3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmrwqx4fvs2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/johnsmyth.bsky.social/post/3mmqij6axqc2vA male Hairy Hawker is the first dragonfly to emerge from the back garden pond this year (that I have seen, anyway) - and only the 2nd recorded in Galway so far this year. #HairyHawker #dragonfly #BrachytronPratense #wildlifepond #Galway #ireland @britishdragonflies.bsky.social26 May 2026 07:41 +0000at://did:plc:d5cdhrct7st4dh6t27gr6bz3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmqij6axqc2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/johnsmyth.bsky.social/post/3mmmvro7osk24A pair of Wheatears bring food to their nest hidden under a rock near Mám Éan in Connemara today (I could hear the chicks chirping every time the parents arrived) #wheatear #Connemara #MámÉan #Ireland @birdwatchireland.bsky.social24 May 2026 21:27 +0000at://did:plc:d5cdhrct7st4dh6t27gr6bz3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmmvro7osk24https://bsky.app/profile/johnsmyth.bsky.social/post/3mmiuc3jvok2dEvery Mountain Meitheal day starts with loading up with tools. Looking forward to our Mountain Meitheal Ireland training weekend today and tomorrow! #mountainmeithealwest #mountainmeitheal #trailmaintenance #connemara23 May 2026 06:50 +0000at://did:plc:d5cdhrct7st4dh6t27gr6bz3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmiuc3jvok2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/johnsmyth.bsky.social/post/3mmgek3f3tk27V quiet at my local polling station so far ( and an extra long weekend for the pupils of Scoil Bhride in Shantalla) #galwaywest #election @news.rte.ie @irishtimes.com22 May 2026 07:03 +0000at://did:plc:d5cdhrct7st4dh6t27gr6bz3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmgek3f3tk27https://bsky.app/profile/johnsmyth.bsky.social/post/3mm2eevc55c25First recorded sighting this year of Orange Tailed Mining Bee in Co Westmeath in the Biodiversity Database, in my meadow in Rahugh (feasting on hawthorn pollen). Hopefully a good omen for Westmeath today in the Leinster Final! #wildmeadow #Rahugh #Westmeath #Ireland #OrangeTailedMiningBee17 May 2026 12:28 +0000at://did:plc:d5cdhrct7st4dh6t27gr6bz3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mm2eevc55c25https://bsky.app/profile/johnsmyth.bsky.social/post/3mlpre2ifa22oFirst damselfly of 2026 spotted in the garden wildlife pond in Galway yesterday. Looks like a Blue-Tailed Damselfly (common bluetail), and it was resting for about an hour on a dried stalk close to the water, well hidden within the border plants at the edge of the pond. #IschnuraElegans #damselfly13 May 2026 07:21 +0000at://did:plc:d5cdhrct7st4dh6t27gr6bz3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlpre2ifa22o