Irish Wildlife Trust

10/10/2026

Species in Focus - Whooper Swan
Irish name: Eala Ghlórach
Scientific name: Cygnus cygnus

🎺 The Whooper Swan is a large, migratory waterfowl known for its loud, resonating trumpeting call. The Irish name Eala Ghlórach translates as “noisy swan”.

🗺️ Thousands of Whooper Swans arrive in Ireland in October and November. They winter on wetlands and lowland open farmland after nesting in Iceland over the summer.

💪 Their black bill features a prominent, wedge-shaped patch of yellow and their feathers are all white. Adults have a wingspan over 2metres, and typically weigh about 10kg , making them among the heaviest flying birds.

✈️ When migrating, the Whooper Swan usually flies at an altitude of 50–200 m, but sometimes considerably higher. A notable case involved a flock of about 30 migrating from Iceland to Ireland on 9 December 1967, detected by air traffic control radar west of Scotland, at 8,200 m altitude. An analysis of the weather at the time concluded the birds were making use of a northerly jet stream wind to cut their flying time on migration for the 1,100 km trip from Iceland to Ireland. It would have taken them just 7 hours to complete the journey. In doing so, they had to tolerate an ambient temperature of -48°C plus air pressure only one third of surface pressure!

🔭 The Whooper Swan is Amber listed by BirdWatch Ireland, meaning they are of medium conservation concern. Wintering populations are monitored through the annual Irish Wetland Bird Survey (I-WeBS) and a census is carried out every five years. Although there is some evidence that the numbers wintering in Ireland are going up due to an increase in the Icelandic population, they face ongoing threats from avian flu (H5N1) and habitat loss.

🤚The Whooper Swan is designated in the EU Bird’s Directive, which mandates special conservation measures. This fundamental environmental protection is now at risk of being weakened. See the EU-wide campaign for more information.

BirdWatch Ireland

📷 Whooper Swans in flight: Kieran Neary, Whoope Swan in wetland: Mike Brown

08/10/2026

The petition closes on 20 October. We are now at over 930,000 signatures, but we need your help to get to one million.

📝 Sign now to protect our nature, our wildlife, and our future: https://iwt.ie/what-we-do/hands-off-nature/

⏳ Hands Off Nature are meeting with EU Commissioner for the Environment Jessika Roswall on 23 October, showing the strength of public support for protecting Europe’s nature laws.

🦉 For decades, the Birds and Habitats Directives have been our strongest defence. They protect thousands of species and habitats and form the foundation of the Natura 2000 network, the largest network of protected areas in the world.

💧 These laws protect not only wildlife, but also the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the stability of our climate.

⚠️ Now, these laws are under attack. Some countries and powerful destructive industry sectors and their political allies want to weaken these vital protections, putting nature at even greater risk at a time when it needs stronger support.

Hands Off Nature partners: BirdLife Europe and Central Asia WWF European Environmental Bureau - EEB ClientEarth

Irish Environmental Network BirdWatch Ireland An Taisce The National Trust for Ireland

📷 Wren by Joe Duffy

07/10/2026

📣 Announcing our September Photo of the Month shortlist! 📷
We are delighted to present this selection from September's entries. Thank you to everyone who shared your passion through these incredible photos 💚 The winning photograph will be decided by the most ‘Likes’ (or reactions) on Facebook by 4pm on Tuesday 13 October 2026. The following day we will announce our IWT August Photo of the Month.
These 18 photos are carefully chosen from all your submissions to [email protected]. Don't forget to engage with the post if you want your photo to have a better chance of winning, but please also share the entire album to ensure a fair competition.
We are already accepting entries for the October 2026 competition.
Send your photo to [email protected] with the subject line “October Photo of the Month.” Don’t forget to include the date (dd/mm/yyyy), location (e.g. Co. Tipperary), and your social media handle if you’d like us to tag you!
As you know, selecting a shortlist is no easy task, so we genuinely appreciate and value every single entry. If you entered a photo and you weren't picked, please don't be discouraged. It is a really difficult job to whittle down the shortlist every month because of the standard of photos we receive.
✨ Good luck to all entrants! ✨

06/10/2026

✨ A special members-only event for anyone in the Co Clare area!

🍄‍🟫 Irish Wildlife Trust - Limerick Branch Annual Fungi Foray with expert Tom Harrington will take place at a location in Co Clare.

🏃‍♂️ Numbers are limited and places must be booked at [email protected]

💚 Not an Irish Wildlife Trust member yet? Visit https://iwt.ie/support-us/become-a-member/ You will receive our magazine Irish Wildlife four times a year + access to members-only events and competitions. Your support will also amplify our voice for nature in Ireland. Ní neart go cur le chéile - there is no strength without unity.

05/10/2026

Excellent article by Ella McSweeney in The Irish Times in the run-up to

Nature restoration is a low-cost way to tackle problems the State is paying to fix. Healthy wetlands, rivers and coastal habitats can help buffer flooding, drought and storms.

Simon Harris TD Jack Chambers

Irish Environmental Network

Funding nature restoration looks like an easy line to leave blank in the budget. That would be an expensive mistake

01/10/2026

🌳 National Tree Day

✨ Ireland has a rich variety of native woodlands and Irish trees have deep roots in our language, history, and folklore.

⚠️ Unfortunately, we have less than 2% woodland cover, compared with around 37% across Europe. Fragmentation, disease, overgrazing, invasive species, and forestry monocultures are the key pressures.

💚 The Irish Wildlife Trust campaign for rewilding, protecting what already exists from overgrazing and invasive species, and for Irish forestry policy that supports nature-friendly methods.

Coillte An Comhairle Crann Irish Environmental Network



📷 Rhododendron spread in Dublin Mountains. Photo: Aart Jonkers
Red Squirrel. Photo: Joe Duffy

30/09/2026

🐺 Last year, Irish politicians voted against the Wolf, delivering a decision that has weakened one of Europe's most important legal protections for wildlife.

This decision opened up a new and dangerous precedent for species protection in Europe.

➡️ Read our latest blog, by Oisín Ó Néill, IWT Nature Advocacy Officer: https://iwt.ie/ireland-wolf-europe/

📷 Jefta Leeuwis, Zoogdierbescherming Netherlands

European Environmental Bureau - EEB Council of the European Union

28/09/2026

The autumn issue of our award-winning magazine, Irish Wildlife is here! 🍂

Become a member and you will receive our magazine every quarter + access to members-only events and competition ➡️ Visit IWT.ie or find the link in our bio to sign up today.

Ní neart go cur le chéile. Your membership strengthens our voice for nature in Ireland 💚

📷 Cover image: Red Squirrel by Shane Coyle

Biodiversity Ireland

24/09/2026

Green Drinks Dublin 🌱
Crossing the Threshold: Connecting with nature at Samhain, with Charlotte Salter-Townshend

🗓️ Tuesday 20 October
🕡 Doors open 19:00, presentation begins 19:30
📍J.T. Pim’s, (downstairs), at 4 South Great George’s Street, Dublin 2, D02 NR59

Ireland is famed as the Emerald Isle, a luscious and fertile land. But nowadays this is predominantly the green of sterile rye grass deserts and spruce monocultures. Accustomed to this nature-depleted landscape, we are in danger of losing underappreciated and unique wildlife. In the folklore and heritage of Ireland we find that life was built around a maintained and innate connection to the environment. People paid close attention to nature, carefully tracking the seasonal shifts. Their survival depended upon it. Stepping back into the rhythm of the seasons can restore our connection to the land and sea.

Samhain, the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, is a moment to pause, reflect, and realign with our surroundings. Life draws inwards as leaves shrivel and overripe fruits drop to the earth. Energy is drawn back into the soil, providing sustenance for the next cycle. This talk will discuss the significance of Samhain through the medicinal properties, folktales, and ecology surrounding Irish plant life at this time of year.

Charlotte Salter-Townshend is the Communication & Network Officer for the Irish Wildlife Trust. For over a decade she was a guide and lecturer at the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland, and has been designing and delivering talks and tours on a wide range of topics relating to plant life. She has an MPhil in Public History and Cultural Heritage and an MSc in Biodiversity and Conservation. Her interests include the relationship between science and culture and the ways in which we can take inspiration from the natural world in building communities.

Doors open at 19:00. If you like, join us for a chat about the Irish Wildlife Trust and a chance to ask us questions about what we do and how to get involved! The presentation itself begins at 19:30. As always, we’ll follow the talk with questions and then a relaxed social session over drinks—expect good chats, new connections, and plenty of green inspiration 💚

Irish Wildlife Trust - Dublin Branch

23/09/2026

Congratulations to Shane Oakley! 👏
This fantastic capture of a Barn Swallow feeding their chick in Co Clare is the August 2026 IWT Photo of the Month.
A huge thank you to all who entered and took part in the voting 💚
Would you like to see your photo in the September shortlist?
There's still time to send your photo to [email protected] with the subject line "September Photo of the Month." Don't forget to include the date (dd/mm/yyyy), location (e.g. Co. Monaghan).
To see our August Top 10, check out our Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/irishwildlifetrust/