Columns - Irish Examiner

Dick Warner

Spirits lifted by cuckoo

ON a cold day at the end of April, I was out in my garden feeling mildly depressed, writes Dick Warner

Mon, 09 May, 2016

It's much cheaper and more satisfying to build your own insect hotel

ECOLOGY is a relatively modern science, writes Dick Warner

Mon, 02 May, 2016

Dandelion days are here again

‘April brings the sweet spring showers, On and on, for hours and hours.’ Lines written by Michael Flanders in ‘A Song of the Weather’ in 1956, writes Dick Warner

Mon, 25 Apr, 2016

Siskins, my kinda birds

This winter there were a couple of absentees from my bird feeders. One species that I missed was the siskin.

Mon, 18 Apr, 2016

Life is tough for a pygmy shrew in Ireland

There was a corpse on the path in front of me. A very small corpse. 

Mon, 11 Apr, 2016

Nature primed to entice this spring

EASTER is the spring festival, writes Dick Warner

Mon, 04 Apr, 2016

On watch for swallows set to return for spring

I’M on watch. Some time in the next two to three weeks, the swallows will return and start hawking for spring midges over the 10-acre field beside the house, writes Dick Warner.

Mon, 28 Mar, 2016

Seeds bursting to life

At this time of year I spend a lot of time in my greenhouse sowing seeds and, if and when they germinate, looking after the seedlings.

Mon, 21 Mar, 2016

Shamrock is a great diet boost for birds

THE pasture field outside my study window has become a parade ground for birds. 

Mon, 14 Mar, 2016

My son is just back from a trip to Istanbul, a city I’ve never visited myself. When he came round to tell us about the trip and show off his photos I was intrigued by his account of seeing wild parrots in one of the city parks, writes Dick Warner.

Mon, 07 Mar, 2016