Columns - Irish Examiner

Dick Warner

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

Listen up if you hear the drumming of a woodpecker

Most people with an interest in birds are aware of the exciting news that about a decade ago great spotted woodpeckers arrived in Ireland and that since then they have been breeding and spreading. 

Mon, 29 Feb, 2016