Watching for flights of fancy

As summer approaches, it’s a good time to take up a new outdoor hobby and few are as rewarding as birdwatching, says wildlife expert Jim Wilson

AS a birdwatcher living in Ireland, many of the birds I encounter live on or near freshwater. Though we share this emerald isle with so many birds, most of us are unaware of the amazing ways they have evolved to take advantage of these wet places.

One of my earliest memories of birds was being brought to The Lough in Cork city and seeing swans and other freshwater birds up close for the first time. I remember seeing coots fighting, threatening any other coot that crossed the invisible boundaries of their territory.