Naturefile: Recent Episodes
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Naturefile is a celebratory journey to the lesser-known realms of nature in Ireland with Anja Murray. With surprising stories uncovered each week, about everything from lichens to trees, Swallows to Sea Eagles, starfish and turtles, there are elements of science, history and folklore.
Poppies are colorful flowering plants with delicate, paper-like petals that grow as annuals, biennials, or perennials. Key varieties include the red corn poppy, the opium poppy, and the large oriental poppy.
Have you ever wondered what makes those little balls of froth, popularly known as “cuckoo spit”, that you find on plant stems during the summer? Blow gently on the froth and you’ll find your answer. Inside the frothy mass you’ll find one or more yellow-green insect nymphs
Ireland’s shieldbugs and other related bugs are members of the Order Hemiptera which includes aphids and planthoppers.
The peregrine falcon is Ireland's most impressive bird of prey and the fastest animal on earth, capable of diving at speeds exceeding 300 km/h to hunt mid-air.
This is a fleshy, dark green perennial which grows in large clumps in coastal habitats such as shingle, salt-marsh margins, old sea walls and grasslands.
The Golden Plover is a summer visitor from France and Iberia and a winter visitor from Iceland. They often feed alongside Lapwing and Black-headed Gulls.
Primroses were prized plants for those in Ireland who brewed their own cures and concoctions in days gone by. Primroses were widely used as remedies for muscular aches and pains, rheumatism, paralysis and gout.
The common chiffchaff, or simply the chiffchaff, is a common and widespread leaf warbler which breeds in open woodlands throughout northern and temperate Europe and the Palearctic.
From garden snails to rare woodland snails and tincy tiny sand dune specialists, Ireland is a haven for snails. Integral to almost every food web, though often overlooked, this week's Nature File looks at the role of snails in our hedges, woods, fens and fields.
Once a pair of pipits have gone to the trouble of making a nest and laying their perfect eggs therein, along comes cuckoo to lay her own little troublemaker in among the pipit eggs. Explore the ecology and the folklore of Meadow Pipits in this week’s Nature File.
Nature File returns to the airwaves this week, celebrating the blossoming of woodland wildflowers. White flowered wood-sorrel and wood anemone; glistening yellow lesser celandine and of course, violet coloured violets and bluebells, all making the most of April.
A medium sized raptor (bird of prey) with broad wings, a compact body, short neck and medium-length tail. Has a short hooked bill suitable for eating meat.
Wild salmon are born in freshwater, travel to the sea, and then return to their birthplace to spawn, making them a clear sign of how well we’re managing to coexist with other life.
Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans belonging to the infraorder Astacidea, which also contains lobsters. Taxonomically, they are members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea. They breathe through feather-like gills.
The conger is an ambush type predator seeking out cover in which to hide and then pounce on passing victims, though it will roam around openly on occasions to flush prey fish. Is found living in rocky holes underneath breakwaters, harbour walls, groynes and sewer outlets
These are small trees, quite unusual in the wild, and many imported specimens have been planted in towns and parks, along roads etc. If you want the truly native tree you may have to search – it is most common in the south of the country.
As apex predators Sharks play a vital role in maintaining the delicate balance of marine ecosystems. They regulate fish populations and ensure the health of coral reefs and seabeds. In Ireland, sharks have a special connection to coastal communities, which have relied on the ocean for generations.
Ringlet and Meadow brown butterflies are on the wing through high summer, filling up with nectar in flower rich meadows and finding the perfect places there for their larvae too. Explore the summertime highs of brown butterflies on this weeks Nature File.
es and woods, this tall, hairless plant flowers throughout Ireland from June to September.
The Goshawk is a large hawk, almost reaching buzzard size. When seen up close, it has a fierce look with bright red eyes and a distinctive white eyebrow. Thanks to its broad wings, it can to hunt at high speed, weaving in and out of trees, while its legs and talons can catch its prey in flight.
Nymphaeaceae is a family of flowering plants, commonly called water lilies. They live as rhizomatous aquatic herbs in temperate and tropical climates around the world.
Our smallest breeding Hirundine species, being about a third smaller than both House Martin and Swallow. Adult Sand Martins have a brown head, back, rump and wings. The throat is white, as are the belly and vent except for a broad brown breast band.
Naturefile returns to Daybreak with a seasonal look at these beauties now appearing in our gardens.
A winter migrant from high-Arctic Canada. Most occur in Ireland between October and April. This population winters almost entirely in Ireland, with small numbers in parts of Britain and France.
Many people are surprised to hear that hedgehogs are not actually native to Ireland. It is believed that they were introduced in the 12th century from Britain ...
Ivy flowers in October, ensuring vital nectar supplies for butterflies, moths and bees when very little else is in flower. Ivy is a wonderful world of sustenance to lots of wildlife through winter months.
The term ‘Hairy Molly’ has often been used in Ireland to describe any hairy or fuzzy-looking caterpillar. This term is said to have originated from the Irish language where ‘mala’ or ‘malaí’ (plural) is the Irish word for an eyebrow.
A close rival songster to the Blackbird, from which it mainly differs in its repetition of each phrase three or four times. Typical phrases include "cherry dew," and "knee-deep," . Loud, fluty and far-carrying.
Crane flies are flies in the family Tipulidae. They are insects. Crane flies look similar to large mosquitoes but, unlike mosquitoes, crane flies do not bite.
Grey Seals haul themselves ashore in autumn to breed, on remote and generally undisturbed areas, in particular offshore islands, where human disturbance is absent. Trá Bán on the Great Blasket Island is one back where hundreds of seals can still be seen on the beach in autumn
Spiranthes is a genus of orchids in the subfamily Orchidoideae. They are known commonly as ladies tresses, ladies'-tresses, or lady's tresses
Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) is native biennial which is a food source for a wide range of insects. It is not usually a significant problem in gardens, but its poisonous qualities can make it a danger for horses or cattle.
Gorse, furze, whins, are all so common that it’s easy to overlook them, successful enough to earn them resentment. At this time of year, the deep yellow flowers of Autumn Gorse are erupting across mountains and heaths. Discover the strange history of Gorse on this week’s Nature File.
The Guillemot is the most common species of Auk in Ireland. It is a highly-marine species, only found on land in the breeding season.
Gulls are controversial birds. Strong, clever, opportunistic and adaptable.In the wild, Gulls are caring and resilient animals. Devoted parents – both mothers and fathers share the rearing of their young, beginning with the task of incubating the eggs.
Oak trees are in full leaf by now, these tallest and longest living of native trees, soaking up the light of the longest long midsummer days. Recent research has revealed that Irish sessile Oaks originated in Galicia in Northern Spain.
Machair systems present a complex landscape mosaic of habitats comprising both wet and dry areas. They are bordered by beaches and sometimes extensive dune habitats on the seaward side, with wetland areas backed by peatland and heathland habitats on the landward side.
The Manx shearwater is a medium-sized shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. The scientific name of this species records a name shift: Manx shearwaters were called Manks puffins in the 17th century.
Slow moving sea snails come in many shapes and sizes, though all are equipped with a head and a foot, ad most of us recognize the spiral of a whelk shell. This week, Nature File explores the whelks and other sea snails that are easy to see along the shore.
The adults are nocturnal, flying from dusk and coming to light, resting by day amongst its foodplants. They feed from honeysuckle (Lonicera) and other tubular flowers on the wing.
The Corncrake is a shy, secretive bird, the distinctive "kerrx-kerrx" call of the male often being the only indication of their presence.
95% of the worlds 20,000 species of bee are solitary rather than social bees. Ireland has over 100 bee species, of which 77 are solitary bees.
Rays are some of the most beautiful and unique sea creatures on the planet. These fascinating fish come in various shapes and sizes, and are spread across the globe.
The black poplar may be a native Irish tree, although rare. It has been found especially in the midlands, predominantly in hedgerows in wet farmland near deep water-filled ditches, particularly along the River Shannon.
The hen harrier is a bird of prey. It breeds in Eurasia. The term "hen harrier" refers to its former habit of preying on free-ranging fowl. It migrates to more southerly areas in winter.
There is a view that the word 'butterfly' originates from the yellow colour of male Brimstones. The wings of the female are very pale green, almost white, males have yellow-green underwings and yellow upper wings.
Allium ursinum, known as wild garlic, ramsons, cowleekes, cows's leek, cowleek, buckrams, broad-leaved garlic, wood garlic, bear leek, Eurasian wild garlic or bear's garlic, is a bulbous perennial flowering plant in the amaryllis family Amaryllidaceae.
Blackthorn trees are early starters, bursting in to effusive white blossom early in the year, before they have even grown any leaves, before any other trees have thought too much about flowering.
Its spring, and like most birds, Crested Grebes have mating on the mind at this time of year. For this, grebes adopt a fancy feathered crest, and then engage in elaborate courtship rituals. Listen in to Nature File for a little insight in to the mating behaviour of crested grebes in Irish waters this mating season.
It is not native to Ireland and is thought to have been introduced to the Burren region of Ireland in 1970 from Britain. The slow worm is coppery brown or sometimes bluish grey in colour with darker flanks.
More than half of all species live in the soil, where there are microscopic fungal threads, arthropods of every shape and size and some of the strangest-looking creatures on the planet.
Cranes are the tallest wild birds in Europe, and now, after 300 years of absence, cranes are breeding in wild in Ireland again! This year’s young stay near their [aren’t through the Autumn months, a sight not seen here for a very long time. Celebrate the return of the common crane to Ireland in this week’s Nature File,
At the dawning of each day through the month of October, deer lock antlers in a fierce mating battle. The deer rut is a contest between males - the winner will acquire the right to a whole harem of females. This week Nature File is all about the autumn deer rut.
One of Ireland's most widely distributed trees, often found in damp boggy areas and along river banks. Like most broad-leaved trees, Alnus glutinosa flowers before the leaves are out with attractive long reddish catkins appearing as early as January.
An octopus, octopuses or octopodes is a soft-bodied, eight-limbed mollusc of the order Octopoda. The order consists of some 300 species and is grouped within the class of squids, cuttlefish and nautiloids
Rowan trees grow well in the mountains, so it's well known as Mountain Ash. Berries are ripening now and provide important food for thrushes and other birds through the winter months, hence they'll often be closely guarded by the birds who covet it!
Sturgeon are enormous fish, swimming in oceans and rivers since the time of the dinosaurs. Our hunter gatherer ancestors feasted on Sturgeon, as did more recent medieval communities in Ireland and across the continent. Now Sturgeon have been gone from Irish waters since the 1980s, though there are plans afoot to bring them back.
Wild crab apples are the tart little ancestors of thousands of varieties of domesticated apples, often planted or seeded wild in hedges near old farmsteads. This morning we explore this fruit, which is ripe in September and sustains many bugs and beasts through the autumn months.
As the vibrant greens of summer morph into brown and golds of early autumn, wildflowers seem to love coming out in purple. From ‘devil’s-bit scabious’ to blankets of wild heathers, purples are a popular colour at this time of year.
Scallop is a common name that encompasses various species of marine bivalve mollusks in the taxonomic family Pectinidae, the scallops.
There are thousands of ant species across the world, but here are some you are more likely to find in Ireland. Anja tells us more!
Terms such as wild, native or alien are often used by botanists but what exactly do they mean? How long does a plant have to have occurred here to count as native?
Now that the chicks have fledged, Red-billed choughs can be seen soaring over the coastline in flocks and gathering together on clifftops and coastal grassland, where they to poke their distinctive red beak in the ground in search of small insects to eat. Explore the unexpected ways of being a chough in Nature File this Saturday morning.
Wild peas are clambering through hedges, woodland edges and pockets of wild tangled growth right now, using their climbing tentacles to help them get to the light. These delicate wild flowering plants are the original ancestors of domestic pea. Discover the world of wild peas on nature file this week.
Spectacular coral reefs thrive on Ireland’s continental margin, some reaching over 100m in height, teeming with life forms of every description. Discover the strange world of Irelands’ cold water coral reefs this Saturday morning on Nature File.
During the summer months, puffins are tending to their young, with their yellow, red and orange bills stuffed with sand eels and sprat to bring to the baby birds, who are still hidden away in burrows. Explore the strange world of puffins in this weeks Nature File with Anja Murray.
Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse. Mice are also popular as pets.
Most of the aromatic herbs we are familiar with are more at home in the Mediterranean, though native plants such as bog rosemary, wild thyme, sorrel and water mint have long been used for adding flavour to food.
Across the worlds there are many types of Lizard, but one one species made it to Ireland, and here they manage to live discreetly, going largely unnoticed by us.
There are 70 different species of solitary bee in Ireland, these are different to bumble bees and honey bees, but are often hard to tell apart from a wasp or a fly!
Pilot whales live far from land, out on the deep water habitats along the Rockall trough and along the continental shelf. There these highly social animals live among close family for their entire lives.
House martens build mud nests under the eaves of houses and sheds, caring for successive broods of featherless chicks right through the summer months.
Seakale and Oyster plant are two of the flowering plants that have evolved to live on the shoreline, with special life strategy for salty soils and drought. This week, Nature File explores the science of succulence and some traditional foraging customs too.
Midges are not a much loved insect, their bites can be known to drive people to the edge of sanity. This week on nature file, Anja explores their reason for being, their life strategy, and whether it is ever possible to appreciate these most bothersome of insects.
Commonly called Irish moss or carrageen moss, In Irish carraigín, "little rock" is a species of red algae which grows abundantly along the rocky parts of the Atlantic coast of Europe and North America.
Easter is when we celebrate spring, a time when colourful blossoms are emerging in hedges, woodlands, parks and gardens. Explore the technicalities of colour in flowers this Easter with Naturefile.
Blue Tits have been preparing for nesting season for some time now, though it is the female who brings moss into the nesting cavity and shapes it into a cup, before lining it with soft feathers, fur or wool for added insulation. Over the coming weeks, she will lay as many as 16 eggs!
The cuckoos are generally medium-sized, slender birds. Most species live in trees, though a sizeable minority are ground-dwelling.
Woodcock start to perform their aerial courting displays at this time of year, where the male flies about at dawn and dusk each day to show off his stamina and skill that he may woo a mate. Apart from these flights, woodcock are near impossible to see, they are so well camouflaged amid the leaves of a woodland floor where they reside.
There are hundreds of varieties of cherry tree, each flooding their canopy with blossom in spring. This week in Naturefile we look at the joys of cherry trees, soon to erupt in a park or street near you!
A very particular kind of seasonal lake occurs on Irelands limestone lands. A turlough is a lake that fills up with groundwater in winter time and empties out in Summer, with a special suite of flora and fauna adapted to the seasonal disappearance. Discover the life in turloughs in this week’s Naturefile.
Each Spring, as deciduous trees awaken from dormancy, their sap begins to rise, providing the energy that power the initial emergence of fresh spring leaves. This week in Naturefile, join Anja Murray for an exploration of Tree Sap to mark the beginning of Spring.
Feral pigeons have been domesticated longer than any other bird, bred by people from wild Rock Doves. Pigeons can detect low frequency soundwaves that travel hundreds of miles through the air and have incredible ability to navigate. Among the varied diet of these ubiquitous birds are the ripening holly berries in Autumn.
Brackets are the fruiting structures of many different fungi that cause heartwood decay in standing trees. The fungal bodies or brackets appear in spring, summer and autumn, but weakened trees can topple at any time.
Scampering colourful Jays, with bright blue bars on their wings, are a rarely seen woodland bird. Each autumn, Jays gather up and bury thousands of acorns, sowing the seeds of new Oak trees everywhere. In Ireland, we even have an indigenous sub species. This week, Nature File takes a long term view on Jays and Irish woodlands.
Freshwater Pearl mussels are Irelands longest living animal! Called an Diúilicín pearla in Irish, these animals have a long heritage here, but need pristine water only found in clean unpolluted rivers. Discover the life cycle and history of Ireland’s longest living animal on this week’s Nature File.
One plant that really stands out in September, when other plants are dying back, is the horsetail. These structurally stunning ‘living fossils’ have been around for more than 100 million years, and now live quite happily in hedge banks and woodlands.
Elm trees (in the family Ulmaceae and genus Ulmus) are large shade trees with round, serrated leaves and circular, papery seed cases called samaras.
Delicate nodding bells of blue flowers still in flower through September on pastures, dunes and cliffs through the west of Ireland. In Irish this plant is called Méaracán gorm, which translates in to English as ‘blue thimble’. Discover the life strategy of this special little flower on this week’s Nature File.
Gorse, furze, whins, are all so common that it’s easy to overlook them, successful enough to earn them resentment. At this time of year, the deep yellow flowers of Autumn Gorse is erupting across mountains and heaths. First broadcast Saturday 29th August 2020
Beautiful honeysuckle flowers are still in blossom right now, spilling out cartwheels of delicate tubular flowers, richly scented in shades of pink, peach, and soft yellow. Honeysuckle emits a strong scent at dusk, a special attempt to attract the night flying moths who pollinate it.
Goats were brought into Ireland thousands of years ago by prehistoric ancestors, now many populations roam freely across rocky uplands. Each August the Puc Fair in Kerry celebrates the symbolism of the goat. This week Nature File looks at the history folklore, ecology, and tradition of Ireland’s Feral Goats.
It was first recorded in Ireland from a cave in County Clare in March 1859. It is easily identified by, and gets its Latin name from, a horseshoe-shaped flap of skin surrounding the nostrils.
Sea sponges are an ancient group of animals, with traits more like plants than animals, but an ability to reassemble themselves, move about and do other animal like things.
Silently swooping, majestic Long –eared Owls are supreme hunters, present all over Ireland, yet rarely seen or heard. Young owls take a while to learn to fly, walking along tree branches till they learn to fly. Discover the world of Long eared Owls on Nature File this Saturday morning.
Foxgloves are in bloom through May and June, brightening the hills and woods with their tower of bell shaped flowers. Foxgloves are named after an ancient instrument made up of bells called a ‘gleow’ .
Creamy, perennial of damp waysides, meadows, marshes and woods, this tall, hairless plant flowers throughout Ireland from June to September.
A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant.
Clover or trefoil are common names for plants of the genus Trifolium (from Latin tres 'three' + folium 'leaf'), consisting of about 300 species of flowering plants in the legume or pea family.
Seeing a fin sticking out of the sea in summertime can cause alarm, but for the sunfish, jellyfish is the only prey they are interested in. Discover the strange creatures that are sunfish in Nature File this week.
Even though canals are made by people, relatively recently, they provide safe haven for many wild of plants and animals and act as corridors for movement and dispersal of wildlife through the landscape. Celebrate the amphibious world of Irish canals in this week’s Nature File.
Oak trees produce dangling golden catkins in April, each adorned with flowers containing the pollen for a new generation. This week, Nature File takes a long term view on the life of an Oak.
Swans are nesting now along the banks of the canal and by waterways all over the country. Swans have a special place in our ancient folklore. Nature File this week explores the wonderful world of swans. (First broadcast 11th May 2019)
Pygmy shrews are tiny creatures with a very long nose, living among the hedges, woods and boglands where they can find plenty of beetles, spiders, bugs, and woodlice to eat. Explore the lives of Irish pygmy shrews on Nature File this week.
This week on Nature File is a celebration of birdsong and the Dawn Chorus!Birds sing to attract a mate, to claim territory, and to communicate with one another, adding to the bustling rhythms and melodies of the Dawn chorus.
Mature trees grow to 30m and can live for 200 years. The bark is dark brown but often appears black, and is thick with numerous fissures and burrs. Twigs are lumpy and brown in colour.
A celebration of the geometric lawfulness of flower forms that embody universal spiritual archetypes.
The smooth newt, European newt, northern smooth newt or common newt (Lissotriton vulgaris) is a species of newt. It is widespread in Europe and parts of Asia.
Budburst (plural budbursts) (botany) The emergence of new leaves on a plant at the beginning of each growing season.
Nephrops norvegicus is often referred to as Dublin Bay prawn. However, the French name langoustine which translates to something like ‘lobsterette’ is much more appropriate as it really resembles a small lobster.
One of the first flowers to raise its head in the late winter is this hairless perennial plant. With its shiny, narrow yellow 8-12 petalled flowers.
It blooms in woods, by rivers, in hedge-banks and roadsides between February and May.
Anja Murray returns with the very popular nature series and starts with the fundamental!
A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus Betula in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams.
The common starling or European starling also known simply as the starling in Great Britain and Ireland, is a medium-sized bird. It is about 20 cm (8 in) long and has glossy black plumage with a metallic sheen.
Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric or fly amanita, is a basidiomycete of the genus Amanita. It is also a muscimol mushroom.
Blackberries are an edible fruit, commonly found in Ireland from the end of the summer until October, they're often seen growing in woodland and hedgerows.
The number of sloes you will find on a blackthorn bush or tree each year is very much linked to the weather during the previous spring and summer.
There are about 30 types of elder plants and trees around the world. The European version (also known as Sambucus nigra) is the one most closely tied to your health and healing. Its history dates back as far as 400 BC, and Hippocrates, the “Father of Medicine,” called the elder tree his “medicine chest.”
There are 18 ladybird species recorded in Ireland.
However three of those 18 have not been seen for a long time.
A starfish is one of the most interesting looking animals along the sea-shore. Starfish can also be found living in coral reefs. It is shaped just like a star and doesn’t look at all like an animal! It usually has five arms, but some starfish have more.
The plant is native to the western Himalayas but is now invasive in many parts of continental Europe.
June is a wonderful month for wildflowers. Fields up and down the country are filled with shiny yellow buttercups. Swathes of rich pink ragged robin float above the damper patches of pasture.
There are at least 16 different flowering plants in this category, each of these species selected by evolution to survive extremes of cold, ice, snow and gale force winds. There is alpine saw-wort, mountain avens, alpine ladies mantle, and arctic saxifrage.
An adult White-tailed Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) is brown with a pale head and a distinctive white tail. It is the largest bird of prey in Ireland with a wingspan of up to 2.4m.
Small annual temperature variation, high humidity, and high levels of annual precipitation makes makes Irelands Atlantic Rainforest an important habitat for numerous common and rare species of mosses, liverworts, and lichens.
Shieldbugs are some of Ireland's most familiar insects , getting their name from their shield-like body.
Rays are the largest group of cartilaginous fishes, with well over 600 species in 26 families.
The Hawthorn is commonly described as a bush or small deciduous tree with spiny branches. In about mid-May, the hedgerows and fields of Ireland come alive with great clusters of its beautiful white flowers.
Anja Murray brings us another series of the very popular Naturefile. Beginning this week with House Sparrows!
The Common Yew tree (Taxus baccata) is a conifer that is found throughout Ireland. It is easily recognised by its pointed, flat, dark green, odourless, evergreen needles. It is a small to medium sized tree, which only grows to around 10-20 metres high.
Bats are more maneuverable than birds, flying with their very long spread-out digits covered with a thin membrane or patagium. Fascinating creatures with an unfair reputation!
The pine marten (Martes martes) is considered one of the rarest and most elusive wildlife species in Ireland. Once common throughout the country, by the 20th century the species had become extinct from the majority of Ireland, surviving only in a few isolated and fragmented populations mainly in the west.
Songbirds fly faster and further than anyone has realised. Researchers found the birds could fly more than 300 miles per day. In contrast, previous studies had put their daily range at under 100 miles per day.