Wildlife Photography

Irish wildlife rewards patience more than anything else. A pine marten appearing at dusk, a kingfisher holding position long enough for a clean shot, a red deer stag moving through autumn light these moments are rarely planned and never guaranteed. This gallery covers mammals, birds, and other species photographed across Ireland, from ancient woodland to open moorland and coast.

A red deer with walking through a forest with autumn leaves and large trees
Silhouette of a red deer with large antlers standing on a hill against a dark blue evening sky.
A red deer standing in a autumnal field surrounded by bushes, with a background of trees and sunlight filtering through the leaves.
A large deer with antlers standing in a field with tall grass, surrounded by trees with autumn-colored leaves, during sunset.
Close-up of a tree trunk with a hollow opening, with a pine marten peeking out of the hollow.
A close-up of a frog on water with its eyes in focus.
A squirrel on a moss-covered tree branch, holding and eating a nut.
A squirrel sitting on grass with a blurred green background.
A pine marten, perched on a tree branch in a dark forest with a focus on its face and upper body.
Close-up of a pine marten, peering over a log covered with green foliage, reflected in a body of water below.
A red squirrel, drinking water from a pond or lake at the water's edge surrounded by green moss and plants.
A young rabbit lying in tall green grass with a blurred natural background.
Small stonechat perched on a rusty metal post in a natural outdoor setting with tall grasses and mountains in the distance.
A stonechat and orange bird perched on a tuft of dried grass in a marshy area.
A close-up of a cormorant bird with dark feathers, a long neck, and a hooked beak.
A small bird with yellow and black coloring perched on a moss-covered tree branch.
A small bird with black, white, and yellow feathers standing on a dark surface against a blurred dark green background.
A small blue tit bird with yellow belly perched on a tree trunk.
A common buzzard perched on a weathered tree stump with a dark, blurred background.
A kingfisher, flying upside down with wings spread wide.
Colorful kingfisher bird perched on a thin branch against a blurred green background.
A close-up of a mother goose with goslings resting on her chest, sitting on grass near a body of water during sunset.
Close-up of several fluffy baby geese, known as goslings, resting on a gravel surface with a dark background.
A group of young swans, known as cygnets, swimming close to a mother swan on a body of water, with a focus on one cygnet's fluffy head.
A red footed falcon perched on a concrete post with barbed wire, against a blurred green background.

Saltee Island Puffins

The Saltee Islands off the coast of Co. Wexford are home to one of Ireland's most accessible puffin colonies, and Great Saltee has been a highlight of my wildlife calendar every summer since 2023. Access is by boat from Kilmore Quay via the Three Sisters ferry, a short crossing that lands you directly on the island for a few hours.

The puffins nest along the southern cliffs and are remarkably unbothered by visitors, making Great Saltee one of the few places in Ireland where you can observe and photograph them at close range. This year the NPWS introduced a marked trail that keeps visitors a respectful distance from the colony, a welcome improvement for the long-term sustainability of the birds. For photographers it's no obstacle; a telephoto lens gives you frame-filling shots without any need to get close to the burrows, and the birds are active and engaging enough that there's no shortage of behaviour to capture.

Action shot of a puffin as it comes in to land, taken at the Saltee Islands, Co Wexford
Close-up of a puffin's head with black and white feathers, orange beak, and dark eyes, against a blurred green background.
Two puffin birds touching beaks, against a dark background.
A puffin bird standing among low plants with a blue sea background.
Close-up of a puffin's head with black, white, and orange beak, in front of a blurred dark background.
A close-up of a puffin standing on the ground with green foliage in the background.
Close-up of a puffin, showing black and white feathers detail.
Close-up of a puffin holding a small branch in its beak.
Close-up of an Atlantic puffin facing left against a dark green background.
A puffin bird in mid-flight against a blurred background, showing its black and white body, colorful beak, and orange feet.
A puffin standing on a green grassy area with a cloudy sky in the background.
Close-up of an Atlantic puffin standing on a rocky surface, with a blurred gray sky background.
A Atlantic Puffin, with its wings spread, showing black and white plumage and orange webbed feet, against a blurred cliff background.
A close-up of an Atlantic puffin with black and white plumage, a colorful orange and yellow beak standing among green grass and white flowers in a natural habitat.
A puffin with white, black, and gray plumage, orange beak, and orange feet, mid-flight with wings spread wide against a blurred brown background.
Close-up of a puffin with colorful beak, black and white feathers, and red-orange legs standing on green grass.
A close-up of an Atlantic puffin with a black and white body, orange beak, with a blurred natural background and some green plants in the foreground.
A puffin standing on green grass with small white flowers, against a cloudy sky background.
A puffin standing among green plants and pink flowers, with a blurred brown background.
A puffin bird perched among green bushes with a blurred background.
A puffin standing on green foliage with a blurred, cloudy sky in the background.
Close-up of a puffin bird with a colorful beak, black and white feathers, standing among green grass with a blurred background.
A puffin bird laying down among pink flowers with a dark, blurred background.
A puffin standing on a rocky surface near some green plants, with a blurred grayish sky background.
Close-up of a puffin bird's face showing its colorful beak and black and white feathers, with a blurred green background.
A puffin bird in mid-flight with its wings spread, displaying its black and white plumage, orange beak, and orange feet against a blurred background of warm colors.
A puffin bird perched on a rock with a blurred green foreground and a cloudy sky background.
Close-up of a puffin bird behind some green leaves, with a blurred background.
A close-up of a puffin bird standing on a grassy ground with a blurred background.
A puffin bird standing on green vegetation with a cloudy sky background.
Two puffins on a grassy area surrounded by small white flowers, with a rocky background. One puffin stands upright in the foreground, and the other is preparing to land.
Irish astrophotography & nature photography. Leixlip, Co. Kildare.
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Leixlip, Co. Kildare, Ireland