UCD Nature & Biodiversity

How exciting! Thank you @ucdgreencampus 🐝

The wren was known as the ‘king of all birds’. This is how he won the title! • “The challenge was that the bird who could fly the highest in the air was to be recognised as King. The others agreed. All got ready & just as the eagle started off the wren perched on its tail unkonwn to the eagle. The eagle flew upwards & upwards until it could go no further. By this time the other birds were far below the eagle & so exhausted that they could go no further. When the eagle saw the others so far below he cried out in truimph that he had won & that he was King. Just then the wren started her short flight above the eagle & to the eagle's astonishment he heard the wren answer that it was he and not the eagle who was King. The eagle was beaten & humbly acknowleged the wren's supremacy & from that day to this the wren is King of all birds” • Check out the UCD.ie/nature page for more information! • More likely to be seen than heard, Wrens move quickly in and out of bushes and vegetation, often close to the ground. They sing frequently and loudly, and are common on UCD campus. You can probably hear one singing almost anywhere around UCD where there are shrubs or trees. • 📸@aisling.kinsella #ucdnature #birdwatching #birdwatchireland #birdsofinstagram #biodiversity #greencampus #greenflag #irishwildlifetrust #irishwildlifephotos

Butterfly season is well and truly underway! . Who can name each of these without looking at the list in the last photo? 😉 . If you see any butterflies and are able to identify them, you can record them on the National Biodiversity Data Center website! This citizen science project allows the centre to track trends of locations and abundance of butterflies throughout the country! . If you are on campus and spot any butterflies be sure to take a photo and tag us - we'd love to see which ones are flying around campus! . 📸@aisling.kinsella #ucdnature #biodiversity #butterfly #irishnature #greencampus

For World environment day we would like to take a moment to thank the work @ucdestates are doing on the UCD Campus Pollinator Plan! Check the link in our bio to see the plan, among other biodiversity projects we are undertaking! #UCDPollinatorPlan #worldenvironmentday2020 #worldenvironmentday

What a stunning photo of the upper lake yesterday evening! . The upper lake was specifically designed to be a biodiversity hotspot. It is a great spot to watch some of the wildlife that call campus home such as birds (tufted duck, moorhen, mute swans) and bees. . @anthealacchia even heard some goldcrests singing in the bushes next to the lake! . From June to August, you might even spot the largest of Ireland's Odonata species, the Emperor dragonfly. . #ucdnature #universitycollegedublin #irishnature #irishwildlife #sunset #biodiversity #birdwatchireland 📷@anthealacchia

International Day for Biological Diversity! . Today we celebrate the importance of the Earth's biodiversity. Biodiversity can refer to anything from genetic variation through diversity of species at the ecosystem level to overall biome distribution. . Biodiversity is important for ecosystem functioning which humans derive ecosystem goods and services from. Examples of these include soil stability and fertility, flood prevention, carbon sequestration, medicinal and most importantly, food production. . It is both economically and ecologically valuable but recent decades have seen a loss of biological diversity. The five major causes for this are climate change, deforestation and habitat loss, overexploitation, invasive species and pollution. According to the United Nations, currently 1,000,000 species are threatened with extinction. . We can all do small parts to prevent the further loss of biodiversity. By planting native plants that are pollinator friendly, by reducing our individual waste outputs, by reducing our carbon footprints and by plainly being aware of our impacts on the natural world, we can all make a difference. . UCD has a number of plans and policies in place to help promote biodiversity on campus such as the Campus Pollinator Plan, the green roof initiative and the insect hotel workshop. . More information on all of these can be found at the link in our bio or visit the Convention on Biological Diversity at www.cbd.int . Happy Biodiversity Day! 🐝🐦🌻 #IDB2020 #BiodiversityDay #BiodiversityWeek #biodiversity #ucdnature #universitycollegedublin #irishnature #greencampus . 📷@aisling.kinsella

Happy World Bee Day! . To celebrate we've compiled some fun facts about our little pollinator friends. . Pollination services, particularly those provided by bees, are estimated to value approximately €153 billion worldwide 💰 . Honey bees communicate to each other through a 'waggle dance' - it allows the bee to tell the other bees in the hive where food sources are 🍯 . Bumble bees do not die after they sting you - they are capable of stinging more than once. However, honey bee stingers have tiny barbs on them so that when the honey bee tries to retract it, it pulls apart their abdomen resulting in fatality 💀 . #worldbeeday #pollination #bumblebee #honeybee #ucdnature #irishnature #biodiversity . 📷@aisling.kinsella

The Banded Demoiselle • Brídeog Bhandach . The banded demoiselle is a species of broad-winged damselfly. When broad-winged damselflies are resting, they hold their wings together vertically above their body, as seen in the photo! . Not to be confused with dragonflies, damselflies are smaller, have slimmer bodies and their eyes are widely spaced. Dragonflies will hold their wings flat when at rest while damselflies fold their wings along the body - this is when it is easiest to distinguish them! . They breed in wetlands - the female inserts her eggs into a submerged substrate (such as an aquatic plant) and the nymphs are fully aquatic until their wingpads form and they can take flight as adults. . The photo shows a female banded demoiselle - the males have a very conspicuous dark band along their wings while the female wings have a green tint. . This is a Eurasian species as they have a very large global distribution. While this is one of the largest damselfly species found in Ireland, this photo was actually taken in China! . 📷@macyma2019 #ucdnature #greencampus #biodiversity #irishnature #globaldiversity #damselfly #macro

BIG NEWS . To celebrate World Migratory Bird Day, the @ucdgreencampus biodiversity co-ordinators and @ucdestates are happy to announce that the UCD Nature Colouring Book is now available! . Download your copy today from the link in bio, print off the pages that look the most fun and enjoy! . Don't forget to have a quick read about the species you're bringing to life, the book also includes interesting facts and information about each animal! . With 5 birds and 5 butterflies to choose from, the book should add some colour and fun to your day 🦋 . #ucdnature #irishnature #globalbigday #birdlovers #biodiversity #butterfly #ucd #myucd #universitycollegedublin #dublinwildlife

The Common Frog 🐸 . The only Irish frog species, the common frog is recognized as internationally important and is protected under the EU Habitats Directive as well as the Irish Wildlife Act ⚠️ . Frogs will start mating in early spring and will aggregate around any still water body to look for mates. As males attract females with their vocals, the cacophony of croaking can be heard 50m away. To avoid sliding off females, males have a special sticky 'nuptial pad' on their forelimbs! 💕 . 📷@ivana_connor #commonfrog #ranatemporaria #irishnature #biodiversity #ucdnature #greencampus

Happy May Day Everyone 🐝 . . . 📷@aisling.kinsella #ucdnature #biodiversity #bee #pollination #irishbees #irishnature #summerflowers #greencampus

Goldfinch • Lasair choille • Carduelis carduelis 🐥 . . A staple of the Irish landscape, keep an eye out for this little fella in your gardens! If you want to entice them and get a good look at their striking colours, they love a peanut feeder 🥜 . . 📷@aisling.kinsella #ucdnature #biodiversity #goldfinch #greencampus