Mooney Goes Wild

Mooney Goes Wild listener Roland Umanan took a stroll in Merrion Square Park and found an interesting quote from Oscar Wilde: “The birds sat on top of the trees and sang so sweetly...” So, do birds actually sit? Richard and Niall discuss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Easter Monday (21st April 2025), we will bring you a special two-hour Nesting Season special. Derek Mooney and his panel of ornithological experts will broadcast live on RTÉ Radio One between 09:00 and 11:00 and tell you all about what the birds are up to. Make sure to tune in! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For a very long time, Ireland was famous amongst ornithologists for the fact that it had no woodpeckers. That all changed 20 years ago, when small populations of Great Spotted Woodpeckers began a natural colonisation of our island. Eric Dempsey and Niall Hatch discuss the 'drumming' birds. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On tonight’s programme, Terry Flanagan tells us about one of Ireland’s most abundant and best-known plants, the dandelion, and the surprising benefits it brings to Guinea Pigs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Long before the dawn of modern medicine, many wild animals harnessed the power of nature’s pharmacy. In his fascinating new book 'Doctors by Nature: How Ants, Apes and Other Animals Heal Themselves', author Jaap de Roode argues that we have underestimated the healing potential of nature for too long. He speaks to Éanna. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recently, the University of Galway launched its Pocket Forest project, which has involved the planting of a new 100m2 native woodland on campus. Recently, Terry Flanagan visited the University of Galway campus and met up with Dr. Caitriona Carolan, ecologist and Lecturer in Environmental Science and Biodiversity. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Across the world, one of the best known natural history facts about Ireland is that our island is completely devoid of wild snakes, which in global terms is highly unusual. So why doesn’t Ireland have any snakes? Was it because, as the famous story goes, all of them were expelled by St. Patrick in the 5th century? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In his evocative and thought-provoking new memoir 'Swimming Upstream: one man’s fight to save the Atlantic wild salmon', Patsy Peril recalls a life deeply entwined with Irish wildlife. Patsy speaks to our resident expert in all things piscine, Ken Whelan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The largest land-based carnivore on the planet, the Polar Bears is admired globally. But have you ever stopped to wonder why almost no snow or ice seems to stick to their fur? Julian Carolan is a PhD student at Trinity College Dublin and he is the lead author of a recently published paper that provides the answer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the past 14 years, the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland has run a special New Year Plant Hunt. Bridget Keehan, Ireland Officer for the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland, speaks to Éanna Ní Lamhna about it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the joys of early spring is seeing Common Frogs coming out of hibernation, triggered by the warming conditions and increasing day-length. Dermott Doran is a farmer in Co. Kildare who created a pond on his land where more and more frogs have been turning up to mate. Terry Flanagan went to see it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ahead of his documentary on Harper's Island Wetlands nature reserve, which willl broadcast this St. Patrick's Day at 3pm, Jim Wilson fills us in on the wildlife that can be found there and explains the inspiration behind the reserve’s centrepiece: its fantastic, state-of-the-art birdwatching hide. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mid-March is when our first migrant breeding birds begin to arrive back to Ireland including the Sand Martin, Swift, Swallow, Cuckoo and Ringed Plover. We are asking Mooney Goes Wild listeners to take part in a wonderful ‘citizen science’ project by reporting their first sightings of these birds. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the biggest clues that Spring has arrived is the increasing amount of birdsong. One of the true stars of the avian concert at this time of year has to be the Skylark, a bird that performs its songs unlike any other Irish bird. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are many excellent places in which enthusiasts can observe birds across the country, though the standard of the actual facilities, interpretive features, viewing areas and access routes at these locations can vary greatly. Jim, Richard and Niall discuss the good, the bad and the ugly of Irish birding facilities. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National Tree Week runs this year from March 9th to 16th and the theme of this year’s celebration is “Planting Trees, Growing Together”. To find out more, Terry Flanagan visited The National Botanic Gardens at Glasnevin in Dublin, where he spoke to Education Officer Felicity Gaffney and our own Éanna Ní Lamhna. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On 25th February, University College Cork hosted its second Sustainable Futures Forum. A panel discussion entitled 'Towards A Nature Positive Future' featured our own Éanna and Niall alongside Seán Ronayne with John O'Halloran as moderator. Here is the conversation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While Niall was in France recently, he visited The Camargue, a spectacular and vast wetland renowned as a true haven for biodiversity. It is home to a great many bird species, of all shapes and sizes, but undoubtedly the most celebrated and sought-after is the unmistakeable Greater Flamingo. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s still very early in the season, but have you noticed that birdsong is becoming more and more noticeable with each passing morning? Derek recorded one such avian performer in his garden last week: a male Song Thrush. Derek and Niall discuss it and bird song in general. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Starling murmuration is the name given to the phenomenon which sees hundreds of thousands of these small birds dancing through the air in winter and early spring. Terry Flanagan went to Lough Ennell in Co. Westmeath to meet James Crosbie and witness one. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a recent viral video, a Chilean kayaker called Adrián Simancas had an encounter with a Humpback Whale which could certainly be described as up close and personal! On tonight’s programme, Pádraig Whooley, Sightings Officer with the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, is your guide to the remarbable Humpback Whale. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A listener from Co. Kildare sent us a photo of a very small mammal that she discovered fast asleep in Co. Kildare. We showed it to Éanna, who immediately recognised it as a Hazel Dormouse which is not native to Ireland. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just one species of insect has specifically been afforded protection under Irish law: the Marsh Fritillary butterfly. Every year, volunteers from the Irish Peatland Conservation Council conduct surveys of wet grassland areas to monitor the species. Terry Flanagan met Nuala Madigan from the group. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amongst Ireland’s breeding birds, it is members of the wader family that are in the most severe trouble. The Breeding Waders European Innovation Partnership (EIP) has been established to try to save these struggling birds and its Project Manager, Owen Murphy, speaks to the show. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of Ireland’s scarcest and most elusive breeding birds, the Goosander is not your typical duck. As far as we know, Ireland’s Goosanders breed only in the uplands of Co. Wicklow. Eager to see his first ever Goosander, Terry Flanagan went to a secluded Wicklow lake and met local naturalist, author and bird-expert Declan Murphy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.