Tag Archives: Animals

North Cork Kittens

Budget 14 is started shortly but I doubt these kittens are interested. While visiting friends near Fermoy we went for a walk and came across 5 beautiful kittens wandering down the road. My wife scooped up one of them and a local resident stopped to take the kitten. Eventually, there were three cars parked along a narrow country road and 6 people gathered to try and house the kittens.

Luckily our friends had cat food which helped to lure the kittens but we could only grab three of them. The other two (including the black kitten in the photo above) weren’t as friendly. The three that were rescued are safe now but two of them are in need of a permanent home. Anyone want a really cute kitten?

Mylo

Mylo, a yorkie that was taken from the CSPCA Animal’s Home in Mahon, Cork. He’s looking a lot healthier than he was when he was adopted and left the care of the CSPCA. I was lucky to get this shot as he’s such an excitable dog he was jumping up and down, wagging his tail and a delight for all of us.

Pictured at the Friends of Animals in CSPCA petition on Patrick Street last Saturday.

Aperture ƒ/11
Camera Canon EOS 40D
Focal length 18mm
ISO 400
Shutter speed 1/320s

Alpacas know best

Several Alpacas were in Blarney earlier as part of a Bothar promotion to encourage people to support them. The animals, including one donkey, were a big hit with the kids. I only had my 50mm lens with me so no wide angle shots, but I did get a couple of nice ones.

Aperture ƒ/8
Camera Canon EOS 40D
Focal length 50mm
ISO 400
Shutter speed 1/160s

Mother Cat

This is Mother Cat. Matriarch of the local cats. Her litter of kittens are growing up and make a daily appearance in our garden. They’re all a little wild though. The kitten’s dad, Patches, was the polar opposite. He was friendly to us humans and loved to be rubbed and scratched behind the ear. He adored my wife, and even put up with Adam chasing him around!

Unfortunately he disappeared a few weeks ago, on the very day my wife bought antibiotics for a bad cut on his leg. A few days later a neighbour reported seeing his remains on the back road. A car must have hit him.

I think the cats noticed his disappearance. Or it could just be us projecting our human thoughts and feelings on a sad situation. The kitten in the background of this photo is the spitting image of Patches. He’s also the most friendly, even coming up to me and eating from my hand on occasion. What d’you think? Is he the tiny kitten I photographed last May? His colouring looks very similar!

Anyway, they’re well cared for. The mother cat has come up to our back door and meowed to be fed, only to call her offspring when food has been put out. It’s great to see it!

Aperture ƒ/5.6
Camera Canon EOS 40D
Focal length 106mm
ISO 800
Shutter speed 1/100s

The Fields of Slea Head

The green fields on Slea Head in County Kerry are home to many sheep and photographers who shoot this place to death. The photographers, not the sheep. With cameras.

While I was taking this photo another photographer walked down the slope just out of shot to shoot the beach at Cuminole!

Winners of the free hotel rooms tomorrow. There were only 5 entrants. Can’t believe it’s so hard to give away something free! I wonder if the hotel will actually make any bookings out of this?

Aperture ƒ/7.1
Camera Canon EOS 40D
Focal length 11mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/60s

The rolling hills of the Irish countryside

People come from far and wide to see the beautiful Irish countryside and it’s no wonder. There’s such a wide range of different scenery that you could spend many a day discovering new beauty spots.

This was shot near Dunmanway in West Cork. If you look very carefully you can see the wind power generators on the horizon but what attracted me to the scene was the gently rolling hills and changing light. Really beautiful part of the country.

Aperture ƒ/8
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 106mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/250s

Hungry Cat

A hungry, scrawny cat came up to us while walking around Schull in Co. Cork last weekend. The poor thing was crying for food and affection. This was the first time Adam saw a real cat and he was delighted but we had to leave the poor thing to fend for itself.

I discovered that the Irish name of the town called Schull is “Scoil Mhuire”, a much nicer name IMO. In English that would be “Mary’s School”, or more likely, “St. Mary’s School”. West Cork is so beautiful but the basterdisation of Irish names is shocking. I even saw a sign for a town called “Snámh” which had been translated as “Snave”. “Snámh” is the verb, “to swim” in English. Perhaps the town was created by an English landlord and named “Snave” first and then named “Snámh” by the Irish?

PS. Congrats to fellow Mallow Camera Club member, David Lavery, who left his comfortable 9-5 day job to become a wedding photographer in Mallow, Co. Cork a year ago today! Not many would take the jump, so I hope he’ll get that blog rolling and write about his experiences. I know I’d like to hear about them!

Aperture ƒ/5.6
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/80s

No moo room

Cows gather in the shed against the howling wind and cold at Allihies. No room for any more though!

Aperture ƒ/4.5
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 22mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/30s

Lonesome Donkey


Lonesome Donkey

A donkey, alone in his field. There’s a horse in the background but he’s being fed. The donkey doesn’t get anything. Poor thing.

Spotted on the road around Slea Head at the end of the Dingle Peninsula, Co. Kerry.

That’s the last of the donkey pictures. For now.

Aperture ƒ/11
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 20mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/160s
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