RTÉ - Mooney Goes Wild

Were you one of the thousands of people who attended Bord Bia Bloom over the June Bank Holiday period? Derek and the team were there to bring you a very special live edition of Mooney Goes Wild. Here's one of the highlights: Niall Hatch gives five fantastic facts about feathered friends in five minutes!

Listener Ann Gethings kindly sent us a recording made by her brother Marc on his farm in Killaughrim in Caim, Co. Wexford. Marc's recording features the unmistakable sounds of a male Cuckoo in song . . . but was this Cuckoo late?

Cliodhna Kellegher from Banagher, Co. Offaly, got in touch with us to tell us about an unusual occurrence where a resident pair of Robins have taken a real fancy to the slug pellets that she puts out.

Ireland is home to some very rare native plants, and one of the rarest and hardest to find of all is the Burrowing Clover. Wicklow-based naturalist and author Declan Murphy met up with Terry Flanagan on the banks of the River Vartry to find it.

A new study has revealed how the loss of experienced individual elephants from their social groups stops the knowledge transfer between generations. Dr Lucy Bates (who led the research) from the University of Portsmouth's Centre for Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology, explains.

To finish tonight's programme, we thought we would share with you a truly beautiful and deeply moving account of a chance encounter with a Blackbird that was sent to us by listener Nuala McLoughlin.

On this Bank Holiday Monday, enjoy a repeat of this special documentary celebrating 30 years of Mooney Goes Wild, presented by Colm Flynn.

It's a special live programme this Bank Holiday Monday as the Mooney Goes Wild team broadcasts from Bloom at Dublin's Phoenix Park.

Vera Lynn once sang about the Nightingale, and while they may no longer sing in Berkeley Square, they certainly do still sing in the south of France. As Niall tells us, they are actually still fairly common there and he has a recording to share.

Recently, we received an email from Rosaleen Bourke in Bellharbour, Co. Clare, about a rare sighting of a Hazel Dormouse in that part of Ireland. We talk about the newest rodents to call Ireland home, how they differ from “true” mice, and whether their spread across Ireland will continue.

Waders are amongst the most threatened breeding species in Ireland. Serious conservation work is underway to support them including The Breeding Waders European Innovation Partnership. Terry Flanagan travelled to the shores of Lough Ree to speak to Owen Murphy, Senior Project Manager with the EIP, and Nest Protection Officer Dana Neill.

We know that a great many of you happen to have a fear of spiders, so you might not be thrilled to learn that Ireland now has “zombie spiders” to contend with! Found living in a cave between Cavan and Fermanagh, speleologists Tim and Pam Fogg are the husband-and-wife team who first discovered them so Michele Browne went to meet them.

Last week, the very sad news reached us that Michael O'Meara, a luminary in the world of Irish wildlife and a wonderful chronicler and custodian of the flora and fauna of Co. Waterford, had died. Éanna pays tribute.

For tonight's programme, Niall Hatch joins us from the delightful town of Mandelieu-La Napoule on the French Riviera, close to Cannes. Niall is on the lookout for butterflies (with France home to around 250 types), birds and moths such as the Hummingbird Hawk-moth.

Ónagh Kelly recently sent us a recording of a very striking bird sound captured in Phoenix Park. It was none other than the territorial “drumming” sound of a Great Spotted Woodpecker. Ónagh joins us to talk about the various birds that frequent the iconic park.

Eric Dempsey has sent us a report for tonight's programme all about a bird that happens to share his deep interest in moths: the Cuckoo. Eric happened to be out and about in the Midlands recently and heard one singing, and thankfully he managed to record it for us.

Lys Duff, one of our loyal listeners, sent us a lovely email recently with several photos attached of the rare Lime Hawk-moth. Needing further investigation, naturally we sent Terry Flanagan off and he spoke with lepidopterist Jesmond Harding.

The new Dublin Port Tolka Estuary Greenway has become a haven for wildlife in the heart of our capital city. On a recent sunny morning, we dispatched the inimitable Éanna Ni Lamhna to meet with Eamon McElroy, Port Engineer with Dublin Port Company, to find out more.

A quick reminder that National Biodiversity Week is currently underway, running this year from May 16th to 25th. Catherine O'Toole, Development Officer with the Irish Environmental Network, tells us more.

We do hope you tuned into our mammoth Dawn Chorus coverage over the weekend. If not, you can listen back on the player. Tonight, we give you another airing of Jim Wilson's documentary on Harper's Island Wetlands.

In this special edition of Nature on One, celebrating thirty years of Mooney Goes Wild, Colm Flynn meets the people behind the voices and revisits some of the moments that made this nature programme a household favourite.

First up on tonight's programme, our panel looks forward to one of the biggest and most anticipated natural history broadcasting events of the year: our annual Dawn Chorus Live programme. This year, our live broadcast will take place on Sunday May 4th from midnight through to 7am on both Radio 1 and Lyric FM.

We recently had an email from Alan Phelan in Portlaoise. He was surprised to come across a pair of pigeons nesting on his windowsill. Fascinated with their behaviour, Alan contacted the show and we sent roving reporter Terry Flanagan down to investigate.

Sadly, the once-abundant Curlew is one of Ireland's fastest declining and most threatened breeding bird species. Hope is not yet lost though with ambitious conservation projects underway, including a technique called headstarting. Éanna travelled to Fota Island to speak to Declan O'Donovan, Animal Care Manager at Fota Wildlife Park, to learn more.

Would you believe that next month Mooney Goes Wild will celebrate 30 years on air?! To celebrate this landmark occasion, our good friend and acclaimed documentary-maker Colm Flynn has crafted a special documentary programme all about the show. It will be broadcast on RTÉ Radio One at 15:00 on Bank Holiday Monday, 5th May.

We finish tonight's programme with a preview of the dawn chorus, to give you an idea of what to expect during our seven-hour live broadcast on Sunday 4th May. It promises to be another great programme, with lots of beautiful birdsong, expert commentary and fascinating insights into the avian world.

Niall has travelled far from Greystones for this week's episode as he dialls in from Egypt!

Derek recorded a Robin singing outside his home, putting us all in the mood for the Dawn Chorus which is only two weeks away.

We received an interesting email about a robin nesting in a barber shop in Dublin. Naturally, Terry Flanagan had to go off and investigate.

Calling in from Cobh, Co. Cork, Jim Wilson tells us about the upgrades for this year's Sand Martin stream that keeps it going 24/7.

This Monday from 09.00 to 11.00, we will broadcast the special programme NestWatch 2025. Shown on RTE News Now (TV) as well as on Radio 1, we will have live streams from nests around Ireland and special guests. Make sure to tune in.

April is one of the most exciting months of all for nature. Flowers are blooming, bees are buzzing, butterflies are taking flight and migrant birds, such as the Cuckoo and the Swallow, are due to arrive any day now. In celebration, Éanna recites Robert Browning's 1845 poem, 'Home-Thoughts, from Abroad'.

Listener Libby O'Toole sent us a very interesting email with photos of a very intricate wasps' nest in her glasshouse. As ever, Éanna is on the case.

We received another intriguing photo from listener Ger McEvoy, featuring a small bird that is famously very hard to spot...the Jack Snipe. Niall tells us all about one of the most secretive birds in Ireland.

We have regularly reported on the havoc that has been wrought on the woodlands of Killarney National Park by an invasive alien species - the Common Rhododendron. However, two new flailing machines may improve the situation. Eamonn Meskell, Divisional Manager with the National Parks and Wildlife Service tells us more.

Over the past couple of weeks, unusual weather conditions prompted the arrival of large numbers of Hoopoes in the southern counties. These migratory birds look more like cartoon characters than a creature one might encounter in real life.

Listener Paddy Ennis sent us an incredible video that highlights the intelligence of a Rook, one of the most common and familiar members of the crow family in Ireland, devising an ingenious solution to the problem of extracting nuts from Paddy's hanging garden bird feeder.

Of the many public parks across the city of Dublin, Blessington Street Basin is special. Its lake attracts many birds of different species, including swans and ducks. A brand new duck-food vending machine has been installed and Terry Flanagan and Richard Collins went along to try it out for themselves.

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.

The Common Crane is an exceptionally rare bird in Ireland. However, these huge, long-necked and long-legged birds were once widespread on the island. There have been sightings in recent years and digital creator, wildlife filmmaker and ornithologist Fionn O'Donoghue managed to film one in Kilkenny.

A campaign has recently been launched by UCC Marine Biologist Danielle Orrell to try to find hatching grounds of Flapper Skates (or mermaid's purses) off the south coast of Ireland. Keen to discover more about them and how you can get involved, we dispatched Terry Flanagan to Cork to meet Danielle.

Community-led actions have been instrumental in protecting the dunes of the Maharees Tombolo in Kerry. Michele Browne meets Eleanor Turner (Biodiversity Officer for Kerry Coco), Dr. Therese Higgins (Lecturer in Wildlife Biology at Munster Technological University) and Martha Farrell (Co-founder of the Maharees Conservation Association).