Rté - Mooney Goes Wild

Derek is joined by Dr. Richard Collins along with ornithologists Niall Hatch and 'The Birdman' Eric Dempsey for a musical special. They are joined by traditional music royalty Donal Lunny & Paddy Glackin for a feast of bird inspired jigs & reels. And Maureen Carr tells us about her extraordinary photograph of a Robin feeding a Cuckoo.

The mystery of the Short Tailed Shearwater that breeds in Australia and Tasmania but one was discovered on a beach in County Waterford. We hear about the damage caused to the marine environment by 'flushable' wet wipes and Terry Flanagan investigates a sparrows nest above the doorway in Sandyford industrial estate.

Terry updates us on the Mute Swan families on the Northside of Dublin. Marine Biologist Emma Ridley talk's about SUPER DIEGO, the giant tortoise in the Galapagos Islands. Niall Hatch & Dr Stephen Newton of BirdWatch Ireland on rat eradication from seabird colonies & Dr Matthew Jebb joins Éanna ní Lámhna in studio to discuss all things botanical.

Derek talks to Jenny Lambert (Sunday World) & Niall Hatch (BirdWatch Ireland) about the MOONEY'S BIRD DETECTIVES booklet. Elaine O'Riordan from NUI Galway talks about a 'Citizen Scientists' hedgehog survey. Terry Flanagan dissects bird poo and Dr Richard Collins talks to Dr Glen Peters about the impact COVID 19 is having on carbon emissions.

Wild Deer during a Pandemic with Damien Hannigan from the Irish Deer Commission, Richard Collins talks about Mute Swans transporting chicks on their backs, Alex Crawford from Sky News on plastic pollution in the Nile & Terry Flanagan goes to St Catherine’s Park in Dublin to observe mating Pigeons.

First broadcast in 2004, in this radio documentary Eric Dempsey looks at the amazing journey of the swallow. The programme looks at the whole life cycle of Irish swallows, from the moment the adults arrive and begin nesting to the laying of the first eggs. It follows the progress of young birds in the nest to their arrival in South Africa.

Dr Richard Collins talks to 'Virus hunter' Professor Stephen Baker about Pandemics. Lorcan O'Toole of the Golden Eagle Trust, tells us about the recent illegal mass poisoning of BUZZARDS in Cork & Terry Flanagan reports on sightings of Terrapins in the Royal Canal.

Derek, Richard Collins and Niall Hatch discuss Imprinting in Mute Swans. We hear about Hedgehog mortality on our motorways and exploring Ireland's landscape, Carlow based playwright & novelist John MacKenna takes us for a stroll down the 'lane' where he lives.

Derek, Niall and Richard discover Little Egrets on the River Dodder, explore the unusual feeding habits of the Eleonora's Falcon, discuss the impacts of COVID 19 on primates and we pay tribute to UCC on the tenth anniversary of the College being awarded a Green Flag.

On Mooney Goes Wild this week we look at an Eaglecam in Glengarriff, Terry visits a city farm in Dublin, a Swan attack on the Royal Canal in Dublin and Richard talks to Paul Martyn Cooper about Nature's Explorers.