Des Higgins
@deshiggins.bsky.social
Lapsed bioinformaticist. Dublin. Molecular Evolution and sequence alignment. Clustal. Current birder and not very good jazz guitarist. Ex TCD, EMBL, EBI, UCC and UCD.
I'm just back from 8 days seawatching from the Bridges of Ross in the west of Ireland. 355 sabine's gulls on one of the days.
September 1, 2025 at 10:21 AM
I'm just back from 8 days seawatching from the Bridges of Ross in the west of Ireland. 355 sabine's gulls on one of the days.
First day this year seawatching. 31 wilson's petrels seen from the Bridges of Ross from 6.30am until 6.30pm
August 4, 2025 at 8:01 PM
First day this year seawatching. 31 wilson's petrels seen from the Bridges of Ross from 6.30am until 6.30pm
I went past this view hundreds of times over the past 55 years and never looked up. You can smell the malt being roasted at certain times of the day. Those big vertical white tanks are full of Guinness. This is on the western outskirts of Dublin City centre upriver along the Liffey.
July 6, 2025 at 10:12 AM
I went past this view hundreds of times over the past 55 years and never looked up. You can smell the malt being roasted at certain times of the day. Those big vertical white tanks are full of Guinness. This is on the western outskirts of Dublin City centre upriver along the Liffey.
Twitch to Tory Island, 10km off N coast of Ireland today to see Ireland's first ever Song Sparrow (n American passerine). Found by @robertvaughani.bsky.social
June 24, 2025 at 11:29 PM
Twitch to Tory Island, 10km off N coast of Ireland today to see Ireland's first ever Song Sparrow (n American passerine). Found by @robertvaughani.bsky.social
I have seen lots of these abroad but this morning I managed to see a Bee-eater in Ireland, in Donegal.
Photo taken using phone and scope.
Photo taken using phone and scope.
April 25, 2025 at 1:49 PM
I have seen lots of these abroad but this morning I managed to see a Bee-eater in Ireland, in Donegal.
Photo taken using phone and scope.
Photo taken using phone and scope.
Nightingale twitch on Helvick Head, Co. Waterford. Saw it for 2 seconds after 4 hour stakeout.
April 6, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Nightingale twitch on Helvick Head, Co. Waterford. Saw it for 2 seconds after 4 hour stakeout.
Higgins is derived from the viking (and current Norwegian) word for viking (Uigin). Dublinia viking museum offerering free entry for Paddy's Day.
March 13, 2025 at 11:49 AM
Higgins is derived from the viking (and current Norwegian) word for viking (Uigin). Dublinia viking museum offerering free entry for Paddy's Day.
This is from Kilkee Co. Clare a year ago. It was a sunny day and I was relieving my suffering using conventional methods.
March 12, 2025 at 10:15 AM
This is from Kilkee Co. Clare a year ago. It was a sunny day and I was relieving my suffering using conventional methods.
OK, so I'm in a bookshop and I see this and suddenly realise who this @scalzi.com bloke who is all over bluesky is. I never heard of him before. How could I have missed him? I adore Ben Aaronovitch, Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett etc
February 17, 2025 at 12:49 PM
OK, so I'm in a bookshop and I see this and suddenly realise who this @scalzi.com bloke who is all over bluesky is. I never heard of him before. How could I have missed him? I adore Ben Aaronovitch, Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett etc
I love this in the Wikipedia entry for Randolph Churchill. The last sentence is very witty.
February 5, 2025 at 8:48 AM
I love this in the Wikipedia entry for Randolph Churchill. The last sentence is very witty.
I had to Google him. I thought his name was familiar.
January 27, 2025 at 10:06 PM
I had to Google him. I thought his name was familiar.
The wikipedia entry for the Gala song Freed From Desire has this gem about Dublin soccer team Bohemians FC
January 7, 2025 at 12:34 AM
The wikipedia entry for the Gala song Freed From Desire has this gem about Dublin soccer team Bohemians FC
It's not often you get to see a Savi's warbler on prime time Irish TV. This was on RTE 1 Nationwide tonight from @brianmccloskey98.bsky.social
January 6, 2025 at 7:35 PM
It's not often you get to see a Savi's warbler on prime time Irish TV. This was on RTE 1 Nationwide tonight from @brianmccloskey98.bsky.social
I put out a half apple 2 days ago in the garden. Nothing happened the first day. This morning I could see it had been pecked vigorously. A male blackcap appeared shortly afterwards. It will be here until March when it will go back to mainland Europe to nest.
December 25, 2024 at 12:59 PM
I put out a half apple 2 days ago in the garden. Nothing happened the first day. This morning I could see it had been pecked vigorously. A male blackcap appeared shortly afterwards. It will be here until March when it will go back to mainland Europe to nest.
From Today in Irish Times That's Maths column by Peter Lynch.
December 19, 2024 at 12:22 PM
From Today in Irish Times That's Maths column by Peter Lynch.
Local photographer Pascal Lee photographed 2 birds he didn't recognise and put them on-line.
Next day it was mayhem as dozens of birders descended on site to see them. First Irish records.
www.irishbirding.com/categories/s...
Next day it was mayhem as dozens of birders descended on site to see them. First Irish records.
www.irishbirding.com/categories/s...
December 10, 2024 at 10:23 AM
Local photographer Pascal Lee photographed 2 birds he didn't recognise and put them on-line.
Next day it was mayhem as dozens of birders descended on site to see them. First Irish records.
www.irishbirding.com/categories/s...
Next day it was mayhem as dozens of birders descended on site to see them. First Irish records.
www.irishbirding.com/categories/s...
This one is from the last election, on way out of the RDS. Not sure which breed this mutt is.
November 29, 2024 at 1:09 PM
This one is from the last election, on way out of the RDS. Not sure which breed this mutt is.
From the middle of a small town square with greek folk music blasting out on speakers
November 28, 2024 at 11:47 AM
From the middle of a small town square with greek folk music blasting out on speakers
Here is one from a daytime roost on Lesbos last April.
November 28, 2024 at 11:45 AM
Here is one from a daytime roost on Lesbos last April.
Eurasian scops owls have an amazing song. Poem by John Kelly below the video link
youtu.be/SRDQfHlb8Lo?...
youtu.be/SRDQfHlb8Lo?...
November 28, 2024 at 11:41 AM
Eurasian scops owls have an amazing song. Poem by John Kelly below the video link
youtu.be/SRDQfHlb8Lo?...
youtu.be/SRDQfHlb8Lo?...
And now I win 30 grand just for following someone. Twitter really was horrible. Blue-sky is utopia.
November 23, 2024 at 10:27 AM
And now I win 30 grand just for following someone. Twitter really was horrible. Blue-sky is utopia.
I'm brand new here and getting followed by old friends and complete strangers. So I get followed by Kamala!!!! How exciting and nice. She only had 380 followers but this place is all new. Then I get a personal text. I love this place. I ended up sending my bank details
November 23, 2024 at 10:20 AM
I'm brand new here and getting followed by old friends and complete strangers. So I get followed by Kamala!!!! How exciting and nice. She only had 380 followers but this place is all new. Then I get a personal text. I love this place. I ended up sending my bank details