Robert Vaughan

@robertvaughani.bsky.social

1156 Followers 178 Following

Wildlife artist www.robertvaughanillustrations.com

The Pacific Diver was a first Donegal record, and spent over a month around Glashagh Bay on Fanad. During that time it moulted from winter to summer plumage and gave a great opportunity to study the subtle differences from Black-throated.
The maps are available to all visitors in the park, and are a great way to explore the amazing flora and fauna that can be found there, we really hope you enjoy them!
We were delighted to be invited along to launch the new biodiversity and hiking trail maps that we created together for the Park during the Natura 2000 Biodiversity Networking Brunch. Graphic Design @diademadisara_design www.diademadisara.com
Worked up from sketches and photographs, Irelands first twitchable Oriental Turtle Dove showed very well after a long wait.
The lek was hard to count, birds were coming and going, and calls could be heard way off the track also.
Sketching the juvenile in the nest. The views were wonderful, but there was the tough choice of standing in full heat of the sun, or stand in the shade and be eaten alive by mosquitos!
The juvenile Harpy sat about the nest, fed on an iguana, and just posed beautifully while I was there.
Glenveagh National Park are delighted to have received so many impressive entries to our Wainfest Children’s Art Competition on the theme – Irish Wildlife in a Changing Climate. The closing date for entries is on 7 December 2025 so get drawing, painting and creating and send entries in to us before then. Twelve entries will be picked by acclaimed wildlife illustrator Robert Vaughan and included in our annual children’s calendar. Donegal County Council & the Climate Action Team are sponsoring some excellent prizes including art packs, vouchers for Nadur shop here in Glenveagh National Park as well as an exclusive art workshop with Robert Vaughan! Entries can be posted or delivered to: Glenveagh National Park Visitor Centre Church Hill, Letterkenny Donegal F92P993 Please ensure your full name, class / year group and contact details are included.
1st winter Ross's Gull from Salthill in Galway.
A few sketches of the birds when they did land close by.
This adult Pink-footed Goose showed particularly well, sleeping in a roadside field with some Greylags.
A few sketches of the head, it spent most of the time hunched over feeding.
Swainson's Thrush and a pencil out line of the Grey-cheeked, both surprise new birds for Donegal that stayed over a week allowing everyone plenty of time to see them.
The juvenile American Golden Plover appeared to drop in to the lake shore infront of me as I scanned for waders. Apparently a new bird, as there hadn't been one seen in over a week.
The rufous flanks were starting to break through, and in good light there was a blue sheen around the eye, confirming it as a young male as I had originally thought.