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Oxford Island
Oxford Island is a National Nature Reserve and public recreation site on the southern shores of Lough Neagh at Lurgan, County Armagh. The site covers 282 acres (113 hectares) and is owned and maintained by Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council. Much of the area is designated as a National Nature Reserve due to its wide variety of natural habitats. The purpose of all work on the island is to maintain biodiversity and to provide a recreation area for everyone. History In 1846 the water level in Lough Neagh was lowered artificially for the first time, and Oxford Island became a peninsula. Under the Craigavon New City Plans, Oxford Island was acquired as a site for public recreation. At that time most of the land was cultivated or grazed so that any natural vegetation cover was eradicated. Since the acquisition by Craigavon Borough Council in the late 1960s, many thousands of mixed woodland trees have been planted, the Lough shore allowed to develop naturally and the m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lough Neagh
Lough Neagh ( ) is a freshwater lake in Northern Ireland and is the largest lake in the island of Ireland, the United Kingdom and the British Isles. It has a surface area of and supplies 40% of Northern Ireland's water. Its main inflows come from the Upper River Bann and River Blackwater, and its main outflow is the Lower River Bann. Its name comes from Irish , meaning " Eachaidh's lake".Deirdre Flanagan and Laurance Flanagan, Irish Placenames, (Gill & Macmillan Ltd, 1994) The lough is owned by the Earl of Shaftesbury and managed by Lough Neagh Partnership Ltd. Geography With an area of , it is the British Isles' largest lake by area and is ranked 33rd in the list of largest lakes of Europe. Located west of Belfast, it is about long and wide. It is very shallow around the margins and the average depth in the main body of the lake is about , although at its deepest the lough is about deep. Geology Geologically the Lough Neagh Basin is a depression, built from many tecto ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anthocharis Cardamines
''Anthocharis cardamines'', the orange tip, is a butterfly in the family Pieridae, which contains about 1,100 species. ''A. cardamines'' is mainly found throughout Europe and temperate Asia (Palearctic) The males feature wings with a signature orange pigmentation, which is the origin of ''A. cardamines''' common name. Males and females of this species occupy different habitats: males mostly frequent the edges of forests whereas females frequent meadows. ''A. cardamines'' feeds on most plants found within its habitat but the females selectively oviposit on young inflorescence of crucifers. Mating is usually controlled by females as virgin females found in flight are always pursued by males immediately. Females can signal different meanings to the approaching males by using their abdomen. There is evidence that mated females have an anti-aphrodisiac and that their usage of the abdomen has a closely related function in presenting these pheromones to males. This species has been af ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brown Trout
The brown trout (''Salmo trutta'') is a European species of salmonid fish that has been widely introduced into suitable environments globally. It includes purely freshwater populations, referred to as the riverine ecotype, ''Salmo trutta'' morpha ''fario'', a lacustrine ecotype, ''S. trutta'' morpha ''lacustris'', also called the lake trout, and anadromous forms known as the sea trout, ''S. trutta'' morpha ''trutta''. The latter migrates to the oceans for much of its life and returns to fresh water only to spawn. Sea trout in Ireland and Britain have many regional names: sewin in Wales, finnock in Scotland, peal in the West Country, mort in North West England, and white trout in Ireland. The lacustrine morph of brown trout is most usually potamodromous, migrating from lakes into rivers or streams to spawn, although evidence indicates some stocks spawn on wind-swept shorelines of lakes. ''S. trutta'' morpha ''fario'' forms stream-resident populations, typically in alpine stre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Common Bream
The common bream, freshwater bream, bream, bronze bream, carp bream or sweaty bream (''Abramis brama''), is a European species of freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is now considered to be the only species in the genus ''Abramis''. Range and habitat The common bream's home range is Europe north of the Alps and Pyrenees, as well as the Balkans. They are found as far east as the Caspian Sea, the Black Sea, and the Aral Sea. The common bream lives in ponds, lakes, canals, and slow-flowing rivers. Description The bream is usually long, though some specimens of have been recorded; it usually weighs . Its maximum length is 90 cm (35.5 in),the recorded weight is around 9.1 kg (20 lb). The common bream has a laterally flattened and high-backed body and a slightly undershot mouth. It is a silvery grey colour, though older fish can be bronze-coloured, especially in clear waters. The fins are greyish to black, but never reddish. Similar-looking fish Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Perch
Perch is a common name for fish of the genus ''Perca'', freshwater gamefish belonging to the family Percidae. The perch, of which three species occur in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of vertebrates: the Perciformes, from the el, πέρκη (), simply meaning perch, and the Latin ''forma'' meaning shape. Many species of freshwater gamefish more or less resemble perch, but belong to different genera. In fact, the exclusively saltwater-dwelling red drum is often referred to as a red perch, though by definition perch are freshwater fish. Though many fish are referred to as perch as a common name, to be considered a true perch, the fish must be of the family Percidae. The type species for this genus is the European perch, ''P. fluviatilis''. Species Most authorities recognize three species within the perch genus: * The European perch (''P. fluviatilis'') is primarily found in Europe, but a few can also be found in South Africa, and even as far ea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Northern Pike
The northern pike (''Esox lucius'') is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus '' Esox'' (the pikes). They are typical of brackish and fresh waters of the Northern Hemisphere (''i.e.'' holarctic in distribution). They are known simply as a pike in Britain, Ireland, and most of Eastern Europe, Canada and the United States. Pike can grow to a relatively large size: the average length is about , with maximum recorded lengths of up to and published weights of . The IGFA currently recognizes a pike caught by Lothar Louis on Greffern Lake, Germany, on 16 October 1986, as the all-tackle world-record northern pike. Northern pike grow to larger sizes in Eurasia than in North America, and typically grow to larger sizes in coastal than inland regions of Eurasia. Etymology The northern pike gets its common name from its resemblance to the pole-weapon known as the pike (from the Middle English for 'pointed'). Various other unofficial trivial names are common pike, Lakes pike, great n ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
European Peacock
''Aglais io'', the European peacock, more commonly known simply as the peacock butterfly, is a colourful butterfly, found in Europe and temperate Asia as far east as Japan. It was formerly classified as the only member of the genus ''Inachis'' (the name is derived from Greek mythology, meaning Io, the daughter of Inachus). It should not be confused or classified with the "American peacocks" in the genus '' Anartia''; while belonging to the same family as the European peacock, Nymphalidae, the American peacocks are not close relatives of the Eurasian species. The peacock butterfly is resident in much of its range, often wintering in buildings or trees. It therefore often appears quite early in spring. The peacock butterfly has figured in research in which the role of eyespots as an anti-predator mechanism has been investigated. The peacock is expanding its range and is not known to be threatened. Characteristics The butterfly has a wingspan of 50 to 55 mm. The base colour o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vanessa Atalanta
''Vanessa atalanta'', the red admiral or, previously, the red admirable, is a well-characterized, medium-sized butterfly with black wings, red bands, and white spots. It has a wingspan of about . It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. The red admiral is widely distributed across temperate regions of North Africa, the Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean. It resides in warmer areas, but migrates north in spring and sometimes again in autumn. Typically found in moist woodlands, the red admiral caterpillar's primary host plant is the stinging nettle (''Urtica dioica''); it can also be found on the false nettle (''Boehmeria cylindrica''). The adult butterfly drinks from flowering plants like ''Buddleia'' and overripe fruit. Red admirals are territorial; females will only mate with males that hold territory. Males with superior flight abilities are more likely to successfully court females. It is known as an unusually calm but ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Small Copper
''Lycaena phlaeas'', the small copper, American copper, or common copper, is a butterfly of the Lycaenids or gossamer-winged butterfly family. According to Guppy and Shepard (2001), its specific name ''phlaeas'' is said to be derived either from the Greek (''phlégo''), "to burn up", or from the Latin ''floreo'', "to flourish". Description The upperside forewings are a bright orange with a dark outside edge border and with eight or nine black spots. The hindwings are dark with an orange border. Some females also have a row of blue spots inside the orange border and are known as form ''caeruleopunctata''. The undersides are patterned in a similar way but are paler. The black spots on the forewings are outlined in yellow and the dark colouring is replaced by a pale brownish grey. The hindwings are the same brown/grey colour with small black dots and a narrow orange border. The caterpillars (larvae) are usually green, but some have a purple stripe down the middle of the back ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Small Heath (butterfly)
The small heath (''Coenonympha pamphilus'') is a butterfly species belonging to the family Nymphalidae, classified within the subfamily Satyrinae (commonly known as "the browns"). It is the smallest butterfly in this subfamily. The small heath is diurnal and flies with a noticeable fluttering flight pattern near the ground. It rests with closed wings when not in flight.Wickman, Per-Clof. "The Influence of Temperature on the Territorial and Mate Locating Behaviour of the Small Heath Butterfly, Coenonympha Pamphilus (L.) (Lepidoptera: Satyridae)." ''Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology'', vol. 16, no. 3, 1985, pp. 233–238., doi:10.1007/bf00310985. It is widespread in colonies throughout the grasslands of Eurasia and north-western Africa, preferring drier habitats than other ''Coenonympha'', such as salt marshes, alpine meadows, wetlands, and grasslands near water (i.e. streams). However, habitat loss caused by human activities has led to a decline in populations in some locations. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Common Blue
The common blue butterfly or European common blue (''Polyommatus icarus'') is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae and subfamily Polyommatinae. The butterfly is found throughout the Palearctic. Butterflies in the Polyommatinae are collectively called blues, from the coloring of the wings. Common blue males usually have wings that are blue above with a black-brown border and a white fringe. The females are usually brown above with a blue dusting and orange spots. Taxonomy and phylogeny This species was first described by Siegmund Adrian von Rottemburg in 1775. Vernacular names that have been given to ''P. icarus'' include little blew argus, blew argus, mixed argus, selvedg’d argus, ultramarine blue, caerulean butterfly, and alexis. Subspecies Subspecies include: * ''P. i. icarus'' (Europe, Caucasus, Transcaucasia) * ''P. i. mariscolore'' ( Kane, 1893) (Ireland) * ''P. i. fuchsi'' ( Sheljuzhko, 1928) (South Siberia, Transbaikalia) * ''P. i. omelkoi'' Dubatolov & Korshunov, 199 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Speckled Wood (butterfly)
The speckled wood (''Pararge aegeria'') is a butterfly found in and on the borders of woodland areas throughout much of the Palearctic realm. The species is subdivided into multiple subspecies, including ''Pararge aegeria aegeria'', ''Pararge aegeria tircis'', ''Pararge aegeria oblita'', and ''Pararge aegeria insula''. The color of this butterfly varies between subspecies. The existence of these subspecies is due to variation in morphology down a gradient corresponding to a geographic cline. The background of the wings ranges from brown to orange, and the spots are either pale yellow, white, cream, or a tawny orange. The speckled wood feeds on a variety of grass species. The males of this species exhibit two types of mate locating behaviors: territorial defense and patrolling. The proportion of males exhibiting these two strategies changes based on ecological conditions. The monandrous female must choose which type of male can help her reproduce successfully. Her decision is heavi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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