Ita Martin
I consider myself an enthusiastic Natural History photographer. My passion for wildlife and nature photography began with observing birds in my back garden in Malahide after I joined Malahide Camera Club in 2009. Over time, this interest has inspired me to travel internationally, allowing me to document remarkable birds, mammals, and landscapes from around the globe through my photography.
Red Squirrel
Waterfalls Glenmalure Valley Wicklow
Red Squirrel
This image of a native Red Squirrel was captured in Irish Photography Hides in Ballyfin in the Sliabh Bloom Mountains. My favourite Irish Mammal.
The native Irish red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) is a small, mammal with distinctive ear tufts and red-brown fur, native to Ireland’s woodlands. After declining due to competition from the invasive grey squirrel (introduced in 1911), red squirrels are making a comeback in Ireland, largely aided by the recovery of the native pine marten, which preys on grey squirrels.
Diet: Feeds on tree seeds (pinecones), fungi, fruit, and buds.
Lifestyle: They do not hibernate but rely on winter food caches. They build nests, or “dreys”; made of twigs, leaves, and moss.
Breeding: Typically breed from January to March, producing 1–6 kits per litter.
The Pine Marten Factor: The recovery of the pine marten is key to the red squirrel’s comeback. Pine martens find the larger, slower grey squirrels easier to catch, allowing red squirrels to reclaim areas.
Waterfalls Glenmalure Valley Wicklow
Glenmalure is a scenic, remote valley in the Wicklow mountains and is the longest in Ireland and Britain.
The three waterfalls, known as the Coolalingo waterfalls, are better recognised among photographers as “The Secret Waterfalls” because of the difficulty in finding them.
This is a long exposure image.