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Seasonal highlights

Each season brings a different experience at our nature reserves. In spring, the air is filled with birdsong as they compete to establish territories and attract a mate. In summer, look out for young birds making their first venture into the outside world. Autumn brings large movements of migrating birds - some heading south to a warmer climate, others seeking refuge in the UK from the cold Arctic winter. In winter, look out for large flocks of birds gathering to feed, or flying at dusk to form large roosts to keep warm.

Spring

Migrant flocks of black-tailed godwits, breeding moorhens, coots and mallards, feeding swallows, house martins and swifts, courtship activity of common terns.

Black-tailed godwits (illustration)Common tern (illustration)Swallow (illustration)swift in flight (illustration)
Black-tailed godwitCommon ternSwallowSwift

Summer

Colonies of breeding common and Arctic terns are easily seen from the hides and observation room during the summer months.

Arctic tern (illustration)Common tern (illustration)
Arctic ternCommon tern

Autumn

Migrant flocks of black-tailed godwits, oystercatchers, redshanks, dunlins and curlews gather in autumn.

Curlew (illustration)Dunlin in summer plumage (illustration)Oystercatcher (illustration)redshank illustration
CurlewDunlinOystercatcherRedshank

Winter

Wintering wildfowl, including teals and wigeons.

Teals (illustration)Wigeon (illustration)
TealWigeon

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Where is it?

  • Lat/lng: 54.62854,-5.87500
  • Grid reference: NW500328
  • Nearest town: Belfast
  • County: Belfast
  • Country: Northern Ireland

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