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Belfast Lough is an oasis in the heart of the city,
just 10 minutes from the city centre. At
first glance it's an unpromising location for wildlife, situated next to Belfast
Harbour, and sandwiched between the busy docks and the City Airport. 听 | | Boats and birds - Belfast
Lough is an unlikely oasis for nature |
It's a surprise
to find that Belfast Lough is the richest bird reserve in the whole of Ireland
in the middle of one of the country's most heavily industrialised areas.
Two
hundred different bird species have been recorded here including ducks, gulls,
waders, and raptors. On top of this there are the butterflies, the plants,
the fish and the mammals. This wetland has only been here for just over
25 years - it formed when it was enclosed from the sea and then became a dumping
ground for silt dredged from the lough. That might have been a bit of a
disaster but the birds spotted the potential and quickly moved in. Today
this freshwater lagoon is jam packed with wildlife, and winter is one of the best
times to see it. Wading wonderland  Winter
is a great time of year to watch waders, including Black-tailed Godwits.
The
breeding population of Black-tailed Godwits in the UK is now virtually extinct,
having been shot, collected, eaten and driven away by the draining of our wetlands.
In
winter, however, the Icelandic breeding population migrates south and about half
of the 50,000 strong population winters around the coasts of Britain and Ireland.
The colour-ringed bird in the photograph was marked as part of an international
study of godwit migration.
It was raised as a chick in the far north of
Iceland (6604N 1906W) in July 2002, and has migrated south to Belfast every autumn
since.
In some years it returns directly to Iceland but in others it moves
to the Netherlands before heading back north.
For some reason, and no-one
knows why - the Icelandic breeding population has increased in number rapidly
over the last century, and Belfast Lough is the one of the best, and most comfortable,
places to see them.
Belfast Lough nature reserve is run by the RSPB and
the Godwits are so close here that you can almost reach out and touch them.
The
Godwits like this area because the lagoon is perfect for their feeding needs,
and this wetland habitat has all but disappeared from elsewhere around the Lough Details
of the Black-tailed Godwit research can be found on the
Winter
birds  There
is a big over-wintering population at the Lough - about 400 birds - and they don't
get upset by humans watching them from the RSPB hide.
The reserve also has
healthy populations of Lapwings, Gulls, Widgeon and Snipes. Millions of
Snipe end up in western Europe from Russian and Arctic breeding grounds. These
birds hang around in groups and can be recognised by their cream lines and brown
patches. They like to stand in water, keeping their feet wet and their plumage
dry. When they're on the ground, they are masters of disguise, with superb
camouflage, but it's their upward zig-zag flight that once made them such a favourite
and a challenge for hunters. Urban wildlife  But
the lagoon isn't the only area of land that's managed for wildlife.
There's
a large complex of meadow and marsh land right under the nose of the city airport
that you can explore during the winter. There are wildlife walks led by
rangers to help you find the very best wildlife here. As well as the birds,
you might be lucky to see foxes in the urban area around Belfast. Inner
city and industrial sites are great places to see these creatures, and there is
also a managed population of this four legged predator at the Lough where they
can sometimes be seen from the hide. | 
