nature reserves antrim

High on the slopes of Slieveanorra Mountain are four plots of peat bog which show different stages in the formation and erosion of peat. The owennaglush plot is a rare example of a raised bog in which the peat is actively growing, while the Orra Bog and Slieveanorra plots show what happens when shallow blanket peat is eroded. The plant life varies from heather and deer grass in drier areas, to damp patches where sphagnum moss, sedges and cotton gras grow. Bog asphodel, bog-bean and insect-eat...

Mountain habitat is rare within cities, but the moorland on top of Cave Hill is home to wheatears and skylarks and flowers such as sheep's bit, marsh orchids and wild thyme. On the rugged cliffs nest kestrels, peregrines and ravens that hunt on the heather clad and rabbit infested slopes above the tree line....

Randalstown Forest and Farr's Bay are two small adjacent nature reserves on the north shore of Lough Neagh. The shoreline here is part of a much larger wildfowl refuge that extends from the River Sixmilewater in the east to Blackrock Bay in the west. The area is not typical of most of the Lough Neagh shoreline as it is not grazed by cattle and is therefore heavily wooded. Parts of the wood are dry with ash, hawthorn and blackthorn but other parts are very wet with alder and willow trees. Rar...

Rea's Wood stretches for one mile along the shores of Lough Neagh and is a fine example of a wet woodland, dominated by alder, willow and birch trees. The Lough level has been lowered several times and the woodland now straddles parallel sand bars with wet peaty hollows in between that were once part of the lake bed. The luxuriantly vegetated woodland floor provides ideal habitat not only for many plants but also for many rare invertebrates including snails, slugs, horseflies and beetles. So...

About 80 of the Islands in Lough Neagh are managed as part of the Lough Neagh National Nature Reserve. Populations of breeding birds are monitored every year. On the islands as a whole about 500 pairs of mallard, 300 tufted duck, 500 great crested grebes, 30,000 black-headed gulls, 150 common terns and 60 mute swans nest. Islands are essential to provide secure nesting sites for many species of wetland birds as they provide safety and seclusion from predators such as foxes, rats and mink and...

Perched high above Straidkilly point is one of the largest, semi-natural woods in County Antrim. Hazel thickets on the lower slopes give way to mixed woodland of ash, birch, hawthorn and rowan. Before the tree canopy closes overhead in early summer, the woodland floor is carpeted with bluebells and the delicate white flowers of wood anemones, while the pungent smell of wild garlic fills the air. Sunny glades within the woodland provide sheltered areas for insects, and butterflies in particula...

It's only here that you can dabble in a living rock pool without getting your feet wet; in our touch tank you will find everything from a limpet to a lobster…...

At one time, oakwoods covered much of north-east Antrim. Gradually the trees were felled for timber and the land cleared for farming. Today, Breen Oakwood is one the last fragments of these once extensive woodlands. The mature oaks form a dense canopy overhead, with birch on the higher ridges. Rowan, hawthorn, holly and hazel grow beneath to form an understorey, with alder and willow in the damper areas beside streams. Ferns and mosses thrive in the damp, shady conditions, while dragonflies...

One-mile trail shows vegetation types developed on sand and chalk. Geological features displayed. Free access always. On A2 1-1/2 miles west of Ballintoy....