HomeWildlife Guide - A Walk on the Wild Side
South Belfast
Suggested Time: one day (but could be divided over two days)Locations: Lagan Valley Regional Park (Barnett Demesne, Clement Wilson Park, Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park, Belvoir Forest), Lagan Towpath.
Valley Regional Park, just a short drive from the centre of Belfast, covers a massive 1600 hectares of south Belfast with delightful meadows, woodlands, parkland, nature reserves, riverside trails and marshland.
Barnett Demesne and Clement Wilson Park
There are many different kinds of wildlife co-existing in the expansive open parkland and rolling meadows of beautiful Barnett Demesne and the adjacent Clement Wilson Park.Parkland birds include blackbird, the song thrush and swallow, while in wooded areas you can find blackcap, chiffchaff, jay and finches. Summer arrivals include house martins, with fieldfares and redwings visiting in winter.
Butterflies are found in abundance over meadows covered with wild flowers as the park unwinds down to the river.
You may also see the native red squirrel, smaller and shyer than its more populous grey cousin.
Other mammals include rabbits, hedgehogs and stoats. At dusk, badgers, foxes, mink, long-eared owls and otters emerge, while bats feed on the fuzz of insects.
There is ample parking in both parks and refreshments are served at the beautiful Georgian Malone House in Barnett Demesne.
Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park
Famous for its superb Rose Garden, the expansive meadows, marshes and woodlands of Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park are home to a range of parkland and woodland bird species such as jay, mistle thrush, rook, willow warbler and swallow, while red squirrels, stoats, badgers, foxes and pygmy shrews also find natural habitats here.Belvoir Forest Park
Richly atmospheric, the music of bird songs resonate through the thick woodland of Belvoir Forest Park, Belfast's largest forest, which boasts the oldest dated oaks in Ireland.Listen for the distinctive regional accent of the chaffinch and look out for the quicksilver sparrowhawk, which breed here.
In summer you'll find blackcaps, willow warblers and chiffchaffs with tits and finches common in winter.
Nocturnal creatures include otters, badgers, foxes and the pipistrelle bat. Don't miss the wonderful arboretum while you are there.
Lagan Meadows Local Nature Reserve
Lagan Meadows Local Nature Reserve, managed by us and the Ulster Wildlife Trust, is across the Lagan river from Belvoir Forest Park. The variety of habitats found in the reserve is reflected in the range of wildlife to be found here.Open water, swamps and wetland attract common snipe, woodcock, and sedge warblers, while dunnock, wrens and treecreepers (who, as their name suggests, climb up trees) love its ample woodland. Long-tailed tits and finches dart above the ground and reed buntings breed here.
There are picnic facilities and guided walks are available.
More information
The guide is also available from the Belfast Welcome Centre.Belfast Welcome Centre
47 Donegall Place
Belfast
BT1 5AD
Telephone: 028 9024 6609
Fax: 028 9031 2424
Email: welcomecentre@belfastvisitor.com
