HomeWildlife Guide - A Walk on the Wild Side
West Belfast
Suggested time: six hoursLocations: Bog Meadows, Colin Glen Forest Park
Bog Meadows
Despite its unpromising location, adjacent to the M1 motorway and Milltown Cemetery, the 47-acre Bog Meadows is a gem of a nature reserve. It offers a variety of habitats, such as open water, reed beds, marsh, meadow and woodland, to many different species of bird.Little grebe, teal, moorhen and grey wagtails can be found in the ponds, while the marshy terrain hosts grey herons, common snipe and reed buntings. Lapwing, skylark, pied wagtail, and linnet thrive in the drier grassland areas.
The reserve is wheelchair-friendly and is accessible via Milltown Row, off the Falls Road.
Colin Glen Forest Park
Just a 25-minute bus ride from the Bog Meadows, the beautiful 200-acre Colin Glen Forest Park has the feel of isolated wild countryside though it is on the fringes of west Belfast.Begin your walk at the Forest Park Centre, where you can find all the information you need to make the most of your visit.
The more adventurous can also gain access to the magnificent Upper Colin Glen, which is owned by The National Trust.
Habitats such as woodland, grassland, waterfalls and ponds are home to a wide range of wildlife, including sparrowhawks, grey eerons and treecreepers.
Colin Glen also contains badgers, foxes, field mice, hedgehogs and red squirrels. You may discover a spectacular silver-washed fritillary, one of the largest of our butterflies, in the grasslands.
Further west, though only accessible by car, Divis and the Black Mountain, now a National Trust property, offers spectacular views as far away as the Isle of Man and the chance to discover a wide variety of natural life.
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
