This week has seen lots of visitors come to RSPB Belfast Harbour Reserve, both new and old. The tide in Belfast Lough has been high during opening hours, so we have had lots of people coming to see the variety of bird life on the reserve. High tide in the lough pushes lots of wading birds into the reserve as they need areas of mud and shallow water to shelter and feed. We have had high numbers of Oystercatchers, Dunlin and Black-tailed Godwits, as well as more unusual sightings of a couple of Ruff, a Spotted Redshank and a Green Sandpiper!
If you fancy the chance to see some of this wildlife, why not come on our guided walk, this Saturday 24th August, from 10am-12.30pm. This will be led by our warden, who will be able to tell you all about the wildlife on our reserve at the moment, and the seasonal changes that we will see happening soon, as our Terns get ready to fly south. This could be your last chance to see them for this year! You may also see evidence of what the birds are feeding on...take a look at this pipefish that we found at the edge of the reserve.
And it’s not just birds you might see, we have lots of butterflies still around, such as this lovely Common Blue butterfly.
Next week our volunteers will be busy clearing Sea Club Rush from around the edges of the lagoon. We’ll let you know next week how we’ve got on and why this work is so important.
Hope to see you soon!
The team at RSPB Belfast Harbour Reserve