Belfast
Saturday morning saw us docked in Belfast by 6:15am on an overcast day and 16c temperature. This is a busy commercial port with ferries also coming and going all day. Belfast is the capital city and main port of Northern Ireland, which stands on the banks of the river Lagan, and is connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel. It is the largest city in Northern Ireland and the second-largest city in Ireland, after Dublin, with a population of around 345,00 and of 704,000 for the greater metropolitan area.
Tour today was later, not leaving until 1pm. 19 of us set out on our bus for Castle Espie Wild Fowl Reserve. Our guide today was Richard Orr and Gregory our driver. We skirted around Belfast heading east for about 35 minutes to the wetland center. On the way we passed the gates of Stormont and slowed down briefly to see up the very long drive to the building. The Parliament Buildings, often referred to as Stormont, because of its location in the Stormont Estate area of Belfast, is the seat of the Northern Ireland Assembly, the devolved legislature for Northern Ireland. The purpose-built building, designed by Arnold Thornely, and constructed by Stewart & Partners, was opened by Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward IIIV), in 1932. The Stormont estate is set in 224 acres of woods and parkland.
Castle Espie is on the western banks of Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland. It’s a 35-minute drive east from Belfast. Castle Espie is a wetland reserve looked after by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT). Despite the name there is no castle here, only rumours of one in the distant past! The Castle Espie wetlands are home to a number of birds, including ducks, geese, swans and other wildfowl. In fact, it’s known as having the largest collection of ducks, geese and swans in Ireland. The 60 acres on the western shore of Strangford Lough are covered in woodland waterways, with walking trails connecting the areas. The wetlands have become an early wintering site for migratory birds, including the pale-bellied brent geese. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, lime was quarried at the site and processed in Hoffmann kilns. In the nineteenth century, there were also brickworks on the site. The site has been managed by WWT since 1990.
Just past the small town of Comber we took a side road down to our destination. Once inside we were given a short introduction then went our different ways, walking the grounds. The weather continued overcast with an occasional shower and 16c temperature. First stop was the fenced in Duckery where they keep the smaller hand reared birds safe. Here I saw Barrow’s Goldeneyes, Buffleheads, Ross’s Goose, Red Shovelers, Mallards, Teal. Eventually moved on to the rest of the trails and headed towards the Brent Discovery Hide in the nature reserve. This overlooked the Lough and was a great viewing point for the shingle bank where there were many birds. Fortunately, I had binoculars so was able to identify large numbers of Oyster Catchers along with Little Egrets, common gulls and a Grey Heron which flew in. Spent some time here watching a Black-Tailed Godwit wading and feeding in the water near the hide. Continued on towards the Roundhouse Hide. From here there was a view of the Freshwater Lagoon but with just a few birds visible, including another Little Egret. Moving on next to the Limekiln Observatory with panoramic views right across the Strangford Lough. Further on I came to the sight of the old Victorian brickworks where they once made bricks. Away from the water I visited the secret swamp area before returning to the Duckery where the birds were being fed. Finally, back to the visitor center and our bus was waiting for the return trip at 3:45pm. On our way back our guide, who was very entertaining, revealed that he had been an actor in his previous career, mainly on stage but also in a few films. Another 25 minutes found us on the dockside again.
