Latest sightings
Recent Sightings - 12th August 2019
The following sightings were recorded today from the reserve at Castle Espie at Mid Tide. The Tern on the raft at the Saline Lagoon is still tenaciously defending its young and saw off a Peregrine falcon on the hunt this morning.
12 August 2019
Recent Sightings - 5th August 2019
The following sightings were recorded today from the reserve at Castle Espie at LowTide. There is a nice mix of summer and autumn activity on the reserve with the birds like the tern and swallow still active on the nest while at the same time we are see
5 August 2019
Recent Sightings - 29th July 2019
Out and about in the woodlands at the minute there is is lots of activity in the undergrowth and small shrubs. One of our smallest, but nosiest residents has had a very successful breeding year, the Wren! There are lots of Wrens frantically gathering food
29 July 2019
Recent Sightings - 22nd June 2019
The reserve now seems eerily quiet as the Black-headed Gull colony has broken up, with adult and fledged chicks alike now spreading out around Strangford Lough. But all is not so peaceful and calm! In the Saline lagoon, in the absence of the gulls, a new
22 July 2019
Recent Sightings - 8th June 2019
Mid summer now and there is still lots of breeding activity going on; lots of birds are singing again, preparing fro a second brood of young. Lots of ducklings out on the lakes with their mother's. Hundreds of fledgling gull chicks pestering their parents
8 July 2019
Recent Sightings - 1st July 2019
All the hot weather over the past week has made being out in the reserve a real joy; Butterflies and Burnett moths are becoming abundant and very active in the Brickworks grasslands. The young swallows are getting fattened up on all the insects flying aro
1 July 2019
Recent Sightings - 24th June 2019
Despite the recent rain summer is on the way! The wildflower meadows are in bloom, with Ox-eye daises and various legumes in flower. Lots of ducklings and gull chicks are beginning to show well now. And the common Terns are being diligent parents over th
24 June 2019
Recent Sightings - 17th June 2019
Breeding is in full swing on the reserve with Black-headed gull, Tern, Coot, Shelduck, Graylag, and Tufted duck chicks all showing well on the reserve
17 June 2019
Recent Sightings - 3rd June 2019
An absolute MEGA bird turned up this week! Very excited to share that a Lesser Yellowlegs made an appearance at Castle Espie this week. This is a very rare vagrant to to Britain and Ireland, only 5-10 birds are seen every year. It spent a couple of days i
3 June 2019
Recent Sightings - 27th May 2019
Exciting news! Black-headed gull eggs are begin to crack open and reveal beautiful, mottled, fluffy chicks! The young gull chicks are very different from their parents; no feathers yet, only soft down to keep them warm. their colours contrast substantiall
27 May 2019
Recent Sightings - 20th May 2019
The appearance of baby chicks on the reserve is well underway with the Black-headed gulls, Shelduck and Graylag all with young.
20 May 2019
Recent Sightings - 13th May 2019
Another small migrant has joined us within the last couple of weeks; the Sedge Warbler. Migrating from Sub-Saharan Africa, they breed in Northern Europe's wetland habitats in the winter, with a particular affinity for reed-beds. This warbler, although qu
13 May 2019
Recent Sightings- 6th May 2019
We've had an unusual visitor at Castle Espie this week. Over the Main lake, silently swooping in-between the raucous Black-head Gulls; diminutive and yet elegant, a Little Gull. This isn't just a "small" gull, but in fact a very unusual visitor to Norther
6 May 2019
Recent Sightings - 15th April 2019
Barrow's Goldeneye is an American duck species and can be seen everyday at Castle Espie as part of our exotic wildfowl collection. However Strangford lough is a stronghold for the European Goldeneye and Castle Espie is probably one of the few places in th
15 April 2019
Recent Sightings - 8th April 2019
Over the past few weeks we've been blessed to have lots of Black-tailed Godwit on the reserve for the last couple of weeks. They can be seen roosting and feeding on the Wadermarsh and also on the mudflats on front of the Brent discovery hide.These birds a
8 April 2019