Glenmore parkland trail wood sculptures

Bee (Apis mellifera) 

There are many different types of bees in Northern Ireland including the Honeybee and 21 types of Bumblebees, all of which live in family groups and can make large nests; and approximately 80 types of solitary bees, which live alone and do not make large nests. All are important pollinators, visiting flowers to gather sugar-rich nectar and getting a dusting of pollen on their body as they do so. 

Barn Owl (Tyto alba)

The Barn Owl is a rare bird in Northern Ireland – there are possibly only a few dozen breeding pairs remaining. It has striking white underparts in flight which, in times past, convinced many people they had seen a ghost (an old country name was the Ghost Owl). It is also sometimes known as the Screech Owl as Barn Owls do not hoot but give loud eerie screech as they communicate with each other during the night. 

Barn Owls are the farmers’ friend, eating hundreds of mice and rats each year. These are easiest to catch at night, when the owls can use their excellent hearing to track down their prey without being seen. 

Moth (Lepidoptera)

There are approximately 470 species of large moths in Northern Ireland. Most are adorned in a mixture of browns, blacks and oranges which gives them excellent camouflage as they rest during the day. Some moths however are as brightly-coloured as some butterflies, using their bright colours to warn predators such as birds that they are often distasteful.

Some moth species also fly by day, like the butterflies, and similarly visit flowers to feed on sugar-rich nectar. 

Brown Trout (Salmo trutta)

This beautiful fish gets its name from the honey-brown colour of its body which is covered in many small, white-edged black spots. Improved water quality within the River Lagan means that the river now supports a healthy population of Brown Trout which spawn (lay eggs) in the upper reaches of the river. 

Within the river, trout prefer areas near submerged logs and rocks as well as near overhanging vegetation, which gives them protection from predators as well as shading from the sun during the summer months. 

Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum )

This tree produces familiar reddish-brown ‘conkers’ in late summer. These are formed within a spiky seed case and when the seed (conker) is fully formed, the seed case splits to reveal the conker inside.

Look closely at the bare branches during autumn and winter – the areas where the old leaves were attached are U-shaped, like a horse-shoe; these markings give the tree its name.

Another feature to look for during the autumn and winter are the large, sticky leaf buds at the ends of the branches. In spring these burst open to produce huge, fan-shaped leaves which look quite tropical! Tall spikes of white flowers are also produced during May and June, each spike resembling a miniature Christmas tree.

Native to Turkey, Horse Chestnut was introduced into the UK during the 1500’s and has been widely planted in parks, gardens and streets since that time.

Bat (Chiroptera)

There are eight species of bat in Northern Ireland. All are very small but powerful fliers. The Common Pipistrelle, one of our most widespread species, which is smaller than a mouse, can eat up to 2000 midges in a single night! 

Bats produce ultrasonic calls which reflect off their surroundings as they fly, allowing them to avoid obstacles and to catch small flying insects. 

Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)

Our native squirrel is the Red Squirrel, which today is a rare animal in Northern Ireland. It has distinctive long ear-tufts, a bushy tail and rusty-red fur over its body. Squirrels are omnivores, meaning they eat both plant and animal matter including insects, seeds, fruit and fungi. 

Squirrels are expert tree-climbers, spending most of their lives in the tree-tops where they are quite safe from danger and where they build football-shape nests, called dreys, from twigs and grasses. Dreys are where a squirrel will rest and raise its young. 

Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)

The Kingfisher is our most colourful bird. This beautiful bird is easy to recognise thanks to its bright blue and metallic copper colours. Although colourful, Kingfishers often sit on perches hidden from view and are most often seen as a streak of neon blue as they fly quickly from one perch to another.

As their name suggests they catch fish by diving from their perch, head-first into the water when they use their long, pointed bill to snatch a fish. 

Stickleback (Gastrosteus aculeatus) 

Reaching a length of up to 8 centimetres, this tiny fish has spines along its back which make it difficult to swallow if captured by a predator. Its upperparts are a dull green with silvery sides and underparts, which help to camouflage the fish from predators such as Kingfishers.

In the spring male sticklebacks develop a bright red belly and will create a ‘nest’ on the riverbed into which up to 100 eggs will be laid. The male will care for the eggs and guard them against predators such as other fish. 

Otter (Lutra lutra)

Otters are very secretive animals which spend their time both on land and in the water. They are often active at night or during very quiet times of the day when they forage for fish, birds and small mammals. In the water their webbed feet and sleek body help them to glide through the water. 

Heron (Ardea cinerea) 

The heron is one of our largest birds, standing at up to one metre tall and with a wingspan of up to 2 metres. It can often be seen standing at the side of or within the river, patiently watching and waiting for its prey – fish – to swim close enough to be caught in its long, pointed beak.

Although grey over most of its body the heron also has a white face, black eyebrow stripes, black ‘shoulders’, black wingtips, an orange beak and pink legs. 

Ladybird (Coccinellidae)

Ladybirds are harmless…. aren’t they? Their black and orange colours are an advertisement to predators such as birds that they taste awful and aren’t worth eating! 

Ladybirds are actually beetles, and they have an important job in nature – they eat tiny insects called greenfly (or aphids), which attach to plants and suck out their sugary sap. Too many aphids can cause damage to trees and other plants, so ladybirds help to keep their numbers in check. 

Badger (Meles meles)

The Badger is one of our most easily recognized animals with its bold black-and-white striped face. Badgers are expert excavators, using their long claws to dig tunnels called setts, within which they live.

Although they are very strong animals, their favourite food is very small – earthworms – which they hunt using their excellent sense of smell.