Wild Belfast

Wild Belfast tells the fascinating story of the wild creatures and plants that live within the urban environment of Northern Ireland's capital. It takes the reader on a safari around Greater Belfast - from the inner city and domestic gardens through parks, meadows, wetlands, woodlands and coastal areas. The journey includes the picturesque Lagan Valley, the historical Bog Meadows and the magnificent hills that surround the city. The thousands of starlings circling around Laganside on winter evenings are featured, as are the internationally important waders along the shores of Belfast Lough. Along with foxes, grey crows, house mice and other species that have adapted well to the urban setting, the reader will become acquainted with unusual and rare species that thrive almost unnoticed in quieter corners of the city, such as otters along the Lagan and wild orchids in the hills around the city. The book also takes a fresh look at the common plants that colonise our derelict urban spaces and the invertebrates that crawl about our gardens. A unique feature of the book is a guide to some of the best sites in the area for observing wildlife: how to get there, the best time to visit, and a flavour of what might be seen. With its absorbing text and over three hundred full-colour illustrations, this book will inspire everyone to discover Wild Belfast for themselves.