Spotted, Gadwall Ducks at Kiltonga Wildlife Reserve N'Ards
We are on the edge of Newtownards Co Down. We have called into Kiltonga Wildlife Reserve, a managed series of Ponds, off the Belfast Road, to go for a pleasant walk.
The lakes are home to assorted duck and scores of Greylag Geese. All birds appear to be remarkably tame and unafraid of humans!
Along with the Mallard and Shoveler are numerous pairs of a duck that i have never come across before in all my years bird watching! Remarkably the Gadwell is completely new to me and I expect a lot of other bird watchers.How did I ever manage to miss it? I reckon I have probably viewed others like this from a distance but have dismissed them as female mallard. Oooops!
Here they were hiding in plain view all the time- and I call myself a bird watcher! lol
360 Degree Video of Kiltonga Nature Reserve Northern Ireland
And who out there does not love nature? Yes, there are different destinations in Northern Ireland and Ireland which one could head out to when it comes to the historical attractions, but also getting to a place where the kids could enjoy playing or where one could enjoy the peace of mind is something which these two countries also offer.
We have been to several places in county Down and one of them is the Kiltonga Nature Reserve which is located in Newtownards and which you will definitely enjoy as some kind of changing those different historical and cultural destinations which you might be always heading to and checking.
Kiltonga Nature Reserve is located on Belfast Road, which is about half a mile outside Newtownards and that is why it is always considered part of it. Inside this Reserve, one will get the chance to see swans, mallards, little grebe, moorhens and coots; they are always present there and making the place look a lot more interesting. Kiltonga Nature Reserve is not just about entering the place and seeing the lakes with those different birds flying around, but it is made and prepared for people to walk around those lakes and even sit on the bench chairs situated there - it is actually prepared also for pushchairs and for the disabled - and it is actually accessed for free anytime during the day.
So, in addition to the reviews which people offer for this place, we have to mention that Kiltonga Nature Reserve has also became the first site in UK to be awarded BT Millennium Miles Status in 2000 and also has been presented with the Green Flag Award, which is the international mark of quality.
Kiltonga Nature Reserve is actually part of the family of Ards and North Down who also have other parks and some of them even received the same Green Flag Award, such as Castle Park, Londonderry Park, and Bangor Castle Walled Garden. So if you happen to be around any of these different parks across the country, you could choose to get inside any of them and we could assure you that you will fall in love with it instantly.
We totally recommend Kiltonga Nature Reserve for those who have a wide interest in birds for the different types that are found there, other than that, all those who love nature (which is almost every person out there) will love the place for the walks and the sits that they could have - this park also allows dogs but they should be closely watched and kept under control.
One of the interesting things we got to discover while being in Kiltonga Nature Reserve is that at some point and place, one could get the chance to view Scrabo Tower which is one of the attractions in Newtownards and which is located to the west of it, standing 540 feet above sea level and is actually 125 feet high - it is one of the noted landmarks in the place which we have been to and also recommend for those visiting different places around this area in general (
In addition to the Kiltonga Nature Reserve and the Scrabo Tower that could be spotted from it, there are still other places which we would recommend for people to visit when it comes to Newtownards in Northern Ireland. Those suggestions would include the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum which we have been to before ( there's is Helen's Tower as well, the Island Hill, the Grey Point Fort, the Redburn Country Park, going to the Mount Stewart House ( visiting the Somme Heritage Centre, checking the Ballycopeland Windmill, and of course there are different restaurants and clubs for those who are searching for places to eat and places to spend some good time at.
Generally speaking and since Newtownards is located in county Down, Northern Ireland, we have to mention those sites which we have been to before but which might not be specifically in Newtownards, which you could definitely visit. From these places, there is Tollymore Forest Park ( there is also Castlewellan Forest Park ( Down Cathedral, the famous Dundrum Castle which we definitely recommend ( there is the Peace Maze which is found inside Castlewellan Forest Park and which is considered one of the most famous around the world ( as well as other different places which we haven't been to yet.
This was one of the different trips and experiences that we had in Newtownards, county Down, Northern Ireland, but there are lots of other places and different other destinations that we have headed to around the country and in different counties and we still have lots of other places in our plan which we would like to go to and check one day.
Some of the best locations around Ireland / Northern Ireland and further afield. A travel blog/vlog of the hidden treasures that are on our doorstep.
Scrabo Tower - Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland
Being in Newtownards means getting the chance to visit Scrabo Tower - and you should never miss such a chance! (
Scrabo Tower is located to the west of Newtownards in county Down, Northern Ireland, this turreted tower is a noted landmark which stands at 540 feet (which is 160 meters tall) above sea level and is 125 feet (35 meters) high; a tall building which is now banning people to go up for some security reasons.
For the length of this tower as well as for being placed on a hill, it could be actually spotted from almost all the north part of county Down. The history of Scrabo Tower began in 1857 as it was built as a memorial to Charles Stewart, the 3rd Marquess of Londonderry who was one of the Duke of Wellington's generals during the Napoleonic Wars.
Today, Scrabo Tower houses two floors of display with access to a viewing level via a climb of 122 steps, but in April 2014 it was closed for the safety of the visitors because the Northern Ireland Environment Agency said that the tower had suffered serious water ingress that had damaged the electricity supply. In 2015, the tower started to reopen occasionally until it opened completely once again in 2017, allowing all those who might be visiting Newtownards for Scrabo Tower to climb it and see the views from up there.
There is a country park just beside the tower - or which is considered part of the tower itself - which is always open to the public and has several woodland walks and parkland through Killynether Wood. As much as this is considered a historical building to check and know more about while being in Newtownards, the scenes and views which you will get the chance to receive are magnificent; actually the view from the hill extends across Strangford Lough to the Mountains of Mourne and the Scottish coast.
The name Scrabo which is given to the tower is said to come from the Gaelic word for a cow pasture for the days when there was a community pasture for cattle on the hill, but unfortunately the stone or hut circles were destroyed by the creation of the golf course.
Building this tower went through different stages and there were even different designs created before settling on the one given to this tower, and all that was just to commemorate the Marquis. The first tenant of the tower was William McKay, a foreman at the quarry, who with his wife brought the family of 8 children in the tower and even the keys of the tower were handed back to Londonderry Estate by his granddaughters.
Getting these mesmerizing views from Scrabo Tower and enjoying the green area that is surrounding it is only one thing that you could enjoy doing in Newtownards because there are still other things to be visited and other places to be considered.
If you came to check this tower in Newtownards then you should also consider some other places as well, such as the Greyabbey ( the Kiltonga wildlife reserve which will provide you with a walk along the birds' view ( and there is also Mount Stewart House and Gardens (
On the other hand, there are lots of places that are located in county Down, Northern Ireland, and even if they might not be all close to one another or within reach, we can mention some of those which we have been to: we have been to Rostrevor ( Donaghadee ( Portaferry ( Dundrum Castle ( Crawfordsburn ( Bangor ( Ballywalter ( and Tollymore Forest in Newcastle ( these are some of those which we have visited, but you could still find lots of other places in county Down.
We personally recommend visiting Scrabo Tower if you happen to be in Newtownards, not just to check this as an old historical building but also to indulge in the scene that you are going to receive if the tower is open and you are allowed to get inside, or even just by getting this view while standing on the hill right next to the tower; it is all worth it! We have already been there several times and we are happy about them all.
If you have been to Newtownards before and visited Scrabo Tower, tell us about the experience you have had and share with us any of the discoveries which you have managed to find out about the place - we will be very excited to hear from you all.
This was our trip to Scrabo Tower in county Down, Northern Ireland, and the the views we have managed to receive - just amazing!
Some of the best locations around Ireland / Northern Ireland and further afield. A travel blog/vlog of the hidden treasures that are on our doorstep.
Mount Stewart County Down - 19th Century House and Gardens-The National Trust Northern Ireland
Mount Stewart House and Gardens is a National Trust property based in County Down, Northern Ireland. Mount Stewart house is a home that was owned by the 7th Marchioness Edith, Lady Londonderry and her family and it has been beautifully restored to its spender from that era (
Mount Stewart Gardens overlook Strangford Lough and has been voted as one of the top 10 gardens in the world! Mount Stewart is listed on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage tentative list.
The garden areas consist of - The Sunk Garden, Shamrock Garden, The Italian Garden, The Spanish Garden and the Mairi Garden.
Old houses, castles, and buildings in general are our number one interest when it comes to visiting the historical locations and attractions of a city we are heading to. Newtownards is not a town that we are visiting for the first time - we are locals :-) - but we love to come and cherish the beauty of this building which is being taken care of by the National Trust.
This 19th-century house and garden reflect the history of the Vane-Tempest-Stewart family through the contents it still carries - for those who don't know, this family played a great leading role in the British and Irish social and political life; it was the Marquesses of Londonderry.
Back in time, when the house was first bought by Alexander Stewart in 1744, it was known as Mount Pleasant and it is also believed that the money that this family had to buy the house came from the sales of linen at that time.
Through the history related to this house and the different members of the family who took over taking care of the house, there were some changes done to it all, such as the temporary wing that the son of Alexander added in 1800 when he became the first Marquess of Londonderry. Actually, what brought this house all the wealth it has gone through and gave it the chance to keep growing and changing to the better was the third Marquess, Charles, who married two times and who his second wife was mainly the reason since she was the greatest heiress of her time.
Mount Stewart is not just about the house, but it is also about the gardens which started small and then were enlarged by the help of the Marchioness who was responsible for the different gardens which were added as well as the fountain pool and the walks, she was also the one who decided to give the gardens to the National Trust in 1957.
The National Trust took over the gardens to take care of and it received the remaining of the place in 1977 and it now operates the property under the name of Mount Stewart House, Gardens and Temple of the Winds.
We have walked through the whole place and we have to say that it always takes our breath away for the gardens that are there as well as seeing this old building - even if we didn't get the chance to enter it and see the interiors. What also attracted our attention to this place were the beautiful sculptures which are made in the shape of animals and which we believe are done in a different kind of way.
In addition to the place as a whole and the perfection of it, it is also situated on the east shore of Strangford Lough and this brings a beautiful view with those ducks swimming around - it could be a combination of a touristic visit and also getting some peace of mind by this magnificent view.
This is one of the most visited places which we will recommend when it comes to the town of Newtownards, but there are several other places which one could pass by and enjoy visiting and which include Kiltonga Wildlife Reserve which we have also been to before and which we definitely loved ( there is also the Grey Abbey ( another place is the Scrabo Tower in Newtownards which was built back in 1857 (
It is always interesting to get to know more about the place which you are heading to especially if it carries a great history behind that one should be well aware of, just like the case of the Mount Stewart which passed through different owners until it finally reached the point where the National Trust became the one responsible for it all and for taking care of it as well.
Mount Stewart in Newtownards, County Down, is very close to the Greyabbey (or Grey Abbey) so you could always choose to visit both locations during the same day and get the chance to see what they tend to bring to you from information and history.
Never been there? Go visit now! If you have already been to Mount Stewart before then we are waiting for your comments to tell us more about your experience and what you loved most about the place as a whole - we could not lie, but we loved it all; the building along with the beautiful garden that is part of it all.
Mount Stewart County Down - 19th Century House and Gardens-The National Trust Northern Ireland
Let's record wildlife in Northern Ireland
Let's record wildlife in Northern Ireland.
The Centre for Environmental Data and Recording, known as CEDaR, is the local biological records centre for Northern Ireland. It relies on the work of recorders - people passionate about wildlife and the natural world. These people record each plant or animal they see, noting what species they saw and where & when they saw it. CEDaR brings all this information together and helps distribute it to where we need it most: to researchers, and to those who make critical decisions about our environment.
CEDaR began its crucial work in 1995. To mark the 20th Anniversary, centre manager, Damian McFerran, talked to some of the recorders who have worked with CEDaR over the years.
Wild birds in Co. Down, Northern Ireland
TheDromarakid's shared video file.
Grey Heron, Northern Ireland BIRDS
This bird is awesome
Birds on Mount Stewart Lake Newtownards Northern Ireland
I created this video with the YouTube Video Editor (
Victoria Park Belfast Northern Ireland - Connswater Belfast
There are lots of parks that are scattered all around Belfast, Northern Ireland, and we have to say that sometimes in the middle of a trip to a specific country, passing by a park at some point to enjoy a walk among the green spaces and sometimes even a river is needed. One of the top parks found in Belfast is Victoria Park!
Victoria Park opened back in 1906 in Connswater area of Belfast. Victoria Park is open to the public all week and all day and it is home for different things inside, such as the playing fields that include soccer pitches, a bowling green and a cycling and BMX track. From the things that attract visitors to this park is the lake and there are two walking trails which rotates around the lake.
There is a history behind creating this park in Belfast and it all started back in 1854 when the idea was suggested by the Harbour Commissioner but the progress of bringing this park to life was very slow because the land was very marshy, inaccessible to the public and thus was not considered suitable for being a public park, but working on the idea brought it finally to life in 1906 and was then welcoming the public to come inside and enjoy their time.
In addition to those different fields which are found inside the park and thus calling out for people who want a place to play sports in, there was even an outdoor swimming pool that opened later and was also one of the attractions of this park in Belfast especially for the local people.
Helping people with the sports part of their life, Victoria Park holds a weekly 5k run which is held by Parkrun, this run is free of charge and it is organized by volunteers and is welcoming people of different ages, sizes, shapes and whatever their abilities are. It is always good to make something different out of the public places which are found in the city and that is one of the good uses of Victoria Park in Belfast.
There are different attractions of this park which will differ according to the person and his/her likes and dislikes; there are those who will enjoy walking there, those who will go for a run, others who might aim at this place to sit silently among the sounds of the birds, etc.
From the famous attractions of Victoria Park, its lake is one among the list since it is home to a wide range of water birds, such as swans, geese, ducks, herons and migrant waders - this would make a perfect setting for those who are coming to enjoy sitting by the lake and have some peace of mind. This variety of wildlife led to this park being part of Belfast Lough ASSI (Area of Special Scientific Interest) project.
Among the other interesting things which are related to Victoria Park of Belfast is the poetry trail which features ten nature-themed poems written by local primary school pupils and etched onto metal plaques around the park.
The playing fields, the lake, the birds and any other thing that might be making this park different than all the others come in addition to the flower and rose beds which are scattered all around the area and make it attractive for just sitting around or having a walk there - so it could be a place for tourists coming to Belfast and want to make something that would free their minds a little bit in the middle of all the trips they would be doing.
This historical park which is surrounded by some modern infrastructure is not the only park to be found in Belfast, Northern Ireland, but there are other ones which we even managed to go and visit some of them. In Belfast, we have been to Lagan Valley Regional Park ( Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park which is from the oldest and the most famous in the city ( Colin Glen Park which is famously known for its Gruffalo Trail and thus is always considered a good hit for the kids ( Ormeau Park ( Belvoir Park Forest ( and the famous Botanic Gardens which are also located in Belfast (
Who out there does not like the idea of a park? It is suitable for all the different members of the family with all their different ages, it is the place for those who want to do some sports, those kids who want to play around in a suitable playground and it is even the place for those who want to go for a walk or those who want to sit in a little bit of a quiet and relaxing place.
Choosing the park which you are going to head to in Belfast will always depend on your location and among the list, Victoria Park will be always a suitable choice if you are considering the idea of a park during your visit.
What do you think about this beautiful park? Are you thinking about heading right there now?
Some of the best locations around Ireland / Northern Ireland and further afield. A travel blog/vlog of the hidden treasures that are on our doorstep.
Bangor Co Down Pier
Pier Bangor co down Northern Ireland pier
A new home for wildlife in the Faughan Valley
We’re marking the 100th anniversary of the First World War by creating a flourishing Centenary Wood in Northern Ireland’s beautiful Faughan Valley. The new wood will be a living, lasting and respectful tribute to the people of Ireland who sacrificed so much during the war.
Find out more on our website:
Three Busts In Mount Stewart House, Newtownards, N.Ireland
I created this video with the YouTube Video Editor (
MICKYNONAME COMMON BIRDS WHERE I LIVE ALONG THE COAST WITH HOUNDOG TAYLOR
BIRDS ALONG THE COAST AND IN MY BACK GARDEN WHERE i LIVE IN KIRCUBBIN/CLOUGHY NORTHERN IRELAND
Niall Hatch BirdWatch Ireland @Kee's Garden Centre
Bird Watch Ireland talk at Robert Kee, Laghey, Co. Donegal.
Visit our website: rkee.ie
Black Bird Singing in N.Ireland.avi
This is the song of either a Blackbird or Song Thrus in my garden in County Antrim, Northern Ireland a few years back.
Newcastle County Down Northern Ireland
Taking a stroll in Newcastle
MICKYNONAME WILD BIRDS MY BACK GARDEN, STRANGFORD LOUGH , NORTHERN IRELAND
WILD BIRDS AROUND MY GARDEN AND SOME SCENES AROUND MY HOUSE IN STRANGFORD LOUGH , NORTHERN IRELAND .
jane, gem & swan
jane & gemma feeding the swans at central park, Bad ass swan takes a bite 2007
Car boot sale
Morning at crumlin road car boot sale Belfast
Bird talks Northern Ireland
The young defender discusses his recent call-ups to the Under 21s squad.