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BELFAST LOUGH Internationally Important: Black-Tailed Godwit

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BELFAST LOUGH Internationally Important: Black-Tailed Godwit BELFAST LOUGH Internationally important: Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank Nationally important: Great Crested Grebe, Shelduck, Scaup, Eider, Goldeneye, (All-Ireland importance) Red-breasted Merganser, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Turnstone Site description Geese peaked at 44 in February; this is around Belfast Lough is a large sea lough in the the mean total for the last five winters. northeast of Ireland, with the city of Belfast at Shelduck were again confined to the extreme its head. The area surveyed comprised the southwestern end of the lough, close to Belfast coast from Carrickfergus on the north shore itself, with 494 in February exceeding the peak around to the eastern end of Bangor on the Core Count. The three common diver species, south shore. Much of the site is afforded SPA and Little Grebe, were also recorded. and Ramsar status, with a further proposed Wigeon and Teal were to be found mainly SPA over open water. The outer parts of the on the RSPB reserve with lesser numbers off lough's shore are generally rocky with some Holywood and near Belfast. Counts of both sandy bays, although more extensive areas of species exceeded Core Count figures with 222 intertidal mud are found toward Belfast. Wigeon and 667 Teal. Mallard were found on Industrial land claim has reduced the area of Victoria Park, Whitehouse Lagoon and the the mudflats over the last 150 years, and RSPB reserve, the latter site also favoured by Belfast has become the main port in Northern Shoveler. The small numbers of Tufted Duck Ireland for heavy cargo. More recently, all of and Pochard were confined to Victoria Park. the area, including the important Belfast Scaup numbers were higher than in any Harbour Pools, has been given a degree of previous year with 669 in February being protection. Extensive areas of the lough greater than Core Count figures. The main support commercial shellfisheries. There are concentrations were to the west of Belfast problems of refuse disposal, pollution and docks, between Whitehouse Lagoon and Green general disturbance, but notably bait diggers Island, and between Holywood and Grey Point on the north shore can pose potentially high (Figure 57). Eider numbers peaked at 1,054 levels of disturbance. and were more numerous than previous years along the southern coastline. Just under 30 Bird distribution Long-tailed Duck were off Carrickfergus in Great Crested Grebe counts peaked at 856 in February, whilst the count of 95 Common November, a figure greater than the 2002/03 Scoter in November was greater than Core count, but well below that in 2001/02. Their Count numbers. Two Velvet Scoter also distribution was concentrated between accompanied them. Goldeneye and Red- Whitehouse Lagoon and Carrickfergus, and 81 breasted Merganser were widely distributed. birds were noted on Whitehouse Lagoon, Goosander, Water Rail, Moorhen and Coot where Low Tide Counts do not seem to have were also noted in small numbers. recorded the species previously. Birds on the Oystercatcher and Redshank were the most southern coastline were generally distributed widely distributed species in the lough, with north of the RSPB Belfast Lough reserve, as highest concentrations of both in the far as Bangor. Cormorants were also southwestern corner; Figure 57. shows the concentrated just north of the reserve, with distribution of Redshank. Ringed Plover peak smaller numbers at Swineley Point and a few counts exceeded Core Count numbers with 234 along the northern shore. Shags, however, present in November, and these occurred in were at Green Island in the north and between five widely distributed areas: Victoria Park, Grey Point and Swineley Point in the south. Whitehouse Lagoon, Bangor shore, Holywood Grey Herons were reported, but a maximum of and off Carrickfergus. Lapwing favoured the 29 was the lowest for five years. Mute Swans various pools in the southwestern end of the were at Victoria Park as in previous years, lough, with some birds using Bangor shore. whilst this site and the RSPB reserve held most Dunlin numbers peaked at 1,461 in February of the Greylag Geese (largely presumed to be with most birds favouring the southwestern re-established birds). Light-bellied Brent corner along with Whitehouse Lagoon and 174 Victoria Park. Numbers of Snipe were well Turnstone were much lower than Core Counts, above the peak Core Count with 86 recorded in although both species were widely distributed December, mainly off Holywood and on the over the lough. Numbers of Knot continued to RSPB reserve. Black-tailed Godwits decline with the 2003/04 count the lowest for outnumbered Bar-tailed Godwits by three to five years. Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Purple one over the winter, the flats off Whitehouse Sandpiper, Ruff and Greenshank were also Lagoon being the preferred habitat for both noted in small numbers. species. Numbers of both Curlew and Figure 57. WeBS Low Tide Count distributions of Scaup and Redshank at Belfast Lough, winter 2003/04. (BHP=Belfast Harbour Pools, BR=RSPB Belfast Lough Reserve, GI=Green Island, GP=Grey Point, SP=Swinely Point, VP=Victoria Park, WL=Whitehouse Lake). 175 .
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