Plan your visit
🦅Birds🦉Wildlife🦋Insects
Dogs welcome
Getting here
54.85724, -6.31693
Open directionsv
Visiting this summer
Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now
- 🐦55+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Blackbird and Blue Tit
- ✦Historic character is a year-round quality here — summer brings its own atmosphere to the setting
- 🐕Dogs welcome — bring water in summer; the site has enough space to find shade on hot days
🌤️ Visiting this summer
- 🐦55+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Blackbird and Blue Tit
- ✦Historic character is a year-round quality here — summer brings its own atmosphere to the setting
- 🐕Dogs welcome — bring water in summer; the site has enough space to find shade on hot days
🦅Bird watching
Very strong match
Birds — Blackbird, Blue Tit, Robin +52 more · last seen 2025
Free
Birds — Blackbird, Blue Tit, Robin +52 more · last seen 2025
Free
🦋Insect spotting
Strong match
Insects — Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Painted Lady +32 more · last seen 2022
Free
🍂Seasonal nature
Strong match
Plants — Himalayan Balsam, Giant Hogweed, American Skunk-cabbage +56 more · last seen 2025
Free
🍄Mushroom foraging
Strong match
Fungi — Bitter Chocolate Rust, Uromyces muscari, Arum Rust +4 more · last seen 2022
Varies
Trails nearby
Within roughly 5 km8 signed routes nearby
Signed route nearby
National Cycle Network National Route 97Cycling route▾
Named routeRef 97National Cycle Network
National Cycle Network National Route 97 ExtensionCycling route▾
Ballymena to Randalstown
Named routeRef 97National Cycle Network
ecos Cycle TrailCycling route▾
Named routeLocal cycle route
Main RouteCycling route27 m▾
Named routeRef 97Length 27 mNational Cycle NetworkTraffic-freeSurface blocks
Main RouteCycling route1.2 km▾
Named routeRef 97Length 1.2 kmNational Cycle NetworkTraffic-freeSurface asphalt
N/ACycling route1.3 km▾
Named routeLength 1.3 kmNational Cycle NetworkTraffic-freeSurface asphalt
Photos
Side view of Galgorm castle, along with the swans that live there for part of the year
Weather for this location
Next 14 daysNearby places
Useful places within 5 km
Events & activities nearby
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Wildlife to spot
1,086 records · National Biodiversity Network
Wildlife to spot
1,086 records · National Biodiversity NetworkBlackbird · Blue Tit · Great Tit · Starling · Wren +39
- BlackbirdTurdus merula
- Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- Great TitParus major
- StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- WrenTroglodytes troglodytes2024
- WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
- RobinErithacus rubecula
- Coal TitPeriparus ater
- Hooded CrowCorvus cornix2024
- JackdawColoeus monedula2024
- RookCorvus frugilegus2024
- MagpiePica pica2024
- ChaffinchFringilla coelebs2024
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos2024
- Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis2019
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus2024
- Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto2024
- BlackcapSylvia atricapilla2024
- GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis2023
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea2020
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos2019
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus2024
- DunnockPrunella modularis2024
- SwiftApus apus2023
- TreecreeperCerthia familiaris2019
- ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita2019
- Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
- BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
- Cinclus cinclus hibernicusCinclus cinclus hibernicus2024
- Larus argentatus argenteusLarus argentatus argenteus2024
- LapwingVanellus vanellus2023
- Mandarin DuckAix galericulata2023
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia2020
- CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo2019
- SiskinSpinus spinus2019
- Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis2019
- Pied WagtailMotacilla alba2019
- Lesser RedpollAcanthis flammea cabaret2019
- WoodpeckerPicidae2019
- Mute SwanCygnus olor2019
- MoorhenGallinula chloropus2019
🦌Mammals5 species
winterspringsummerautumn
2022▾
Grey Squirrel · Hedgehog · Badger · Rabbit · Otter
- Grey SquirrelSciurus carolinensis
- HedgehogErinaceus europaeus2021
- BadgerMeles meles
- RabbitOryctolagus cuniculus2021
- OtterLutra lutra2019
Painted Lady · Peacock · Eriothrix rufomaculata · Small White · Chocolate Mining Bee +10
- Painted LadyVanessa cardui2019
- PeacockAglais io2019
- Eriothrix rufomaculataEriothrix rufomaculata2019
- Small WhitePieris rapae2019
- Chocolate Mining BeeAndrena scotica2019
- Mottled BeautyAlcis repandata muraria
🍄Fungi7 species
springautumn
2022▾
Uromyces muscari · Arum Rust · Bitter Chocolate Rust · Oyster Mushroom · Purple Jellydisc +2
- Uromyces muscariUromyces muscari
- Arum RustPuccinia sessilis
- Bitter Chocolate RustUromyces ficariae
- Oyster MushroomPleurotus ostreatus2019
- Purple JellydiscAscocoryne sarcoides2019
- Yellow BrainTremella mesenterica
🌿Plants3 species
springsummerautumn
2025▾
Giant Hogweed · American Skunk-cabbage · Himalayan Balsam
- Giant HogweedHeracleum mantegazzianum
- American Skunk-cabbageLysichiton americanus2023
- Himalayan BalsamImpatiens glandulifera2020
Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
Wildlife to spot
1,086 records · National Biodiversity NetworkBlackbird · Blue Tit · Great Tit · Starling · Wren +39
- BlackbirdTurdus merula
- Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- Great TitParus major
- StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- WrenTroglodytes troglodytes2024
- WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
- RobinErithacus rubecula
- Coal TitPeriparus ater
- Hooded CrowCorvus cornix2024
- JackdawColoeus monedula2024
- RookCorvus frugilegus2024
- MagpiePica pica2024
- ChaffinchFringilla coelebs2024
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos2024
- Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis2019
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus2024
- Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto2024
- BlackcapSylvia atricapilla2024
- GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis2023
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea2020
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos2019
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus2024
- DunnockPrunella modularis2024
- SwiftApus apus2023
- TreecreeperCerthia familiaris2019
- ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita2019
- Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
- BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
- Cinclus cinclus hibernicusCinclus cinclus hibernicus2024
- Larus argentatus argenteusLarus argentatus argenteus2024
- LapwingVanellus vanellus2023
- Mandarin DuckAix galericulata2023
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia2020
- CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo2019
- SiskinSpinus spinus2019
- Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis2019
- Pied WagtailMotacilla alba2019
- Lesser RedpollAcanthis flammea cabaret2019
- WoodpeckerPicidae2019
- Mute SwanCygnus olor2019
- MoorhenGallinula chloropus2019
🦌Mammals5 species
winterspringsummerautumn
2022▾
Grey Squirrel · Hedgehog · Badger · Rabbit · Otter
- Grey SquirrelSciurus carolinensis
- HedgehogErinaceus europaeus2021
- BadgerMeles meles
- RabbitOryctolagus cuniculus2021
- OtterLutra lutra2019
Painted Lady · Peacock · Eriothrix rufomaculata · Small White · Chocolate Mining Bee +10
- Painted LadyVanessa cardui2019
- PeacockAglais io2019
- Eriothrix rufomaculataEriothrix rufomaculata2019
- Small WhitePieris rapae2019
- Chocolate Mining BeeAndrena scotica2019
- Mottled BeautyAlcis repandata muraria
🍄Fungi7 species
springautumn
2022▾
Uromyces muscari · Arum Rust · Bitter Chocolate Rust · Oyster Mushroom · Purple Jellydisc +2
- Uromyces muscariUromyces muscari
- Arum RustPuccinia sessilis
- Bitter Chocolate RustUromyces ficariae
- Oyster MushroomPleurotus ostreatus2019
- Purple JellydiscAscocoryne sarcoides2019
- Yellow BrainTremella mesenterica
🌿Plants3 species
springsummerautumn
2025▾
Giant Hogweed · American Skunk-cabbage · Himalayan Balsam
- Giant HogweedHeracleum mantegazzianum
- American Skunk-cabbageLysichiton americanus2023
- Himalayan BalsamImpatiens glandulifera2020
Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
2019
2019
Clustered ToughshankGymnopus confluens2019Clustered ToughshankGymnopus confluens2019