Introduction
Our gardens are a vital resource for wildlife, providing corridors of green space between open countryside, allowing species to move about. In fact, gardens across the UK provide more space for nature than all the National Nature Reserves put together.
Let the 2025 Creature Calendar inspire you to improve your garden for our local wildlife by planting native plants and trees, providing some water and shelter, letting some areas grow wild or installing nest boxes.
Get out, record, and see if you can find some of the amazing critters featured.
JANUARY Eurasian Curlew
Eurasian Curlew (Numenius Arquata) are one of our most iconic species, with a strikingly beautiful silhouette showing off their amazing bill and an instantly recognisable call from which they get their name. The Curlew belong to a family of birds known as waders, these are a group of birds which like to wade in shallow water and feed in muddy puddles and edges. Curlews are the largest species of wader in Europe.
They spend their winters on the coast in large flocks then break up during the breeding season (AprilJuly) into pairs to mate, away from the coast, often in wet grassland, peatland, upland heath, and bogs. This is now limited to a few remote areas of Northern Ireland, with the breeding population here thought to be around 150 pairs, a decline of almost 90% since the 1980’s. The main cause for such a steep decline
has been changes in land use and agricultural intensification, this has led to a reduction of suitable habitat for breeding and a rise in generalist predators, putting more pressure on Curlew.
Recently however there has been some better news, particularly in the Antrim Hills which remains one of the last strongholds for breeding Curlew in Northern Ireland, tireless work from the farmers of Glenwherry and surrounding area with help from RSPB advisors has seen wonderful success in the last three years with over 150 chicks fledged.
For more information visit rspb.org.uk and remember to get involved in the Big Garden Bird Watch at the end of the month, from 24 - 26 January.
FEBRUARY Hedgehog
Hedgehogs will be coming out of hibernation soon. Hedgehogs usually hibernate from November through to mid-March, but they can sometimes be seen out and about during this period changing nesting sites.
Hedgehogs eat beetles, caterpillars, earthworms and slugs, so can be a real help to gardeners. Did you know hedgehogs can travel around one mile every night through our parks and gardens to find food and a mate? So, if you have an enclosed garden you might be getting in the way of their plans!
You can help in your own garden by creating a hedgehog hole in your garden fence to create one big hedgehog highway, building a hedgehog home or leaving piles of leaves for them to hibernate in, and by gardening organically - pesticides such as slug pellets are very harmful for hedgehogs.
For more information visit: hedgehogstreet.org
If you see a hedgehog that looks unwell it might need a helping hand. Sick, injured and orphaned hedgehogs are susceptible to hypothermia. Staggering is a sign of hypothermia and so is ‘sunbathing’ as they spread themselves out in the sun in an attempt to get some heat into their bodies.
For more information visit: britishhedgehogs.org.uk/ found-a-hedgehog
Draw around your hand to finish my spines
MARCH Cloudberry
Cloudberry is an extremely rare plant in Northern Ireland, currently only being recorded at one site in the entire country, however hope remains that it will be rediscovered elsewhere, so hillwalkers should be aware of it and keep an eye out. This rare species is the peatland, moorland relative of common bramble or blackberry and is confined to nutrient poor peatlands, although it is much smaller, grows closer to the ground and produces an orangey-yellow coloured berry when mature.
Degradation and erosion of peat is a main driver of the plant’s decline and limited range in Northern Ireland, degradation can occur through drainage, erosion, afforestation and burning for agriculture or moorland management. It is estimated that in Europe 25% of all peatlands are degraded. This highlights the importance of peatland restoration
works, rewetting and revegetating bare peat, providing habitats for some of our most threatened plants and animals. Cloudberry also does well in areas that get a late lying snow cover and spring frosts, increasing temperatures from climate change will undoubtedly put increased pressures on our last remaining remnant of this species in Northern Ireland.
Look out for the cloudberry on a walk up Slemish Mountain!
Match the cloudberries
APRIL
Barn Owls
Barn owls can be spotted at any time of the year and have a distinctive white heart-shaped face and black eyes. They are mainly nocturnal but on still, moonlit evenings you might be able to spot a barn owl hunting over field edges and roadside verges. Barn owls hunt for small mammals, such as house mice and wood mice, making them a great friend to farmers and homeowners alike.
Did you know barn owls don’t actually hoot, they screech? So, throughout history, barn owls have been known by many different nicknames, such as ‘screech owl’ ‘ghost owl’ and ‘church owl’.
The barn owl is one of Northern Ireland’s most iconic species but unfortunately one of the most endangered, with less than 50 breeding pairs estimated to be left in Northern Ireland.
One of the reasons is lack of suitable nesting sites. With the help of local schools we have installed three custom built barn owl boxes across the Borough for these beautiful birds, and continue to monitor them.
The barn owl is now one of our rarest and most endangered birds, red-listed on the Irish Birds of Conservation Concern and protected under the Wildlife (NI) Order 1985. Nest sites are protected all year round even if they are not in use.
If you see a barn owl please report it, this will add to valuable research.
For more information visit: ulsterwildlife.org/barnowl
Wordsearch
MAY Bees
There are hundreds of bees in Northern Ireland including bumblebees, honeybees and solitary bees. Bees are very important for the environment and for people too, and have recently been declared the most important living beings on earth. Did you know pollinators are essential for the production of food and contribute an estimated £1.8bn to the UK’s farming economy every year?
Bee numbers have dramatically declined by almost 90% in the last few years. The uncontrolled use of pesticides, deforestation and lack of flowers are the main reasons for their extinction.
We are working to raise awareness of bees and provide habitat by planting large urban wildflower meadows.
Our meadows are sown with native wildflower seed mix including corn poppy, ox-eye daisy and field scabious, which are all brilliant for bees.
You can help bees in your own garden by eliminating pesticide use, letting a few areas go wild, and by planting pollinator friendly plants. Bees need a wide range of plants that flower from spring to autumn to feed from. These include alyssum, cornflower, sunflower, michaelmas daisy and sweet william for nectar in summer; bluebells, rosemary, geranium and honeysuckle in spring; and ivy can provide food in early and late parts of the year.
A full list of plants that bees will love is available at: rhs.org.uk
Crossword
Sphagnum Moss
JUNE Common Earthworm
Worms make the world turn. These wriggly fellows are well known to gardeners all over. At first glance they might not seem particularly special, but they’re essential for our soils and for wildlife. Charles Darwin called them the most important animal in the history of the world! He dubbed them ‘nature’s ploughs’ for the way they mix soil layers and enable plants – the basis of all terrestrial life –to grow.
Engineers of the earth. Earthworms are true engineers – they specialise in moving through the soil, creating networks of burrows and mixing the earth. This means oxygen and water can flow through the soil, allowing water to drain away after heavy rain. They also break down and recycle decaying plants, releasing nutrients to increase soil fertility, which helps soil microorganisms and fungi to thrive.
So how do earthworms do all this?
First, they eat the organic matter in the soil, such as dead leaves and plants. This breaks it down into smaller pieces, which they then pass out as ‘casts’, or worm poo. These casts are very high in nutrients that improve the quality of the soil, helping your plants to grow.
Check out the soil in your garden or your compost heap and you will be sure to find these useful creatures!
Can you find my tail?
JULY Butterfly
Northern Ireland is home to around 25 species of butterfly including peacock, ringlet, green-veined white, meadow brown and orange tip. Butterflies live in a wide range of habitat including meadows, grasslands, forests, hedgerows, parks, gardens, sand dunes and sea cliffs.
Your garden, no matter how small, can help butterflies by offering supplies of nectar. Butterflies particularly love buddleia, lavender, marjoram and verbena - why not plant some in your garden or in pots on your windowsill?
You can also help butterflies by using peat-free compost and not using pesticides - they kill butterflies as well as other mini-beasts such as beetles and spiders.
Almost half of our butterflies are priority species so all data recorded is important. Find out more and report your sightings at: bigbutterflycount.org
Great places to go on a butterfly hunt in the Borough include Diamond Jubilee Wood Whitehead, Carnfunnock Country Park and Peoples Park Ballymena. Bring a picnic, make a day of it and share your photos on social media using #MEAdventures.
Colour by numbers
AUGUST Bat
Did you know there are over 1,300 types of bat in the world but only 8 bat species are native to Northern Ireland? All of our bats are small, shy, harmless mammals. The smallest, the pipistrelle, weighs as little as a 2p coin and is known to gobble up more than 500 insects in an hour!
Blind as a bat? Contrary to what some people believe, bats are not blind and in fact are believed to have better eyesight than most humans.
The best time to see bats is at dusk on warm and dry summer evenings. International Bat Night occurs on the last Saturday in August each year and is a great opportunity to get out and look for these fascinating mammals. Some great places to see bats are Ecos Nature Park, Galgorm Wood and
Bashfordsland Wood & Oakfield Glen. How many can you see or indeed hear? To really experience the bat’s world it’s worth borrowing a special detector to hear the high-frequency clicks and buzzes of bats using echolocation to hunt.
Bats and their roosts are protected by law in the UK and Ireland as they are vulnerable to disturbance. This means it is a crime for someone to hurt or kill a bat, or to destroy their roost.
For more information you can visit The Northern Ireland Bat Group: bats-ni.org.uk
SEPTEMBER Red Squirrel
The red squirrel is one of our most iconic mammals immortalised as ‘squirrel nutkin’ by Beatrix Potter. Red squirrels play an important role in regenerating woodlands as they bury nuts and seeds which grow into future trees that sustain a host of native woodland dwellers such as pine martens and jays.
Red squirrels eat a variety of seeds, nuts, funghi, bark, buds and berries. Red squirrels do not hibernate, in very cold weather they will stay in their nests for a day or two, but they cannot survive for longer periods without food.
The red squirrel is believed to have been present in Ireland since the end of the last Ice Age but unfortunately they are currently in decline. Did you know grey squirrels are a major threat
to the survival of the red squirrel population? Greys are larger than reds and can out-compete them for food, and also carry a viral disease (Parapox virus) which can be fatal to reds if transmitted.
North-east Antrim has one of the largest number of red squirrel only areas in Northern Ireland. Red squirrels were recently reintroduced to Carnfunnock Country Park and are also present at Straidkilly Nature Reserve in Glenarm. Seeing a flash of red for the first time is a very special moment and something that everybody should experience – and now you can! Autumn is the best time to see them as there are fewer leaves on the trees, making them easier to spot as they gather food ahead of the winter. Why not take a walk and see what you can see?
OCTOBER Emperor Moth
These large, unmistakeable, strikingly beautiful moths (Saturnia pavonia) are mainly found on heathland and moorland sites across Northern Ireland, sites like Keeran Moss near Carrickfergus.
Their name ‘Saturnia’ comes from the rings of Saturn, mimicked by the four large ringed ‘eye spots’ found on the moth’s wings. The males are more brightly coloured and more commonly seen as they will fly during the day, females are typically only night flyers. These moths only feed during their larval/caterpillar stage when they typically feed on heather, bramble and hawthorn, these caterpillars are a vibrant green with black rings and pink spots, serving as a deterrent to would be predators.
As well as looking spectacular these moths play a vital ecological role. As with most moths, the important role they play in pollination is often forgotten or overlooked because it largely occurs at night. Moths often disperse pollen over large areas because they aren’t tied to one place like bees. Recent research has identified the incredible role that moths play when it comes to pollinating flowers and crops.
More info can be found at butterfly-conservation.org.
Draw my eye-conic wing pattern
NOVEMBER Pygmy Shrew
The Pygmy Shrew (Sorex minutus) is the smallest mammal found on the Island of Ireland. They are easily identified by their extremely small size and long pointed nose, these tiny shrews are insectivores and hunt incessantly. They need to feed every 2-3 hours to stay alive due to their high metabolic rate and can eat over 250 prey items per day. Pygmy Shrews can be seen snuffling their way through tall vegetation to find prey, using mostly touch and smell as they have poor eyesight, the Irish name, ‘Dallóg fhraoigh’, means the blind animal of the heather. This name also gives a clue to the type of habitat they’re found in, common on bogs, peatland, grassland, and hedgerows.
Until recently, the native Pygmy Shrew was the only species of Shrew on the Island of Ireland, this was until the
introduction of the Greater White Toothed Shrew. These invasive Shrews are physically larger and occupy the same ecological niche as our native Shrews, having large dietary and habitat overlaps, research has suggested that where White Toothed Shrew have been found Pygmy Shrew numbers have rapidly declined and could even cause localised extinctions.
The easiest way to tell the two species apart is by their teeth, as the name suggests Greater White Toothed Shrew have large white teeth, while our native Pygmies have bright red/ orange teeth caused by iron deposits. This invasive species is surely a cause for concern on the future status for Pygmy Shrews, you can help by reporting any sightings to the National Biodiversity Data Centre.
www.records.biodiversityireland.ie
List as many words that rhyme with ‘Shrew’ as possible:
1. Few
DECEMBER Long-tailed Duck
The Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) is a small, neat sea duck. They have small round heads and steep foreheads. In winter, the male is mainly white with some brownishblack markings. It also has greatly elongated tail feathers which give it its name. Females are browner. When in flight, they show their all-dark wings and white bellies. They don’t breed in the UK, but protection of their wintering sites is important, because they’re vulnerable to oil pollution at sea. They’re a winter visitor to UK coastal waters, arriving from their arctic breeding grounds, mostly present from October to May.
A strong and deep diver, the Longtailed Ducks feed on aquatic invertebrates that they glean from the bottom of the water column through dives of up to 200 feet. Unlike other ducks, Long-tailed Ducks do not use their feet to propel their dives, but they flap with partially opened wings.
Long-tailed Ducks are thought to be monogamous, with pairs staying together for many breeding seasons. Males on territory in the Arctic often defend a small pond or a small portion of a larger pond, defending it with various headshaking and bill-tossing displays. The females raise the young. Ducklings are able to feed as soon as they hatch, though they are not proficient divers at first. Females will lead their broods to new ponds when food becomes scarce.
Look out for these special ducks when walking the coastal paths in Mid & East Antrim.
Help me find my babies
Sphagnum Moss
For more information
For more information on the wonderful wildlife in the borough visit our website by following the link below.
midandeastantrim.gov.uk/biodiversity 028 9335 8233
biodiversity@midandeastantrim.gov.uk
