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Cookstown Wildlife Trust outing to Sligo
Saturday 21 May, 2011

Cookstown Wildlife Trust annual bus trip took place on Saturday 21^st May. A full bus (22 members and friends) set off from Cookstown at 9:00AM to visit Mullaghmore and other parts of Sligo. Organizer / guide for the day was Ian McNeill and even before leaving Cookstown, Ian was well aware that our biggest hurdle on the day would be poor weather. No matter, the group set happily and quite optimistic that the weather would change.
A welcome coffee break was taken in Belleek before heading towards Classie Bawn Castle and into Mullaghmore. Raincoats were donned and umbrellas raised in preparation for a wet and windy walk around the harbour.  The pattern for the day was set-the weather was not going to improve.
After Cake and coffee at Drumcliff, only a short drive was necessary to reach Streedagh Strand and view  fossils in carboniferous limestone rocks. This site is famous for an abundance of fossilized corals and crinoids.
Umbrellas were once again raised, followed by a wet windy scurry to examine fossils on the rocky shore.
Quickly back on the bus, we drove towards Bundoran, then Ballyshannon and east towards Cookstown. The rain didn’t ease, it got heavier.
When I arrived home my wife said “ The rain was torrential here ”.
I spent fifteen minutes clearing blocked drains and thought - well, the day was worse in Cookstown.Thanks are due to Ian McNeill for organizing the trip, for keeping our interest up and improvising so well on an almost impossible day. 
 The next Wildlife Trust outing will be on Saturday 25th June, not Saturday 11th June, as mentioned previously. This will be a visit to Seaforde Butterfly House, which has a roof, so rain won’t bother us!  There are gardens and a small restaurant.  The tropical butterflies are spectacular.  Entry to the Butterfly House costs £5.00, Butterfly House plus gardens costs £7.00. 

Cookstown Wildlife Trust outing to Seaforde Butterfly House.
     Saturday 25th June 2011. 

A small but enthusiastic group went to Seaforde Butterfly House  on Saturday 25 June and were enthralled with the wonderful display of colourful tropical butterflies. Due to our early arrival we were fortunate to have an introduction to the butterflies by the owner Mrs. Forde who has travelled widely looking for tropical species. 
After lunch in the Butterfly House Restaurant the group strolled around the well laid out gardens and admired the many rare and interesting plants. 
We also tried the maze and some of us even managed to get lost !
A few of the large and colourful creatures are shown below . 

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Cookstown Wildlife Trust visit to Ballinderry River Enhancement Association

1st September 2011

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Outing to Castle Espie

Saturday 22nd October 2011

The last outing of the season took place in October to the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust at Castle Espie on the shore of Strangford Lough.  The lough is one of Europe’s most important wildlife sites.  About three quarters of the world population of light-bellied brent geese over-winter there after making a 4,000 mile trip from north eastern Canada to feed on the lough’s succulent eel-grass.  The best time to see them is at low tide.  On the week of our visit 38.000 birds had arrived.  Two guides brought us to The Brent Hide which provided a fantastic view of the geese and many other species including whooper swans, shelduck, ringed plover, curlews and a couple of egrets.
There were lots of other ducks, waders, swans, geese and water fowl to be seen in contrived ponds nearer the Visitor Centre.  All of these were clearly pictured and described on information stands at each vantage point.  We saw a flock of Hawaiian Geese which had been saved from near extinction.  At Castle Espie there is entertainment for all age groups all year round.
Apart from the wildlife there were many other interesting things to see.  There is a Sustainability Trail with an excellent explanatory leaflet.  They have a very good restaurant which serves freshly cooked food, sandwiches to order and scones straight from the oven.