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Mullenakill & Annagariff Wood Nature Reserves
Peatlands Park, 33 Derryhubbert Road, Dungannon, Tyrone, Phone: T: (028) 3885 1102 http://www.doeni.gov.uk/nieaAbout
Mullenakill NRThis breathtaking expanse of intact lowland raised bog is 8000 years old. The peat is 9 metres deep at the bog’s core. The bog supports a group of plants that are specially adapted to living in such difficult conditions. Sphagnum mosses trap water to keep the bog wet which helps to make peat and these wet conditions are great for frogs, newts, dragonflies and damselflies but more surprisingly lizards are found here too.The tiny red sundews that dot the bog eat insects to survive. Colour is abundant all year round with the white of the cotton-grasses and yellow of the asphodel in summer giving way to the autumn hues of the heathers, myrtle, mosses and lichens. In summer, keep an eye out for the many moths and butterflies flitting past like the rare large heath and vivid green hairstreak. In winter watch for snipe and woodcock feeding in the bog margins. In May listen out for the call of the cuckoo as it announces its presence.The best time to visit is April to September for flowers, lizards, butterflies and birds and November to March for snipe and woodcock.There is a car park, visitors’ centre, toilets, information points and paths. Please do not stray from the designated path system as this is a wet fragile place.Annagariff Wood NRSet in the open bog landscape of Peatlands Park, Annagariff Wood cloaks a drumlin in trees. Oak, birch, hazel and holly as well as rare alder buckthorn, yew and aspen are found here. In fact, Peatlands Park is home to 95% of the Northern Ireland population of alder buckthorn. Listen for the screeching call of the jay as it flies through the trees. Watch for long eared owls perched on the branches and for signs of badgers digging in the gravelly soil. The woodland floor is carpeted in wild flowers during spring and summer which give way to lots of different fungi in autumn. Wood ants live here which is the only site in Northern Ireland for them. In summer, warblers fill the glades with birdsong. In winter watch for wandering hen harriers, sparrow hawks and peregrine falcons hunting for food. Dusk in winter is the best time to see woodcock. The best time to visit is May to September for wood ants, April to September for song birds and September to March for fungi and birds of prey.There is a car park, visitors’ centre, toilets, information points and paths. Please do not stray from the designated path system as this is a wet fragile place.
