Two Of Belfast's Treasures

It was so beautiful today, sunny, blue sky, crisp and dry that it would have seemed a shame not to have taken advantage of it.

We drove to Minnowburn first: Minnowburn is probably my favourite woodland in Belfast, thanks to the National Trust and its dedicated warden, Craig, with his loyal team around him. Minnowburn's beauty never fails to enthral me.

Today I had a short walk past the newly-created pond, which is overlooked by a large field which shall eventually become a meadow. Several substantial branches have collapsed and snapped off under the weight of our heavy snowfall. The river Lagan is swollen too. It is still very icy underfoot; plenty of snow remaining.

From Minnowburn we drove on to Belvoir Forest and parked at the bird feeders. Another jewel in Belfast's crown, Belvoir has an abundance of wildlife and today was no exception: I spotted a red squirrel, a grey squirrel, blue tit, coal tit, great tit, dunnock, blackbird, robin, magpie and a fine hooded crow perched on the fence, watching to see if we had any food.