RSPB Portmore Lough Nature Reserve – Wetland Wonder by Lough Neagh

#mytraveldiary Ambience & Setting Portmore Lough is a rich wet-grassland and wetland mosaic in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, on the southern shores of Lough Neagh. The mix of open water, reedbeds, fens, flooding grasslands, and sky-wide horizons gives a sense of space and calm. You’re likely to walk boardwalks and gravel paths, peer from a bird hide, hear waterfowl, see swaths of wildflowers in summer, perhaps whooper swans in winter, and feel the wind off the lough. The place shifts with the seasons—bright and buzzing in summer, crisp and sweeping in winter—with each offering its own magic.  ⸻ Highlights • Birdwatching & Wildfowl Spectacles – In winter, large rafts of ducks like pochards, tufted ducks; greylag geese and whooper swans arrive to overwinter.  • Breeding Waders & Marsh Birds – In spring and summer, lapwing, snipe, redshank display and breed. Skylarks sing overhead.  • Wildflowers, Orchids & Insects – Summer brings hay meadows alive with ragged-robin, loosestrife, and the rare Irish Lady’s-tresses orchid. Butterflies, dragonflies, damselflies are plentiful near the water’s edge and wet margins.  • Bird Hide & Viewing Platform – A boardwalk to a hide gives excellent vantage over the lough. Also viewpoints for panoramic views from the reserve.  • Konik Ponies – Grazing here helps maintain the habitat in a condition suitable for breeding birds like lapwings, by preventing scrub encroachment.  ⸻ Practical Info • Location: George’s Island Road, Gawley’s Gate, Aghalee, County Antrim, BT67 0DW.  • Getting There: Signposted from Aghalee village, with detailed directions via Soldierstown Road, Ballycairn Road, Georges Island Road etc. Car-friendly route.  • Facilities: Visitor centre; toilets; accessible paths (all-weather trail with boardwalk); nature trail; hide; picnic area; car parking.  • Opening / Cost: The reserve is free to visit. Some facilities (toilets, visitor centre) are open set hours.  • Best Time to Visit:   – Spring / early summer for breeding birds, wildflowers, insects.   – Autumn → winter for migratory and overwintering wildfowl, dramatic skies, large flocks.   – Morning or late afternoon light good for photography. ⸻ Why It’s Worth Visiting Portmore Lough is one of those reserves where you feel close to nature without having to travel far. It offers contrasts—calm water, busy skies with birds, delicate wildflowers, big panoramas. For anyone with interest in birdlife, botanical species, tranquil walks, or simply witnessing seasonal changes in a wetland habitat, it provides plenty. Because it’s well managed, you also get good infrastructure (hide, paths), which makes the experience accessible and rewarding. ⸻ Final Thoughts If I visited, I’d bring binoculars, wear waterproof shoes (especially in wetter seasons), a field guide if interested in birds or wildflowers.