A local observer returned from holiday to find spring well advanced at Inch Island, a short drive from Derry.

Visits to the island's fields, hedgerows and shoreline showed cattle and sheep grazing, hawthorn in full bloom, and several wildflower species including thrift along the sea wall.

Bird sightings included swallows, ringed plovers, mallard ducks and a pair of great crested grebes on the adjacent lake.

The observer noted the fertiliser spreading on nearby fields and warned that excess nitrogen can contribute to water pollution and oxygen loss in lakes, citing the condition of Lough Neagh as an example.

Bluebells, cow parsley and alexanders were also recorded in the hedgerows.

The report concluded that everyday natural features at Inch Island remain under pressure from wider environmental issues including climate change and local water quality risks.