RSPB Mersehead Blog 7^th – 13^th October 2023

It has certainly started to feel wintry on the reserve with overnight temperatures dropping to 2^oC. Winter migrants have been returning with a flock of 60 Redwing seen on Rainbow Lane on Monday. Fieldfare, Mistle Thrush and Brambling have also been recorded.

This week has seen the team busy with bird surveys. On Wednesday a co-ordinated count of the Solway Estuary for…

RSPB Mersehead blog 30^th September – 6^th October 2023

We began the annual task of autumn cutting and nutrient stripping our wildflower meadows this week. It is important to remove the cut vegetation to ensure the soil remains nutrient poor which helps keep grasses at bay and allows wildflowers to thrive.

 

We were joined by a herd of spectators from the adjoining field who helpfully formed a work party to help…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 23^rd – 29^th September 2023

It’s been a wet and wild week, in more ways than one! Storm Agnes blew in with a mighty force, leaving a noticeable mark on the shoreline. Our public access road flooded a couple of times due to heavy rainfall and run-off from the hills.

Shoreline after Storm Agnes. Photo Credit: A. Hallatt

We sincerely apologise if the flood road closures affected your ability…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 16^th – 22^nd September 2023

The week began with heavy rain causing the public access road which leads up to the reserve boundary to flood. Our team were quick to respond and made sure visitors were kept safe and informed of what was going on.

 

 Minor Flooding Photo Credit R.Chambers 

The resulting weather did bring vital benefits to the reserve, compartments which have been dry all summer transformed…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 9th - 15th September 2023

There is a sudden Autumnal feeling at Mersehead with glistening cobwebs greeting the early risers. The nights are noticeably drawing in, the leaves are turning golden and birds are flocking together. The hedgerows are bursting with bright scarlet berries on the Hawthorn and Rowan trees which will provide a fantastic food source for returning winter migrants such as Redwing and…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 2^nd – 8^th September 2023

September is a transitional month, when anticipation grows as we await the arrival of the Barnacle Geese from Svlabard.  However, whilst the UK is in the midst of a heat wave – with temperatures in South West Scotland reaching the high 20’s – it is hard to believe that the stars of our winter show are less than a month away.   There are a few sights to…

RSPB Mersehead Blog – 26^th August – 1^st September

As warm summer breezes give way to cooler temperatures, more species are beginning to set off on their migratory journeys. There’s still plenty to see at the reserve though, including some nightly entertainment provided by our resident wildlife.

Caught on camera

Our camera traps caught these fellas along one of our tracks – a Roe Deer stopping…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 19th - 25th August 2023

My two weeks of work experience at Mersehead has certainly given me the opportunity to develop many skills and receive excellent insight into the varied nature of conservation work – from habitat management to species surveying; from unpicking Owl Pellets to a ride in the tractor to check on the cows…

Checking on the cows. Photo credit: E. Harvey

It would be impossible…

RSPB Mersehead Blog – 12th- 18th August

Our Saturday morning work party began preparations for our Family Fun Day which was fast approaching on Thursday. Bird boxes were cut, sawn, nailed and sanded ready for the big day along with medallion making which would be available for children to decorate on the day. Signs and banners were recycled and painted to help inform people of what was on offer (no plastic laminates…

RSPB Mersehead Blog – 5^th- 11^th August

With slowly improving weather, visitors have been able to fully enjoy the wildlife and landscapes of Mersehead. Some visitor highlights include Spotted Flycatchers and Tawny Owls in the woodland, Dunlin and Ringed Plovers on the shore and flocks of Linnets across the fields!

Buzzard in flight. Photo credit: Josh Shaw

Although it is a quieter time of year for bird species,…

RSPB Mersehead Blog - 29th July - 4th August

My volunteering period is coming to a close, and I’m reviewing the previous 6 months, remembering all the many and varied corners of the reserve where I’ve encountered marvellous wildlife and carried out tasks I never thought I’d be involved in. Being asked to grease a plough recently was definitely a new one for me…certainly one for the C.V….…

RSPB Mersehead blog: 22nd - 28th July 2023

The stars of the Mersehead wildlife spectacular can be a little trickier to find at this time of the year, as they are either very small, refuse to sit still, or come out under the cover of darkness.

With the wild flower meadows in full swing, these are the places to spend time looking for some miniature marvels.  The knapweed in the Butterfly Meadow is attracting a host of insects…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 15^th – 21^st July 2023

Some of our most colourful, beautiful and bizarrely named creatures come out at night while we are all fast asleep. With around 2,500 species of moth recorded in the UK, they outnumber the much-loved butterflies by 43 to 1.

The lure of the moth to the flame has long been a scientific mystery. Being primarily nocturnal it is believed that moths evolved to travel by the glimmer…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 8^th – 14^th July 2023

Welcome to the weekly RSPB Mersehead Nature Reserve Blog!

Work continues on the outer fields at Mersehead, with a tractor recently being deployed to some of our fields, equipped with a power harrow and rotavator to carefully prepare the ground for reseeding. This process may seem disruptive at first, but it plays a vital role in maintaining the health and vibrancy of the land…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 1^st – 7^th July 2023

It’s all about the butterflies this week with not one, but two exciting species recorded on the reserve. First spotted on the reserve 2-years ago, a Purple Hairstreak was seen in one of the oak trees along the footpath to the beach. This butterfly can go under-recorded due to it’s habit of remaining high in the canopy of oak trees where it feeds on honeydew.

…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 24^th – 30^th June 2023

Greetings, nature enthusiasts! As the summer season unfolds, we find ourselves witnessing a dramatic shift in weather patterns, transitioning from three scorching hot and dry weeks to a period of refreshing rain and wetness. Join us as we delve into the recent developments at the reserve, including preparations for cattle grazing, a mega moth haul, and an unexpected visit…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 17^th – 23^rd June 2023

Well, it’s been an action-packed week again at Mersehead. Thankfully, the weather has taken a different turn with the cooler temperatures being much more comfortable to work in. Flowers are in full bloom, butterflies abound, Barn Owls are often spotted and ‘dragons’ and ‘damsels’ surround any remaining water. It’s a wonderful time to be on such a special reserve and…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 10^th – 16^th June 2023

Like the rest of the UK, Mersehead is still in the middle of a heat wave, with temperatures peaking at close to 30^oC.  Every now and again the breeze has picked up, making conditions more bearable, but in the main it’s been a case of trying to get things done whilst move as slowly as possible (whilst wearing a hat and plenty of factor 50).

Taking a slow stroll through…

RSPB Mersehead Sightings 3^rd – 9^th June 2023

The majority of early morning surveys have been completed with the fourth and final survey of the reedbed breeding birds completed this week. Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler and Reed Bunting were all still in full song.

Yellow Flag Iris in the Wetland Mosaic

Keep a look-out for wader chicks in the fields as the adult Lapwing’s move the chicks considerable distances in search…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 27th May - 2nd June 2023

Hi, my name is George Hemstock, Community Engagement Officer at Mersehead. This is my first blog since starting here back in September last year.

Mug Shot. Photo Credit G.Hemstock 

It’s felt like summer all week at Mersehead, on Saturday 27^th May I was busy delivering another forest school workshop in the sunshine. I first started these children’s workshops back in November…

RSPB Mersehead blog 20^th - 26^th May 2023

Welcome to this week's edition of the Mersehead blog, where breeding season is in full swing and cows are on the moooove.

Cattle making there way out to the Mersehead fields. Photo credit: A.Sutton

Every year here at Mersehead, we graze animals like cows and sheep on the fields to help with our habitat management approach. Thursday this week marked the first arrival of the cows…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 13th - 19th May 2023

Another amazing week here on the reserve has been packed with wildlife wonders. My particular favourite, in the last few days, has been watching the Lapwing chicks growing larger and branching out across the fields, much to the consternation of their parents.

Lapwing chicks. Photo credit: CJE Farrell

A primary school group was lucky enough to witness the wonderful scene for themselves…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 6 – 12 May 2023

It has been a super survey week at Mersehead this week, with the much improved weather being taken advantage of by the team.  It has meant a few very early starts, but when you are rewarded by displaying Curlew and singing Reed Warbler there can’t be any complaints for some mild sleep deprivation.

Busy surveying at Kirkconnell Merse and in the Reedbed. Photo credit: P. …

RSPB Mersehead Blog 28^th April – 5^th May 2023

The Barnacle geese have left Mersehead, heading east on their 2,000-mile migration back to their breeding grounds in Svalbard. A count of the Solway on Wednesday recorded 25,000 geese on the Rockcliffe Marshes near Gretna Green, a traditional gathering point as they prepare for departure across the North Sea towards the Norwegian coast.

Photos by G. Chambers

At the start…

RSPB Mersehead blog 22^nd - 28^th April 2023

Mersehead was a buzz of excitement on Monday, with the first fluffly balls of the year seen wandering around the fields! These were of course not actual fluffy balls, but our much anticipated, newly hatched Lapwing chicks. 

Over the last month, several members of the conservation team have been monitoring Lapwing nests in the fields, to assess how successful their breeding season…