Mersehead

Reedbed Rides and a Guide in the Hide

2023-04-14T13:48:00Z

RSPB Mersehead Blog 8 – 13 April 2023

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: it’s an absolute privilege to be able spend a couple of hours at dawn walking along the Mersehead reedbed rides, hearing the first Sedge Warblers arrive back from their wintering grounds in Africa and joining the Willow Warbler, Reed Bunting and – the main focus of our visit – the Water Rail. Breeding pairs of this elusive bird are identified by playing a short burst of their unmistakeable ‘sharming’ call. Pairs of birds are recorded responding, and the presence of a territory can be confirmed. On this occasion, one lucky volunteer even caught a rare glimpse (twice) of our target species, as they scuttled amongst the reeds.

Listening for Water Rail. Photo credit: P. Radford

Water Rail. Photo credit: Mike Richards (rspb images)

This was just one of many surveys that have been completed this week, as we’ve counted Barnacle Geese, discovered and observed Lapwing nests, splashed about looking for Natterjack Toad Spawn Strings and (at the time of writing) gone butterfly hunting. Whilst the weather for much of the week has been too wet and windy for butterflies, the improved outlook on Friday has raised hopes of finding more than the one Small White that was spotted an hour ago near to the office.

The emergence of Cuckoo Flower is associated with the flight season of two species of butterfly that are regular seen at Mersehead; the Orange Tip and the Green-veined White. One of the first of this pretty purple flower was spotted this morning out by the reedbed, which is hopefully a sign that the butterflies won’t be far behind.

Cuckoo flower seen near reedbed. Photo credit: P. Radford

It’s not only staff and volunteers who have been busy observing the various creatures that call Mersehead home, with another successful and fully booked Badger Banquet being held last night. Enthralled guests were treated to a great show by our star performers, who are rewarded with a buffet of peanut butter and strawberry jam. One of our younger regular visitors – Benjamin Weatherley, aged 13 – was lucky to get a sneak preview of the show earlier in the week, when he spotted a Badger emerging from its sett whilst walking through the Sulwath Garden with his dad, Steven.

Sulwath Garden badger. Photo credit: Benjamin Weatherley

A lot of effort is put into organising events over the busy Easter period, and in addition to the excellent and very popular Easter Egg-Layer’s Trail, at advertised times, visitors have been able to gain an insight into the species that can be enjoyed from the Bruaich Hide with the help of a guide who is armed with scope and binoculars. Here is a list of some of the species observed by one of our guides earlier today:

Barnacle Goose

Pink-footed Goose

Canada Goose

Shelduck

Pintail

Teal

Wigeon

Curlew

Mallard

Buzzard

Shoveler

Grab a seat and enjoy the view with the Guide in the Hide. Photo credit: C. Farrell

Other notable sightings this week have included some of the first Swallows of the year, Red Kite, loudly singing Greenfinch, Stonechat, Whimbrel, Black-tailed Godwit, Nuthatch, Great-spotted Woodpecker (click here for footage of some drumming action) and also a visitor report of an Osprey and White-tailed Eagle over the Merse. Additionally, from the Visitor Centre it is possible to enjoy a brood of Mallard ducklings and good numbers of Yellowhammer. A link to a video of ten enjoying the feeders can be found here.

Our ever-committed volunteers were back down on the beach on Tuesday, removing more of the seemingly endless tide of rubbish that gets washed up on the high tides. This may be a war we will never win, but every piece of plastic removed is one less that endanger the lives of the marine and terrestrial animals that we want to protect.

Volunteers picking litter at Mersehead. Photo credit: P. Radford

Paul Radford, Assistant Warden

RSPB Mersehead Event Program

Easter Egg-Layer’s Trail

Sat 8^th– Mon 10^th April

Sat 15^th – Sun 16^th April

10:00 – 16:00

Activity Booklet

Booking not essential

Easter Badger Feast

Sun 16^th April

20:00 - 22:00

Wildlife Watching

Booking Essential

Natterjack Night

Sun 30^th April

Fir 5^th May

20:30 – 22:30

Guided Walk

Booking Essential

Chorus at Dusk

Sat 6^th May

20:15 – 22:15

Guided Walk

Booking Essential

For more information on the events and to book a place: https://events.rspb.org.uk/mersehead

Osprey Overhead

2023-04-07T17:30:00Z

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

It has been a week of two halves on the Solway, with driving rain turning to dazzling sunshine and blue skies. Spring is starting to unfurl across the reserve with more wildflowers blooming and the first butterflies on the wing with Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock and Small White seen this week.

Small Tortoiseshell. Photo credit: R. Chambers

A herald of spring is the Lesser Celandine, one of the earliest wildflowers to bloom. The bright yellow star-like flowers often blanket the ground beneath hedges and in damper places such as streambanks and meadows.

Lesser Celandine. Photo credit: R. Chambers

With green flowers just 5mm across Moschatel is also known by the name town-hall clock due to the arrangement of the five petals in a cube – four around the side with one on top.

Moschatel. Photo credit: R. Chambers

Delicate white petals with lilac veins reveal the presence of Wood Sorrel on the footpath to Meida Hide. This low creeping herb has trefoil-shaped leaves with both the leaves and petals closing as darkness falls.

Wood Sorrel. Photo credit: R. Chambers

With the survey season now in full swing we have been out monitoring a multitude of species. The week kicked off with Lapwing nest monitoring. As you walk down Rainbow Lane, scan across the grassland fields and you should see their distinctive sitting position indicating that the Lapwing is incubating eggs. Lapwings will fiercely defend their nests as our resident leucistic Barnacle Goose discovered this week.

Lapwing. Photo credit: Ian Francis (rspb-images.com)

Lapwing Attack! Photo Credit: A. Sutton

With the first Natterjack Toads appearing at the breeding ponds last week, we completed a search of the pools looking for spawn strings. Overnight temperatures have remained chilly, so it was not unexpected that we did not find any on this survey. A Palmate Newt was a nice record with the willow trees drawing the eye as they start to flower.

Palmate Newt. Photo credit: R. Chambers

Photo credit: R. Chambers

A 630am start this morning found some of the team monitoring the reedbed for breeding birds. Our star bird of the reedbed, the regional scarce Reed Warbler is yet to return with the focus of this morning’s survey mapping the Reed Bunting territories. The first Willow Warbler of the year was heard singing.

Photo credit: C. Farrell

Although a chilly night with the thermostat dropping to 1.8^oC, a total of 6 species of moth were recorded in the moth trap; Early Grey, Dark Sword-grass, Hebrew Character, Common Quaker, Powered Quaker and Clouded Drab.

It was great to see 19 Whooper Swans stopping off at Mersehead to feed up on the start of their migration this week. An Osprey was spotted flying over the reserve just this afternoon.

Rowena Chambers, Warden

RSPB Mersehead Event Program

Easter Egg-Layer’s Trail

Sat 8^th– Mon 10^th April

Thurs 13^th – Sun 16^th April

10:00 – 16:00

Activity Booklet

Booking not essential

Guide in the Hide

Thurs 13^th April

Fri 14^th April

11:00 – 12:30 & 14:00 – 15:30

Wildlife Watching

Free Event

Easter Badger Feast

Thurs 13^th April

Sun 16^th April

20:00 - 22:00

Wildlife Watching

Booking Essential

Natterjack Night

Sun 30^th April

Fir 5^th May

20:30 – 22:30

Guided Walk

Booking Essential

Chorus at Dusk

Sat 6^th May

20:15 – 22:15

Guided Walk

Booking Essential

For more information on the events and to book a place: https://events.rspb.org.uk/mersehead

Surveying season begins!

2023-03-31T13:22:00Z

RSPB Mersehead Blog 25^th – 31^st March 2023

At this time of year, the reserve is bursting with life and activity, with natterjack toads emerging from their winter hibernation, lapwings starting to nest and the dusk chorus of birds ever present all around the reserve. Our team of wardens and residential volunteers have been conducting surveys to help monitor the populations of these fascinating creatures and ensure their habitat is protected.

As night-time temperatures start to increase, we have been on the look-out for the first signs of our Natterjack Toads emerging from their winter slumber, and this week yielded excellent results with 21 toads spotted on an informal survey on Thursday. Our formal natterjack toad surveys will begin shortly, which are essential in tracking the population of these rare and endangered creatures. By monitoring their numbers, we can better understand how to protect and preserve their vulnerable ephemoral (temporary) pools habitat. With their distinctive yellow stripe down their backs, the natterjack toad is a unique and treasured species at Mersehead and one of the best places to see the species in the whole of Scotland!

Male Natterjack Toad with distinctive yellow stripe down it's back. Photo credit: A. Sutton

We are delighted to say that our popular Natterjack Night Guided Walks return again this spring with walks taking place on the 30^th April & 5^th May. Advance booking is essential, and as part of the walk you will be able to visit the breeding pools of these rare toads and hopefully hear the amazing croaking chorus. As Natterjack toads are a protected species this is the only opportunity visitors have to see these toads on the reserve in the company of an experienced licence holder. Places are going quickly so book your ticket today at at: https://events.rspb.org.uk/mersehead

Male Northern Lapwing displaying to attract a mate over the Mersehead fields. Photo credit: A. Sutton

Our Northen Lapwing surveys have also been incredibly informative over recent years, allowing us to monitor the breeding success of these stunning birds. With their striking green plumage, piercing call and acrobatic flight patterns, lapwings are a sight to behold and commonly seen from the circular walking route around the reserve. Whilst the population of lapwings has declined by 80% in the UK since 1960, we are proud that breeding numbers have increased 10-fold since the RSPB took over Mersehead in 1993. We're working hard to create the ideal conditions for them to thrive and we're hopeful of seeing lots more fluffy lapwing chicks in the coming weeks - watch this space!

Another important surveying scheme is to record the abundance of moths on the reserve, and we do this via the Garden Moth Scheme. The scheme is a citizen science project open to anyone interested in recording moths regularly in their garden, anywhere in the UK and Ireland. With no moths recorded in our last two survey's we were hoping for more this week and were pleased to see a good variety including a Hebrew Character, Oak Beauty, Early Thorn, Red Sword-grass and an abundance of Common Quaker's. You do not need expensive equipment to explore the amazing world of moths in your garden - check out these great ideas from Winterwatch and discover pink elephants, emeralds and tigers hiding in your garden at night.

Early Thorn moth. Photo credit: A. Sutton

Oak Beauty moth. Photo credit: A. Sutton

As we move into the Easter period, we are excited to share a range of events to help visitors connect with nature, including a Chorus Dusk Walk on 6^th May. The chorus dusk walk is a chance to take a guided tour around the reserve and hear the variety of song birds as they settle down for the evening. With more species of bird arriving from their winter migrations spots (such as Chiffchaff's, Reed Buntings, Willow Warblers and more) we're hearing more and more species every day! Please ensure booking in advance at our events page if you wish to attend.

Reed Bunting at Mersehead. Photo credit: A. Sutton

Notable bird sightings at Mersehead this week included

Wigeon
Pintail
Teal
Shoveler
Chiffchaff
Hen Harrier
Marsh Harrier
Red Kite

To learn more about these and other birds, check out the RSPB wildlife guide: Birds A- Z | Bird Guides - The RSPB

Red Kite above Mersehead fields. Photo credit: G. Hemstock

Adam Sutton, Residential volunteer

Mersehead events

A new programme of events for the Easter period have been organised, including Easter Egg Trails, a Folklore and Wellbeing walk and Natterjack Toad evenings. Follow this link to find out more: Mersehead (rspb.org.uk)

Mersehead holiday cottages

At Mersehead you will find the RSPB’s only self-catering holiday cottages- Barnacle and Shelduck. Available dates are currently going quickly, follow the links to book your next holiday.

Otterly Toadtastic

2023-03-24T15:26:00Z

RSPB Mersehead Blog 18th - 24th March 2023

The weather has proved both a help and a hinderance to residents of all sorts here at Mersehead R.S.P.B. this week. The wintry conditions seemed to be abating, with temperatures generally rising and signs of spring in abundance. But, in swept a significant amount of rain and wind, couple this with a high spring tide mid-week and that’s a recipe for a spot of flooding.

The popular Rainbow Lane route to the beach under water. Photo credit: Claire Farrell

A recent feature of the dampness has been the amount of common toads seen on the tracks around the reserve. Having made it back to the breeding areas, the toads mate quickly and spawn is often found both in and near their favourite pools/ditches.

Mating Common Toads. Photo credit: Claire Farrell

Newts are also heading back to their breeding ponds, the one pictured was particularly intrepid, scaling the sluice down near Meida Hide.

Newt on sluice. Photo credit: Claire Farrell

Plenty is afoot throughout the night on the reserve. While we’re all snoozing, the wildlife is going about its nightly business. A crow was caught spearing an unsuspecting toad in a small pool, and later in the night a rat came along to hoover up the morsels that remained.

community.rspb.org.uk/.../7317.6403.3750.VID_2D00_20230324_2D00_WA0001.mp4

Crow catching toad.

And the reedbed is alive with badgers, roe deer, hares and the particularly sneaky otters. As you walk around the reserve you may find their tell-tale semi-circular ‘passageways’ through the tall grass, normally near a beck or ditch that the otter is using for its nocturnal forays.

All the signs are there… Photo credit: Claire Farrell

After some concerted effort and a little bit of luck, the otters were captured on camera.

Smile please!

Wednesday’s high Spring tide, in excess of 9m, flooded Rainbow Lane, and the merse channels joined together, mingling the salty and fresh water. The sea battered the path onto the beach at the end of the woodland, and the classic walk along the beautiful Mersehead beach was impossible for a while.

It’s not often that the beach is inaccessible. Photo credit: Claire Farrell

The reserve was closed to although non-tractor drivers. Photo credit: Claire Farrell

Maybe this will be winter’s last ‘Hurrah!’ and, with the clocks springing forward this weekend we’ll have seen the last of the wild weather. Despite all this, the breeding season is very much underway for the Lapwings, with adults back on their breeding grounds, plenty of display activity and nest scraping on the rise. Exciting times!!

Another sign of the end of winter is our final count of wintering birds before we get into regular dawn starts for breeding bird surveys. Both Mersehead and Kirkconnell counts were conducted on Friday, with the results tabulated below. The highlight has to be a female Ring-necked Duck. One has been spotted on several occasions over the winter, but this was the first time it has appeared during a survey.

Mersehead reserve count: Friday 24/03/2023

Species	Reserve total
Mute swan	4
Canada goose	2
Barnacle goose	4046
Shelduck	71
Wigeon	26
Gadwall	5
Teal	71
Mallard	24
Pintail	11
Shoveler	20
Ring-necked Duck	1
Red-breasted merganser	3
Little Egret	3
Grey Heron	1
Moorhen	4
Oystercatcher	53
Ringed plover	4
Lapwing	48
Dunlin	65
Curlew	98
Redshank	5
Lesser Black-backed Gull	3
Total individuals	4568
Total species	22

Kirkconnell Merse Reserve count 24/03/2023

Species	Reserve Total
Pink-footed goose	150
Barnacle goose	1
Shelduck	11
Wigeon	505
Teal	68
Mallard	10
Pintail	16
Goldeneye	5
Goosander	1
Cormorant	17
Oystercatcher	14
Curlew	10
Redshank	123
Black-headed Gull	20
Common Gull	7
Lesser Black-backed Gull	17
Great Black-backed Gull	2
Herring Gull	10
Total individuals	987
Total species	18

Unfortunately, they only stayed briefly on Tuesday, but it was exciting to see 49 Whooper Swans drop into one of the fields behind the visitor centre. Adam was able to capture them from the roost before they took off - possibly to continue their long journey back from Caerlaverock to Iceland.

Whooper swans taking off after a brief stop at Mersehead. Photo credit: Adam Sutton

Another sign of spring has been the return of some of our early migrant visitors: Wheater and Chiffchaff have been spotted this week amongst other notable sightings which include Red Kite, Reed Bunting, Goldcrest, Bullfinch and Greenshank.

Lastly, after two weeks with an empty trap, we finally got a moth for our weekly Garden Moth Scheme. Just the one - a Common Quaker.

Claire Farrell, Residential volunteer

Mersehead events

Mersehead holiday cottages

At Mersehead you will find the RSPB’s only self-catering holiday cottages- Barnacle and Shelduck. Available dates are currently going quickly, follow the links to book your next holiday.

Changing Seasons

2023-03-16T13:52:00Z

RSPB Mersehead Blog 11^th – 17^th March 2023

The weather has continued to feel not particularly spring-like, with cold temperatures and even some light dusting of snow earlier this week, turning into rainy, wet conditions later on the week. While all the rain means the access road has unfortunately flooded some days, its good weather for the toads as the rain helps to fill up the breeding pools for the natterjacks who will soon be emerging.

A light dusting of snow in the Sulwath Garden in the early morning. Photo: S. Doyle

One of the natterjack toad breeding pools at Mersehead

Despite the weather, reminders of spring are plentiful. Lapwing can be seen performing their acrobatic display flight above the fields. With one even spotted nest scraping, it won’t be long before they are nesting and chicks beginning to hatch. It’s also breeding time for amphibians so keep an eye out for the frogspawn that can be spotted in pools and ponds. With warmer weather approaching, our weekly moth trapping has started up again. Although none were recorded this week, probably due to the rain and wind, an Angle Shades moth was found sheltering in the porch of the Sulwath Centre one morning.

Other sightings this week included an Otter caught on a trail camera down near the reedbeds, and a Weasel spotted on two occasions near the track down to the woodland. The easiest way to tell apart a Weasel from a Stoat is its tail, which is much shorter and stubbier than a Stoats, and doesn’t end in a black tip.

Frog spawn. Photo: S. Doyle

Angle Shades moth. Photo: S. Doyle

On Monday we did a Wetland Bird Survey, with good numbers of Oystercatcher, Dunlin and Lapwing counted, and it was nice to see 15 Gadwall from the hides. The full survey results are summarised in the table below. Of course, the barnacle geese continue to be a familiar presence around the reserve, with just over 4000 counted this week. Two leucistic geese can also often be seen standing out among the crowd, sometimes even in the same field!

Two leucistic geese in a field at Mersehead. Photo: A. Sutton

Mersehead WeBS Count: Monday 13th March

Species	Total count
Canada goose	2
Barnacle goose	4219
Shelduck	36
Wigeon	109
Gadwall	15
Teal	169
Mallard	7
Pintail	15
Shoveler	19
Little Grebe	1
Cormorant	1
Grey Heron	1
Moorhen	2
Oystercatcher	488
Ringed plover	27
Grey plover	48
Lapwing	145
Knot	2
Sanderling	7
Dunlin	2200
Jack Snipe	1
Snipe	19
Curlew	54
Redshank	2
Lesser Black-backed Gull	4
Great Black-backed Gull	1
Herring Gull	4
Total individuals	7598
Total species	27

On Tuesday we did a beach clean near the West Preston end of the reserve. It was a cold morning, but when the clouds lifted we were treated to lovely views of the snowy Lake District across the water. An interesting find on the beach was a badger skull, complete with a moving jaw and full set of teeth.

Volunteers taking part in a beach clean on Tuesday. Photo: S. Doyle

The changing seasons are a wonderful time of year, and as my time at Mershead comes to an end, I am so glad to have been here to see the reserve as it both transitions into winter and out of it. I arrived back in late September as the barnacle geese were also beginning to arrive, and got to see the wetlands filling up with water, the trees lose their leaves and the days slowly get shorter. Now in my last weeks it has been so nice to see the evenings get longer again, the daffodils appear, to hear the birds singing and the lapwing displaying. The past six months have been a fantastic and varied experience, with path building, scrub management, fence maintenance, bird surveys and much more. I have learnt so much and it has been a privilege to be able to live on the reserve with such lovely sights on my doorstep - I will especially miss the barnacle geese and their relentless honking which I have grown so familiar and fond of!

I hope you all have a wonderful spring and summer. Goodbye and thank you Mersehead!

Sorcha Doyle, Residential Volunteer

Mersehead holiday cottages

At Mersehead you will find the RSPB’s only self-catering holiday cottages- Barnacle and Shelduck. Available dates are currently going quickly, follow the links to book your next holiday.

A Rude Awakening from Dreams of Spring

2023-03-10T15:47:00Z

RSPB Mersehead Blog 4^th – 10^th March 2023

The first half of the week continued the Spring like feel that was highlighted in last week’s blog. The hedgerows have been alive with activity, and some (notably a pair of Blue Tits in the Sulwath Garden) have started checking out the available real estate; popping in and out of the plentiful nest boxes dotted across the reserve. Eagle-eyed visitors will notice a number of boxes along the trails are on posts, at head height. These were erected for the Tree Sparrows which we are so fortunate to have in residence at Mersehead. They have all recently been cleaned out and refurbished, in the hope that they will be occupied this Spring – even if not by sparrows.

Feeling like Spring. Photo credit: P. Radford

Adding to the spring-like feel earlier in the week, Brown Hares were spotted chasing each other through the fields, a bumblebee was heard buzzing from the depths of a Bay Tree and a Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly made an early emergence from its overwintering resting place in one of the reserve cottages. We even spotted a lonely Lesser Celandine along a reedbed trail. In relation to the hares, it is most likely that what was witnessed was a male chasing a female, who obviously didn’t feel it was necessary to fend off her pursuer by engaging in the boxing behaviour that is iconic of this species.

Brown hare in hot pursuit. Photo credit: Claire Farrell

A lonely Lesser Celandine. Photo credit: P. Radford

Night-time temperatures dropped as low as -4 degrees Celsius during the week, and then the weather turned more wintery on Thursday, with a strong, bitterly cold north-easterly wind bringing driving snow in the late afternoon and through the night. The reserve awoke to a light dusting of snow and – unsurprisingly – an empty moth trap. With the Summer Garden Moth Scheme (GMS) restarting last week, look out for more moth updates in future blogs. The lack of moths afforded some spare time to get some nice snowy photographs.

Wren in the snow. Photo credit: A. Sutton

Robin in early morning sunshine. Photo credit: A. Sutton

Blackbird on snowy verge. Photo credit: A. Sutton

It was surprising to see a late flock of 30-40 Skylark foraging in the field. Photo credit: A. Sutton

The moths weren't keen on an igloo trap. Photo credit: P. Radford

Roe Deer bounding through the snow. Photo credit: Claire Farrell

The photographers becoming the photographed. Photo credit: A. Sutton

Glorious sunshine on Friday made for perfect survey conditions, as we headed down to Glencaple for March’s Wetland Bird Survey. The results are summarised in the following table:

Kirkconnell WeBS Count: Friday 10^th March

Species	Total count
Pink-footed goose	330
Barnacle goose	2183
Shelduck	75
Wigeon	396
Teal	92
Mallard	15
Pintail	5
Goldeneye	10
Goosander	7
Cormorant	6
Grey Heron	1
Oystercatcher	13
Dunlin	14
Snipe	1
Curlew	12
Redshank	259
Black-headed Gull	81
Common Gull	105
Lesser Black-backed Gull	26
Great Black-backed Gull	1
Herring Gull	1
Total individuals	3633
Total species	21

Other notable sightings at Mersehead this week include:

Whooper Swan (22)

Jack Snipe

Black-tailed Godwit

Juvenile female Marsh Harrier

Curlew and Lapwing (flocking in fields)

Skylark (30-40 flocking in fields)

Yellow Hammers (9 at VC feeder)

Weasel

Paul Radford, Assistant Warden

Mersehead holiday cottages

At Mersehead you will find the RSPB’s only self-catering holiday cottages- Barnacle and Shelduck. Available dates are currently going quickly, follow the links to book your next holiday.

50-Year’s & Counting

2023-02-28T15:44:00Z

RSPB Mersehead Blog 25^thFebruary – 3^rd March 2023

Volunteers from Mersehead were out completing the national Beached Bird Survey over the weekend. This is one of the UK’s longest running citizen science projects having started 50-years ago. Initially launched to monitor chronic oil pollution, this survey gives scientists an insight into the causes of seabird deaths. With the beautiful weather, it was a stunning day to be out although the continuing avian influenza made for a busy survey.

Daylight hours are becoming notably longer as we transition into spring. Lapwing are starting to display more frequently, and pair bonds are forming out on the wetlands. It was great to see five pairs of Gadwall from Bruiach hide this week. The still bare hedgerows make spotting our songbirds easier. Amongst the species on full display in the woodland this week were Goldcrest, Chaffinch, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Blackbird, Greenfinch, Treecreeper, Wren and Song Thrush. Eight Whooper Swans flew low over the reserve this morning, properly on the first leg of their migration back to their breeding grounds in Iceland.

The driftwood bird table at the Information Centre has been hectic with small birds queuing up in the hedgerows awaiting their turn. As well as the more common garden birds such as Chaffinch, Blackbird and Blue tit, there has been fabulous close-up views of Tree Sparrow and Yellowhammer this week.

The low tides this week saw us back at RSPB Kirkconnell Merse to complete livestock fence repairs on the merse after the winter storms. At around 300ha, RSPB Kirkconnell Merse is one of the most extensive areas of saltmarsh in southern Scotland. Large flocks of both Barnacle and Pink-footed geese were fuelling up on the merse, with Goldeneye and Little Egret seen on the river. We were treated to the sight of a full rainbow stretching the width of the merse.

Other wildlife sightings at Mersehead this week include:

Hen Harrier
Wigeon
Pintail
Teal
Shoveler
Little Grebe
Golden Plover

Visiting the reserve during this time of year is an excellent way to reconnect with nature and experience the beauty of Scotland's wetlands. Whether you are a bird-watching enthusiast, a lover of wildflowers, or simply looking for a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, Mersehead has something for everyone!

So why not pack your binoculars, put on your walking boots, and come and explore this magnificent wetland nature reserve for yourself? You will be amazed by the natural wonders that await you.

At Mersehead you will find the RSPB’s only self-catering holiday cottages- Barnacle and Shelduck. Available dates are currently going quickly, follow the links to book your next holiday.

Rowena Chambers, Warden

Sulwath garden delights

2023-02-24T13:18:00Z

RSPB Mersehead Blog 18^th- 24^th February 2023

Welcome to the latest Mersehead blog, where the winter season is slowly coming to an end and the promise of spring is just around the corner. As the days begin to lengthen and the weather slowly starts to warm up, the reserve's habitats are starting to come alive with an array of stunning flora. Look out for the delicate white flowers of the snowdrop which can be found carpeting the woodland fringes, as well as the yellow blooms of daffodils and purple crocuses that have started opening up in recent days.

Daffodils in the Sulwath Garden. Photo credit A. Sutton

More and more birds can be heard singing recently, and there are early signs of birds collecting nesting materials. Just sitting in the Sulwath garden for half an hour you can see a large variety of bird species and flowers, plus it's a lovely place to bring a packed lunch during good weather!

Blackbird on the troughs in the Sulwath Garden. Photo credit A. Sutton

Great Spotted Woodpecker in the Sulwath Garden. Photo credit A. Sutton

On Tuesday the weekly volunteering work party got involved with clearing and thinning more willow trees near our natterjack toad pools. It wont be long before the toads start breeding again, so clearing away the willow encroaching on ditches helps the toads cross terrain and find breeding partners during the upcoming season. We're also hoping that thinning out the willow trees near the pools will reduce perching spots for airborne predators, a job that we wont be able to carry on with once the breeding season gets underway.

Volunteers clearing willow from the ditches. Photo credit P. Radford

On Monday a wetland bird survey was done back on reserve, with highlights including a pair of Golden plover and over 3,500 Barnacle Geese. A full summary of the count is shown in the table.

Compartment	Reserve total
Mute swan	2
Pink-footed goose	2
Canada goose	5
Barnacle goose	3693
Shelduck	65
Wigeon	172
Gadwall	8
Teal	261
Mallard	8
Pintail	46
Shoveler	23
Tufted Duck	3
Little Grebe	1
Grey Heron	1
Oystercatcher	110
Ringed plover	36
Golden plover	2
Grey plover	13
Lapwing	148
Sanderling	22
Dunlin	1503
Jack Snipe	1
Snipe	7
Curlew	128
Redshank	2
Black-headed Gull	1
Lesser Black-backed Gull	7
Total individuals	6270
Total species	27

Barnacle geese in the fields. Photo credit A. Sutton

Bird sightings at Mersehead this week included

Wigeon
Pintail
Teal
Shoveler
Little Grebe
Hen Harrier
Golden Plover
Black-tailed Godwit

To learn more about these and other birds, check out the RSPB wildlife guide: Birds A- Z | Bird Guides - The RSPB

Visiting the reserve during this time of year is an excellent way to reconnect with nature and experience the beauty of Scotland's wetlands. Whether you're a bird-watching enthusiast, a lover of wildflowers, or simply looking for a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, Mersehead has something for everyone!

So why not pack your binoculars, put on your walking boots and come and explore this magnificent wetland nature reserve for yourself? You'll be amazed by the natural wonders that await you.

Adam Sutton, Residential Volunteer

Upcoming events:

Goose Roost on the Sandflats

Saturday 25^th Feb

17:15-19:15

Guided walk

*Flooding - Please note that Mersehead nature reserve is prone to flooding during periods of high rainfall and/or strong winds and tidal surges. To avoid disappointment at these times, please contact the reserve in advance of your visit by email in the first instance at mersehead@rspb.org.uk or check the RSPB Dumfries and Galloway Facebook Page for daily updates.

*Holiday Cottages - Discover the breath-taking scenery, wildlife, cultural and history of Dumfries & Galloway whilst staying in one of the Mersehead cosy semi-detached holiday cottages – Barnacle and Shelduck – located in the heart of reserve

Of Merse and Mud

2023-02-17T14:14:00Z

RSPB Mersehead Blog 11^th- 17^th February 2023

It’s hard not to mention the onset of spring at the moment, with the sight of snowdrops peeking up from the ground and the sound of birds singing filling the air. In particular it has been lovely to hear the musical notes of the Skylarks while out in the fields at Mersehead this week as they show off their distinctive flight pattern.

While maybe less musical than the songbirds, of course the honking of the Barnacle Geese can always be heard as they continue to be seen in good numbers around the reserve with 5409 geese recorded in this weeks count.

A skylark in flight. Photo credit C. Farrell

Another familiar sight are the distinctive yellow catkins dangling gently from the branches of hazel. Look a little bit closer and you’ll spot the tiny female flowers too – they might be inconspicuous till you notice them, but once you do the delicate, bright red styles are hard to miss. A wind-pollinated plant, the male catkins mature over the autumn and winter till they open up at this time of the year to release pollen which is blown onto female flowers.

A sign that spring is coming - the conspicuous male catkins and tiny red female flowers of hazel. Photo credit S. Doyle

On Tuesday there was a beach clean with the help of the weekly volunteers. While the continuous amount of rubbish washed up is always sobering, it was nice to be down on the beach with the calls of curlew and redshank in the background. The find of the day was a Darth Vadar helmet!

Beach clean. Photo credit P. Radford

An interesting find from the beach clean on Tuesday! Photo credit S. Doyle

Habitat management work for the Natterjack Toads has been a focus recently as it won’t be long before they start emerging from their hibernation and head for the breeding pools. This week work has included strimming alongside one of the ditches to create a short sward. The other side of the ditch had previously been reprofiled to help create a gently sloping bank to create a shallow area as the ditch fills up with water. All this will hopefully benefit the natterjacks as they breed in shallow, warm pools that are relatively free of vegetation, and short sward is their ideal foraging habitat.

Strimming to create a short sward for the benefit of natterjack toads, with the reprofiled bank visible on the opposite side. Photo credit P. Radford

Another task this week was walking the livestock fenceline at Kirkonnell Merse, checking for winter damage and any repairs needed. It will then be ready for the cattle which will be out grazing the merse from April. The grazing will help to keep the merse in a favourable condition with a mosaic of sward heights providing habitat for breeding, passage and wintering birds. Fortunately, mainly just minor issues were found, and the biggest challenge was crossing some of the creeks - where two residential volunteers managed to get slightly stuck and very muddy!

Walking the fence line at Kirkonnell Merse. Photo credit S. Doyle

All in all, while working on a nature reserve will always involve a bit of mud, with getting mud splattered from strimming by the natterjack toad ditch, getting stuck in the mud at Kirkonnell Merse as well as digging to repair a leak in a water pipe in one of the fields, this week has been a particularly muddy one!

Fixing a leak in one of the water pipes that feed the water troughs on the reserve. Photo credit S. Doyle

On Friday a wetland bird survey was done back at Kirkonnell Merse, with highlights including 11 Goldeneye and over 1000 Barnacle Geese. A full summary of the count is shown in the table.

Kirkonnell Merse count 17 Feb 2023

Species	Count
Barnacle Goose	1098
Shelduck	7
Wigeon	138
Teal	138
Mallard	39
Goldeneye	11
Goosander	1
Cormorant	2
Oystercatcher	7
Curlew	82
Redshank	122
Total individuals	1645
Total species	11

Bird sightings at Mersehead this week included

Wigeon
Pintail
Teal
Shoveler
Ring-necked Duck
Mute Swan
Redshank
Black-tailed Godwit

To learn more about these and other birds, check out the RSPB wildlife guide: Birds A- Z | Bird Guides - The RSPB

Sorcha Doyle, Residential Volunteer

Upcoming events:

Badger Banquet

Sunday 19^th Feb

Thursday 23d Feb

18:00-20:00

Wildlife Watching Experience

Goose Roost on the Sandflats

Saturday 25^th Feb

17:15-19:15

Guided walk

Beginnings and Endings

2023-02-10T14:04:00Z

RSPB Mersehead Blog 4^th February – 10^th February 2023

In the Celtic calendar spring starts on February 1^st, halfway between the winter and summer solstices. The festival celebrating the advent of spring and the end of the long night was known as Imbolc, and is still celebrated as St Brigid’s day in Ireland. When my fellow residential volunteer told me that spring began in February in Ireland I was confused, but now as the days begin to lengthen, the snowdrops begin to bloom, and the birds begin to sing, I think I begin to understand what the Celts were on about.

Snowdrops. Photo credit Michael Harvey (rspb_images.com)

This week will be my final blog post, as I am finishing my time as a residential volunteer at the end of next week. Most (sensible) people spend the summer doing fieldwork, retreating indoors as the weather cools, but even though it has often been cold, dark, windy, and wet, I think that winter is the best time to be at Mersehead. Without the heavy rains of winter we wouldn't have the wetlands that so many of our wonderful wildfowl and waders rely on, and whom I have had the pleasure to see so much of these past few months. I will especially miss the Barnacle Geese. It is hard to imagine the reserve without this iconic species, and I can no longer imagine day-to-day life without their loud and incessant honking. The geese arrived on the reserve as I did, and will begin to leave soon as the seasons change and the next batch of residential volunteers come in.

Winter is also the time where we do a lot of the important land management work, and with all the fence repair and removal, shrub and tree cutting, wood chopping, path creation and maintenance, and various other jobs I have assisted with in my time here, I am becoming very buff. This week we have been getting ready for the Natterjack Toads return by clearing the ditches and pools of willow and gorse. Natterjack toads prefer warm water to lay their eggs, so by removing the foliage we will allow the sun to warm the water in our natterjack pools, hopefully making them perfect to raise little toadlets. I managed to get through this week without falling into any ditches, but I fear that after all the sawing my arms may never be the same.

Natterjack toad

Another task we have been doing this week is tracking the spread of Spartina anglica, or common cord-grass, on the merse and beach. Common cord-grass is an invasive species found on coastal habitats, spreading rapidly and often outcompeting native species and making sites such as intertidal mudflats unfavourable for waders and other important species. We have been monitoring the spread of Spartina at Mersehead through fixed-point-photography, taking photos at the same point every few years to visually track the spread of the plant.

Spartina anglica on the merse. Photo credit J. Lister

Highlights of this weeks reserve count include a Water Rail, which was heard calling in the wetlands near the Meida hide, and eightyeight Shelduck, which were seen out on the mudflats at high tide. The Ring-Necked Duck was also seen on Monday, but evaded us during our survey the same day.

Species	Reserve Total
Barnacle goose	5144
Black-headed Gull	4
Canada goose	4
Curlew	91
Dunlin	650
Gadwall	7
Great Black-backed Gull	3
Grey Heron	1
Grey plover	24
Knot	50
Lapwing	1245
Lesser Black-backed Gull	1
Little Egret	1
Little Grebe	1
Mallard	22
Mute swan	2
Oystercatcher	20
Pintail	67
Red-breasted merganser	1
Redshank	2
Ringed plover	12
Sanderling	20
Shelduck	88
Shoveler	67
Teal	218
Tufted Duck	3
Water rail	1
Wigeon	167
Total individuals	7916
Total species	28

To learn more about these and other birds, check out the RSPB wildlife guide: Birds A- Z | Bird Guides - The RSPB

I would like to thank the staff, volunteers, and other species of Mersehead for a wonderful winter and I wish us all am splendid spring.

Jess Lister, Residential Volunteer

Upcoming events:

Badger Banquet

Sunday 19^th Feb

Thursday 23d Feb

18:00-20:00

Wildlife Watching Experience

Goose Roost on the Sandflats

Saturday 25^th Feb

17:15-19:15

Guided walk

Winter is in the air, but signs of Spring have sprung

2023-02-03T14:42:00Z

RSPB Mersehead Blog 28^th January – 3^rd February 2023

Whilst still winter, signs of early spring are starting to emerge at Mersehead with the recent milder weather. This last week has seen the start of songbirds like great tits and song thrushes try out their mating calls and songs, filling the air with melodic trills and chirps. Whilst on the ponds, teal have been seen practicing their iconic displays, flapping their wings and making a splash, adding to the vibrant atmosphere.

Great tit outside Bruaich hide. Photo credit A. Sutton

Mr and Mrs Teal, from the Bruaich hide. Photo credit A. Sutton

Not to be forgotten, the sound of honking can be heard from the fields, as the barnacle geese move from one field to another, making their presence known. The weekly count this week showed lower numbers than the 8,000 seen last week, but there were still a healthy 1,200+ geese grazing around the reserve. It's not unusual to see geese moving around the fields and we expect to see more back again in the coming weeks. Along with our goose counts, a wetland bird count was done at Kirkconnell Merse on Friday alongside the river Nith, with the following sightings:

	Reserve Total
Whooper swan	1
Pink-footed goose	105
Barnacle goose	1298
Shelduck	21
Wigeon	173
Teal	163
Mallard	30
Goldeneye	20
Cormorant	2
Little Egret	1
Grey Heron	1
Oystercatcher	9
Ringed Plover	1
Lapwing	115
Curlew	101
Redshank	142
Black-headed Gull	162
Common Gull	508
Great Black-backed Gull	6
Herring Gull	2
Total individuals	2861
Total species	20

Barnacle Geese taking off (including one leucistic barnacle goose). Photo credit A. Sutton

Barnacle Geese in flight. Photo credit A. Sutton

This past Saturday, the reserve hosted a popular Forest School activity for kids, providing a unique opportunity for them to learn about and experience the natural world. These activities are a great way to get children interested in nature, and future events can be found on our Facebook page here, with booking in advance essential.

Long-tailed tit outside Bruaich hide. Photo credit A. Sutton

At the weekend, the reserve also participated in the national Big Garden Birdwatch event, live streaming our bird feeders on the RSPB YouTube channel. Perhaps our biggest highlight of the event was the appearance of our regular tree sparrow family, which got everyone talking, including the famous naturalist, Chris Packham, who was excitedly discussing the birds on the feeders. Thank you for those of you who took part over the weekend and submitted your sightings - this data is incredibly helpful for tracking and managing the future of our avian friends.

Tree Sparrows from the visitor centre. Photo credit A. Sutton

Notable bird sightings from the last few weeks include:

Wigeon
Pintail
Teal
Shoveler
Ring-necked Duck
Little Grebe
Water Rail
Mute Swan
Whooper Swan
Little Egret
Hen Harrier
Peregrine
Red Kite
Common Redshank
Water Pipit

Adam Sutton, Residential Volunteer

To learn more about these and other birds, check out the RSPB wildlife guide: Birds A- Z | Bird Guides - The RSPB

Upcoming events:

Badger Banquet

Sunday 19^th Feb

Thursday 23d Feb

18:00-20:00

Wildlife Watching Experience

Goose Roost on the Sandflats

Saturday 25^th Feb

17:15-19:15

Guided walk

Big Garden Birdwatch!

2023-01-27T14:16:00Z

RSPB Mersehead Blog 21^st – 27^th January 2023

This weekend is the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch and Mersehead is one of the reserves being live streamed over the weekend. You can check out the action at the visitor centre bird feeders live from 9am on Saturday here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQY4ZFLiGnw, or have a look at some footage from earlier in the week here https://www.facebook.com/TheRSPB/live_videos/?ref=page_internal. Getting involved in the Big Garden Birdwatch is easy. Just spend an hour counting the birds you see in your garden or park, submit your results online and you can help contribute to monitoring birdlife. Find out more and sign up here https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/.

Coal Tit and Greenfinch caught on the live feed at the visitor centre birdfeeders as part of Big Garden Birdwatch.

On Monday we carried out a wetland bird survey, recording 26 different species around the reserve, with some highlights including Tufted Duck, Sanderling, Jacksnipe, Ringed Plover and Grey Plover. A full summary of the survey is in the table below. 5 Whooper Swans have also been seen at the wetlands by the Bruaich hide, and a Water Rail was spotted darting between the ditches by the path down to the woodland. Yellowhammer, Bullfinch, Stonechat, Red Kite and Hen Harrier were just some of the other sightings on the reserve this week.

As part of a Solway-wide coordinated goose count on Wednesday, just over 5,000 Barnacle Geese were counted on reserve, with a total count of just under 30,000 across the Solway.

Mersehead wetland bird survey results - 23 Jan 2023

Species	Count
Pink-footed goose	23
Canada goose	25
Barnacle goose	4678
Shelduck	42
Wigeon	174
Teal	177
Mallard	44
Pintail	30
Shoveler	28
Tufted Duck	1
Goosander	4
Little Egret	2
Oystercatcher	402
Ringed plover	22
Golden plover	40
Grey plover	150
Lapwing	176
Knot	1000
Sanderling	100
Dunlin	2500
Jack Snipe	1
Snipe	7
Curlew	74
Redshank	20
Black-headed Gull	4
Common Gull	18
Total individuals	9742
Total species	26

To learn more about these and other birds, check out the RSPB wildlife guide: Birds A- Z | Bird Guides - The RSPB

Whooper Swans taking off from the wetlands in front of Bruaich hide. Photo credit S. Doyle

The Tuesday volunteer work party was busy doing some willow scrub removal near the natterjack toad pools. As well as helping to maintain access to the breeding ponds from the dunes for the toads, by thinning out the denser stands of willow and creating a varied structure with a mosaic of different heights and clearings that let some sunlight in, it helps support increased plant and invertebrate diversity.

Volunteers doing some willow scrub management work

Evidence of underwater life is often washed up on the beach at Mershead, such as cuttlefish bones, sea potatoes and ‘mermaid’s purses’. This week a regular visitor to the reserve kindly shared her finds of shark eggcases on the beach at Mershead, with 199 Thornback Ray cases, 30 Smallspotted catshark cases, 2 Spotted Ray cases and 1 Blackmouth catshark cases found.

Though a little confusing, these rays are in fact skates, as true rays give birth to live young while skates lay eggs! Skates and rays are closely related to sharks, and skates and some shark species lay eggs that are enclosed in a tough leathery eggcase. The eggcases have features such as tendrils, horns and mucus filaments that attach the eggcase to a surface such as the seabed or seaweed and they provide the developing embryo with all the nutrients it needs till it hatches as a miniature version of the adult. Empty eggcases (commonly known as ‘mermaid’s purses’) are often seen washed up on beaches and their size, shape and features allows the species to be identified.

A walk along the beach is always interesting, especially if you keep your eyes open!

Eggcases collected from the beach at Mersehead. Photo credit: F. Moir

Big Garden Birdwatch is fun, free and for everyone. And you don’t need a garden to take part! Counting birds from your balcony, or your local park will play a vital role in helping us understand how UK birds are doing. Sign up for your free guide and let's look out for birds together on 27-29 January.

Upcoming events:

Badger Banquet

Sunday 19^th Feb

Thursday 23d Feb

18:00-20:00

Wildlife Watching Experience

Goose Roost on the Sandflats

Saturday 25^th Feb

17:15-19:15

Guided walk

Ice Ice Baby

2023-01-20T13:53:00Z

RSPB Mersehead Sightings 16th – 20th January 2023

It has been a cold week here at Mersehead and our wetland birds have been struggling to find any wet land with most of the reserve being frozen over. Despite the freezing conditions, our volunteers have been out in the first beach clean of the year.

Beach cleaning. Photo credit J. Lister

In exciting news, a White-Tailed Eagle has been spotted on the reserve! The juvenile was seen flying over the beach by several visitors, including local professional photographer, Derrick Dunbar, who managed to capture some pictures of the bird, and has kindly shared them with us. The white-tailed eagle is the largest bird of prey found in the UK, with its wingspan allowing us to distinguish it from the smaller golden eagle. The species went extinct in the 20^th century, and are still very rare after reintroduction, making this sighting a real treat for us here on the reserve.

Juvenile white-tailed eagle. Photo credit D. Dunbar

Another notable visitor at the reserve is a female Ring-Necked Duck, who after first being sighted before New Year's, mysteriously disappeared, only to appear again this week in front of Meida hide. These ducks are American natives, breeding in Canada, Alaska, and the Arctic, so I’m sure with all the cold weather we’ve been having this rare vagrant is feeling quite at home on our reserve.

Kirkconnell reserve count: Friday 20th January 2023

Species	Count
Barnacle Goose	1140
Curlew	71
Goldeneye	12
Goosander	1
Greenshank	1
Mallard	72
Pintail	64
Red-breasted Merganser	13
Redshank	113
Shelduck	21
Teal	71
Wigeon	409

To learn more about these and other birds, check out the RSPB wildlife guide: Birds A- Z | Bird Guides - The RSPB

Upcoming events:

Badger Banquet

Sunday 19^th Feb

Thursday 23d Feb

18:00-20:00

Wildlife Watching Experience

Goose Roost on the Sandflats

Saturday 25^th Feb

17:15-19:15

Guided walk

*Holiday Cottages - Discover the breath-taking scenery, wildlife, culture and history of Dumfries & Galloway whilst staying in one of the Mersehead cosy semi-detached holiday cottages – Barnacle and Shelduck – located in the heart of reserve.

Sorry if I'm Bore'ing You

2023-01-13T15:34:00Z

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

It’s been a wet and windy week at Mersehead , and with the water table so high, and the road once again flooded, the Wetlands were bucking the trend at the start of the week by looking surprisingly dry. Whilst this meant the ducks were huddled far away at the back of the field, it illustrates the amount of control we have over the water levels on the wetlands, even at times of such heavy rain. Although it was unintentional on this occasion (sluice boards had been dislodged during the flooding), the temporary exposure of mud and grassy islands would have been a welcome sight for waders and shallow feeding waterfowl, such as Lapwing and Wigeon, who would have been less enamoured by the deep water than their diving counterparts.

Wetlands looking a bit drained. Photo credit: P. Radford

It may still feel very wintery, but the focus of our habitat work now shifts to preparing for warmer times, when Natterjack Toads emerge from their winter slumber and head to the breeding pools. These pools are located on an area of the reserve that once acted as a shelter belt for the farm and, to stop it reverting to this, young Willow saplings are removed both with machinery and by hand. We are also thinning and clearing areas of dense willow both north and south of the pools. This work will have many benefits beyond helping keep a clear pathway for the toads from the dunes to the pools. Currently, the willow could be described as a monoculture, with many trees of a similar age and height. They also create a dense canopy which blocks light from the field layer. By creating a mosaic of heights and ages, as well as some open glades, we can let light in and improve the plant and invertebrate diversity, whilst still retaining a buffer from the predominant south westerly wind. The cut willow can also be recycled as a dead hedge or habitat pile, which could benefit a host of small mammals and insects as well as the toads.

Coppiced area with the willow laid as a dead hedge. Photo credit: P. Radford

Thinning out the willow. Photo credit: P. Radford

On Monday we headed to Glencaple to monitor the assemblage of wintering birds making use of the merse and mud at Kirkconnell. Although it was a little windy, light conditions were perfect for admiring the plumage of a variety of waterfowl and waders including Teal, Wigeon, Redshank and Goldeneye. A full breakdown of the count can be found in the table below.

Intrepid explorers returning with tales of Redshank and Wigeon. Photo credit: P. Radford

Kirkconnell reserve count: Monday 9th January 2023

Species	Count
Pink-footed goose	819
Barnacle goose	967
Shelduck	42
Wigeon	582
Teal	188
Mallard	48
Goldeneye	7
Goosander	1
Grey Heron	3
Oystercatcher	62
Curlew	120
Redshank	189
Black-headed Gull	118
Great Black-backed Gull	3
Herring Gull	4
Total individuals	3153
Total species	15

One thing that was noticeable by its absence on Monday was the sight of the tidal bore roaring up the River Nith, which usually arrives around two hours before high tide. This tells us that we need to get a move on, as the river level will quickly rise and cover the mud (and possible the path as well). However, with the river already being very high due to high rainfall, and it not being a particularly high tide (around 8m), I assume the impact of the incoming tide was not as dramatic as it can be. I was fascinated to discover that there are only perhaps around 60 rivers in the world where you can see a tidal bore, with the Nith being one of 11 in the UK!

community.rspb.org.uk/.../6457.00021-_2800_online_2D00_video_2D00_cutter.com_2900_.mp4

River Nith tidal bore surfer September 2022. Video credit: P. Radford

With visitor numbers being low this week due to flooding and the weather, there aren’t many new sightings to report beyond those summarised in last week’s blog. Flocks of around 20 Curlew have been regularly seen feeding amongst the Barnacle Geese, and an impressive count of 500 Lapwing was made from the Bruaich Hide. You also may have also seen the short video of two Woodcock captured on one of our trail cameras. A personal highlight was seeing a Barn Owl fly out from one of the sheds in the work yard at dusk, which was a regular sight back in the summer when they had a nest here.

Barn Owls in Mersehead barn. Photo credit: C. Farrell

To learn more about these and other birds, check out the RSPB wildlife guide: Birds A- Z | Bird Guides - The RSPB

Upcoming events:

Badger Banquet

Sunday 19^th Feb

Thursday 23d Feb

18:00-20:00

Wildlife Watching Experience

Goose Roost on the Sandflats

Saturday 25^th Feb

17:15-19:15

Guided walk

January is Here

2023-01-06T08:25:00Z

RSPB Mersehead Sightings 1^st – 6^th January 2023

The first working day of 2023 was bright, sunny, and cold with a thin layer of ice covering the wetlands. A total of seven wildfowl species have been spotted this week snoozing and diving in the limited open water: Shoveler, Pintail, Mallard, Wigeon, Teal, Gadwall and Tufted Duck. Little Grebe was present whilst Water Rail has been heard squealing from the depths of the reedbed.

The high-water table has resulted in great close-up views of Curlew, Lapwing and Redshank all probing the mud for invertebrates across the grassland fields. Whimbrel has been reported at the Information Centre. Bullfinch has been spotted on the walk to Meida Hide. Keep a look-out for Nuthatch, Treecreeper and flocks of Long-tailed tits as you wander beneath the canopy.

Rooks are communal breeders, nesting in colonies known as rookeries. Nests are built high in the trees and made of twigs and branches which have been broken off trees or stolen from a nearby nest. Rooks are one of the earliest birds to start nest building.

Large flocks of Linnet have been seen on the beach this week. Greenfinch and Goldfinch flocks have been feeding at the end of the woodland before reaching the beach.

The driftwood bird table at the Information Centre has been hectic with small birds queuing up in the hedgerows awaiting their turn. As well as the more common garden birds such as Chaffinch, Blackbird and Blue Tit, there has been fabulous close-up views of Tree Sparrow and Yellowhammer.

Upcoming events:

Badger Banquet

Sunday 19^th Feb

Thursday 23d Feb

18:00-20:00

Wildlife Watching Experience

Goose Roost on the Sandflats

Saturday 25^th Feb

17:15-19:15

Guided walk

Mersehead Wetland Bird Survey results 6th January 2023

Species	Count
Pink-footed goose	3
Canada goose	39
Barnacle goose	4152
Shelduck	27
Wigeon	380
Gadwall	2
Teal	1030
Mallard	62
Pintail	56
Shoveler	40
Little Grebe	1
Ringed plover	7
Grey plover	28
Lapwing	400
Knot	1500
Snipe	2
Curlew	171
Redshank	10