A land of plenty

Mersehead Blog 28th October - 3rd November 2023

Opportunities for you

Saturday saw the first session with our new Forest School teacher.  We are really grateful Ed has picked up the reins (or should that be rain this week...?!) to keep Forest School running here and it was great to see some of our regular families returning to support him.  Forest School is a great way to learn how to toast marshmallows over your own fire (a basic survival skill apparently!), gain confidence ID-ing some of our native species, meet new friends, or simply get the kids out of the house and into the fresh air.  If you would like to attend or want more information, just email us at mersehead@rspb.org.uk.

And on meeting people, our wonderful regular Tuesday volunteers were doing some maintenance work on our two holiday cottages this week (Shelduck  and Barnacle). We are so grateful to them for all they do: whether it is coppicing willow to help us manage the ditches and water levels for our avian friends, fencing for the cattle, tidying the gardens for our human visitors, or any of the other myriad jobs they get roped into, they help us achieve so much more than we could do without them.  If you would like to get involved and enjoy one of our warden's amazing cakes (worthy of a Paul Hollywood handshake!) do get it in touch by email - the more the merrier.

If outside is not your thing, we also have some roles in our visitor experience centre (VC).  Just because you aren't outside getting 'down and dirty' you will still be contributing to our conservation efforts.  By welcoming visitors you are helping them connect with wildlife, increasing their enjoyment and the health benefits they get being here, and making it more likely they will come back and continue to support us.  Equally, selling coffee and flapjacks in the cafe means you are helping raise vital funds so conservation work here can continue.  If you are (or someone you know is) a career starter/changer, the VC is a great way to get a foot in the door with a conservation organisation, or add experience to your CV if you want to go into hospitality or tourism.  There is even a bus stop near the end of our road (the 372 from Dumfries).  Again, just ping us an email.

And as if that wasn't enough, we also have a really exciting opportunity to volunteer with us full-time and live on site until March 2024!  Anyone wanting to break into the conservation sector will know how competitive it is and how crucial it is to have demonstrable experience.  These residential placements are an invaluable way to do that – it is actually because one of our current ‘Resi. Vols.’ has successfully got a job offer that this vacancy has come available now.  For more details see here or email Calum Murray at calum.murray@rspb.org.uk.

Could this be your office? Credit: A. Hallatt

Other wonders

I had never heard of a tidal bore before moving here.  In short, they occur when the force of an incoming tide forces its way upstream, changing the direction of waterflow in the river.  Our warden managed to catch this one on video on the nearby River Nith this week while doing the monthly bird count at RSPB Kirkconnell Merse.

Wetland Bird Survey results from RSPB Kirkconnell Merse:

And on birds... The leucistic (white) Barnacle Geese mentioned in last week's blog are still here.  Also generating a lot of excitement this week have been the two Greater Spotted Woodpeckers that frequent the bird feeders by the cafe. A female Marsh Harrier was seen over the wetlands this morning.

Credit: A. Hallatt

Upcoming events

Badger Banquet - Saturday 11 November

Forest School - Saturday 25 November

Forest School - Saturday 16 December

For more information, see our events page.

Alicia Hallatt - Trainee Warden

*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.