A Trip Down Rainbow Lane

RSPB Mersehead Blog 13^th July – 18^th July

Colourful wildflowers at RSPB Mersehead. Photo credit: F. Sanders.

‘Rainbow Lane’ is the name given to the path that leads from the main entrance track at RSPB Mersehead to the sand dunes. As the story goes, previous tenants of Lapwing cottage observed numerous gorgeous rainbows over that path, eventually coining the name ‘Rainbow Lane’. Many moons later, that name is still in use by all of the staff and volunteers here at Mersehead. Although, the irony is that I have now worked at Mersehead for nearly 6 months, and I am yet to see a rainbow appear over that lane!

Map of RSPB Mersehead Reserve showing the route along Rainbow Lane in purple. Credit: RSPB.

A while ago, I took a jaunt down Rainbow Lane, and I started to wonder just how colourful it really is. Earlier this week, I set myself the challenge of finding all of the colours of the rainbow whilst taking a mindful walk there. I based the selection of colours on the song "I can sing a Rainbow ", which I often used to sing as a child, the lyrics for which can be found below. I thought this would be the perfect time of year to discover the seven colours of the rainbow as many wonderful flowers are out, and insect life is abundant.

I Can Sing a Rainbow

"Red and yellow and pink and green
Purple and orange and blue,
I can sing a rainbow,
Sing a rainbow,
Sing a rainbow too."

As I walked Rainbow Lane one evening, I became completely emersed in the colours surrounding me. However, I also found myself studying the patterns and shapes of the flora and fauna I viewed, and noticed tiny details I would usually have walked past. In that moment, I was so absorbed thinking about colours, that any other worry on my mind evaporated. 

In this blog, I'll go through each of the colours of the rainbow and let you know what I found along Rainbow Lane that evening.

Red 

Firstly, I noticed the gorgeous red leaves of the Bramble bushes alongside their shiny, ripening fruits. Soon I found myself reminiscing about hours spent wild blackberry picking with my father when I was younger, and the blackberry crumbles we’d indulge in afterwards.

Left: Bramble leaves. Right: Rosehips. Photo Credit: F. Sanders.

Yellow 

Yellow was an abundant pigment along the lane and appeared in the form of Silverweed, Ragwort, Bird's Foot Trefoil, and Pineapple Weed. Whenever you accidentally crush Pineapple Weed beneath your feet, your nose is met with a gorgeous, sweet, fruity, pineapple-like aroma. A few years ago, my neighbour used this plant to make a liqueur and I can still recall the delicious taste of that drink tickling my tastebuds.

Left: Bird's Foot Trefoil. Right: Pineapple Weed. Photo Credit: F. Sanders.

Pink 

Pretty in pink were the remaining Ragged Robins, Red campions, Roses, Rosebay Willowherb, Herb-Robert, and Bindweed. In times gone by, Herb-Robert was thought to give good luck and fertility to those who carried it.

Left: Herb-Robert. Right: Ragged Robin. Photo Credit: F. Sanders.

Green 

Greenery is all around us at this time of year, and we have witnessed exceptional rates of vegetation growth due to the weather conditions this summer. I admired the shape of the leaves of the Bindweed on Rainbow Lane as they’re almost love-heart shaped, or similar to the ace of spades! Next to the Bindweed, a clump of luscious green ferns posed perfectly for a photo to become the other part of the ‘green’ category in my mindfulness journey.

Left: Fern. Right: Bindweed. Photo Credit: F. Sanders.

Purple/Blue

You may be wondering why I have merged the ‘purple’ and ‘blue’ categories together. In the past, deciphering whether a flower is blue or purple has led to many a debate, so I thought I would steer away from that in today’s blog! Amongst my favourite flowers around Mersehead reserve, are the blue/purple Wild Pansies you find, with splotches on the petals that almost create a face-like appearance.

Left: Wild Pansy. Right: Alkanet. Photo Credit: F. Sanders.

Orange 

As I scanned the vegetation, my eye was drawn to this gorgeous orange insect sitting, statue-like, on a blade of grass. A quick Google search informed me that this is a Common Red Soldier Beetle, also referred to as a 'bloodsucker', despite being completely harmless to humans. Often, these beetles are a gardener's best friend as they prey upon aphids which are sometimes deemed to be plant pests.

A slight bit of movement in the vegetation led to the discovery of a Common Toad, its eyes a striking orange colour. Did you know that Common Toads have copper-coloured eyes whereas Natterjack Toads have yellowy-green eyes. So, next time you’re unsure which toad species you’re looking at, stare into their eyes and this should give you a clue!

Left: Common Toad. Right: Common Red Soldier Beetle. Photo Credit: F. Sanders.

That brings me to the end of the rainbow, but not to the end of my lovely walk. Not only did I enjoy the colourfulness down the lane, but I was treated to marvellous views at the end of the track of the beautiful shell-covered beach at Mersehead. That evening, it was clear enough to view the Isle of Man in the distance. I felt completely refreshed after my mindful meander, so if you could do with a something similar, I would highly recommend a simple exercise in nature like this, to quieten the mind.

Beach at RSPB Mersehead. Photo Credit: F. Sanders.

Lovely sunset at RSPB Mersehead. Photo Credit: F. Sanders.

Freya Sanders, Assistant Warden.

Upcoming events: For more information on individual events and to book a place, please go to our website: https://events.rspb.org.uk/mersehead

 

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

*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.