RSPB Mersehead blog 23rd October – 29th October 2021
On Saturday, we were over at RSPB Kirkconnell Merse completing the monthly reserve count of the waterbirds on the saltmarsh and along the River Nith. Barnacle geese were present in good numbers with 2850 recorded along with a flock of around 400 Pink-footed geese.
Kirkconnell Merse with Criffel in the background
Wigeon numbers were high with 274 counted. Other highlights from the count include 565 Lapwing, 73 Mallard, 6 Whooper swans, 7 Goosander and 6 Little Egret. Nice to see 7 Black-tailed godwit. There was an impressive gull roost with 584 Herring gull, 78 Common gull, 60 Black-headed gull, 53 Lesser Black-backed gull and 9 Great Black-backed gull recorded.
Black-tailed godwit with Wigeon.
The Mersehead beach stretches for 3-miles and we work hard to ensure the beach is kept as clean as possible by removing marine and coastal plastic which can be extremely damaging to wildlife, in particular due to the risks associated with accidental ingestion or entanglement. Our dedicated Tuesday volunteer group were out beach cleaning this week along one of the furthest stretches heading towards Southerness, an area we have not been able to clean for 2-years due to the pandemic.
One of the most distressing aspects is the sickening crunch of a plastic bottle (usually a drinks bottle) underfoot which has long become buried beneath the sand. This is all the more distressing when one considers that around 50% of plastic items are used just once before being discarded. On a lighter note, a mascot was found in the form of a purple teddy bear. This special bear was taken home to be washed and cleaned by one of our volunteers so if you recognise him, he will be waiting at Mersehead.
Goose barnacles are filter-feeding crustaceans which attach themselves to hard surfaces in the intertidal zone and are therefore only seen when they are washed ashore attached to flotsam. It was once believed that barnacle geese hatched from goose barnacles as the geese disappeared during the summer and were never seen nest building.
Goose barnacles on the Mersehead beach
Over the weekend we said farewell to our summer visitors as both the Belted Galloway and Aberdeen Angus herds headed home after their vacation at Mersehead. Both herds have done a fantastic job with the barnacle goose and natterjack toad conservation grazing program. It was fantastic for our summer black & white visitors to meet our winter black & white visitors!
Belted Galloway & Svalbard Barnacle geese
Yesterday saw an amber warning for rain across eastern Dumfries & Galloway. So far, 109mm of rain has been recorded in the reserve rain gauge, falling since the early hours of Thursday morning. There has been severe flooding across the county with the River Nith bursting its banks and bridges being washed away in Annan. The access road to Mersehead is currently flooded and the reserve will remain closed until the flooding has subsided. Three burns race to meet the sea, joining together at the top of the Mersehead saltmarsh. The increase in extreme rainfall events has contributed to a greater volume of water entering the final zone of the catchment.
On a drier note, autumn is the time to look for Waxcaps. Known as “waxcap grassland fungi” this is a group of fungi for which the UK, particularly Wales and Scotland, is globally important. It is characterised by the colourful waxcaps but includes other species such as coral fungi and earthtongues.
Lawns and cemeteries are great locations to look for waxcaps as the grass needs to be kept short through regular mowing. It is important that all cuttings are removed as these fungi need nutrient poor conditions to survive. Waxcaps are found in a variety of colours and often start domed before becoming flatter with age.
Rowena Flavelle, Warden