Beginnings and Endings

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.

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:

*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.