RSPB Mersehead Blog 9th – 15th November 2024
The Starling murmuration has continued to build at Mersehead this week with some great footage captured over the weekend from Meida Hide. Starling murmurations are an incredible winter wildlife phenomena often occurring at dusk, just before the birds roost overnight which provides them with safety in numbers, warmth and the opportunity to share information about the best feeding grounds. Since so many birds arrive in the same place at once, they can be vulnerable to predators. By flying together in the sky, creating a moving mass of birds, the Starlings can confuse potential predatory species and make it harder for them to pick off individual birds. With as many as 40,000 birds estimated in past years, we hope to see the murmuration continue to increase in size over the coming weeks. Keep an ear out for the Water Rail calling towards the end of the video.
Mersehead Murmuration. Film credit: C. Murray
As the leaves start to fall on mass it has become noticeable how stark the hedgerows are, making it easier to spot some of our more elusive birds. Goldcrest is one of the UK’s smallest birds weighing in at just 5g which is similar to the weight of a 20p coin. With the leaves falling, the spectacular crest of golden feathers on the birds head can be easily spotted amongst the branches.
Goldcrest. Photo credit. G. Chambers
The Long-tailed Tit is easily recognisable with its distinctive blush, black and white colouring. It also has a tail which is bigger than its body, and a bouncing flight. Sociable and noisy, Long-tailed Tits are most usually noticed in small, excitable flocks of about 20 birds as they actively hunt out insects and spiders amongst the branches. It always feels as if winter has truly arrived when we see Redwing and Fieldfare returning to the reserve. These thrushes are highly nomadic and will move around the countryside in search of berry-laden bushes. A personal favourite is the Bullfinch which can often be seen moving along the hedgerows, their distinctive white rump in flight alerting you to their presence.
Above: Fieldfare (left) & Redwing (right). Photo Credit: G. Chambers. Below: Long-tailed Tit. Photo Credit: Ben Andrew (rspb-images.com)
A few weeks ago, Storm Ashley brought a spring tide crashing onto the Mersehead sand dunes. The next day we discovered the remains of a Risso’s Dolphin. The dolphin was already at an advanced stage of decomposition and so was not a direct casualty of the storm. The Risso’s is described as a large dolphin growing up to 4m long and weighing as much as 500kg. It only has teeth in the lower jaw which was one of the defining features which struck us on finding the cetacean. Found in almost all temperate and tropical waters around the World, the Risso’s dolphin is usually found in deeper water. In the UK, the majority of sightings are in the Outer Hebrides which could be explained by the islands relatively close location to the edge of the continental shelf.
Above: Storm Ashley hitting the Mersehead sand dunes. Below: Deceased Risso's Dolphin. Photo Credit: R. Chambers
Commonly found along the Mersehead beach is the internal shell of the Common Cuttlefish, known as a cuttlebone. This is a hard, brittle internal structure which allows the cephalopod to control buoyancy. It was amazing, although also unfortunate, to see a cuttlefish washed up on the Mersehead beach after Storm Ashley. Cuttlefish live in shallow seas (up to 220m deep) and can quickly change colour and texture to merge into their background, distract predators or attract mates. They can easily mimic different types of seabed and will sometimes even sink into a sandy seabed to hide from predators.
Above: Cuttlefish washed up on the beach. Below: Cuttlebone. Photo Credit: R. Chambers
Our next Forrest School will be on Sunday 24th November. Booking is essential so please email Mersehead@rspb.org.uk to secure your place. Please note that there will be No Forest School in December. Forrest School aims to cultivate a learning environment in tune with nature, promoting new skills, confidence, self-esteem, and team building while participants take part in fun outdoor activities.
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
The last two solid oak benches were installed during the week. A second one going into the woodland just before the beach, the perfect spot to sit and listen to Grasshopper Warbler, Whitethroat and Natterjack Toads in the spring evening air. The tenth and final bench has been installed on Rainbow Lane looking out across the saltmarsh. Our next infrastructure project will be the widening and improvement to the footpath leading to Bruiach Hide ensuing that this is practical and accessible for all.
Rowena Chambers
*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.