RSPB Mersehead Blog 11th – 17th May 2024
Survey season is in full flow at Mersehead and Kirkconnell Reserves and, over the past week, we have walked far and wide in search of breeding waders, Lapwing chicks, Natterjack Toad spawn strings, and butterflies. Exploring almost every square inch of a nature reserve can reveal interesting finds including amazing species of both flora and fauna, animal prints, and beautiful bird feathers. In this week’s blog, I thought I would share some of these with you.
View from Kirkconnell Reserve during breeding wader survey. Photo credit: F. Sanders
Caterpillars
Many species of both butterfly and moth are in full flight at Mersehead Reserve however there are also a few caterpillars around too! Earlier this week I found a Garden Tiger Moth caterpillar (also known as the Wooly Bear Caterpillar) and last week, I discovered this beautiful Drinker Moth caterpillar amongst the vegetation and couldn't help but take a photograph.
Left: Garden Tiger Moth caterpillar. Right: Drinker Moth caterpillar. Photo credit: F. Sanders
Butterflies
Different species of butterfly are continuing to appear at Mersehead and this week these included Holly Blue and Painted Lady.
Left: Holly Blue. Right: Painted Lady. Photo credit: Annabel Sharpe
Our Trainee Wardens were lucky enough earlier this week to stumble across an estimated 1,500 Green-veined White butterflies in a field at Mersehead which is filled with Cuckoo flower. Green-veined Whites, as well as Orange-tip butterflies, lay their eggs on the underside of Cuckoo Flowers. You can see an example of this in the image below. Today I was amazed to find two Green-veined White butterflies mating on a strand of vegetation at Mersehead. During mating, the Green-veined White male not only transfers sperm to the female, but also passes over nutrients (nuptial gift) which the female uses to increase overall production of eggs. Incredibly, Green-veined white males can pass up to 25% of their body mass over to the female during mating.
Left: Orange-coloured Orange-tip egg on Cuckoo Flower. Photo credit: C-A. Glass. Right: Green-veined White butterflies mating. Photo credit: F. Sanders
Feathers
I often stumble across many fascinating feathers whilst walking around and a few days ago I noticed the beautiful Shelduck feather shown below.
Shelduck feather found at RSPB Mersehead. Photo credit: F. Sanders
Animal Tracks
Animal tracks are another interesting thing to look out for as they can provide an insight into the behaviour of mammals such as Badgers and Otters. I found Badger footprints at Kirkconnell the other day (please see image below) and it raised a question in my mind as to whether the Badger swam across this channel or whether the water levels were much lower at the time it crossed. The Otter tracks I found led to the edge of a river so I assume the Otter entered the water!
Left: Otter prints at RSPB Mersehead. Badger pawprints found at Kirkconnell. Photo credit: F. Sanders
Natterjack Toad Spawn and Tadpoles
In the photo on the left below, you can see a mass of Natterjack tadpoles we found a few days ago that have hatched from a single spawn string. Incredibly, one Natterjack Toad clutch can contain up to 7,500 eggs so we are certainly seeing lots of tadpoles around now that the eggs are hatching!
Left: Part of the estimated 1500 Natterjack Toad tadpoles produced from one spawn string at RSPB Mersehead. Middle: Natterjack Toad spawn string. Right: Natterjack Toad tadpoles. Photo credit: F. Sanders
Birds
I was amazed to see and hear my first ever Lesser Whitethroat at Mersehead last weekend. Garden Warblers have also been heard around the reserve so listen out for those too!
It is always worth keeping your eyes peeled when you visit RSPB Mersehead as you never know what you might discover when you look at everything in a little more detail!
Freya Sanders, Assistant Warden
At Mersehead you will find the RSPB’s only self-catering holiday cottages - Barnacle and Shelduck. Available summer dates are currently going quickly, 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.