Feeling the Love of Nature

RSPB Mersehead Blog 10^th February – 16^th February

“Again rejoicing Nature sees
Her robe assumes its vernal hues.
Her leafy locks wave in the breeze
All freshly steep’d in morning dews.” 

— Robert Burns

The romantic bard certainly had a profound way of expressing his observations and love of nature. I have my own tale of love and nature appreciation to share about Mersehead, as I reflect on the moments that have delighted and captivated me during my residential volunteer term. Indeed, there are countless more, but these are the treasured memories I will take with me and won’t soon forget years down the road.

Stand-out moments 

Belted Galloways are a much-loved presence in the fields of Galloway and on the reserve. These native breed cattle are ideal conservation grazers that help us maintain and manage our grasslands for the birds. Pictured below, a Beltie enjoyed a good scratch on the side of the truck we were using to load cuttings from the nutrient stripping of the wildflower meadows.

In the summer, it delighted me each day to be greeted by the curious House Martins that were nesting outside our residence. Every time I opened the door they would pop out their wee heads, swivelling from side to side at the jangling of my keys. Although it is nature’s way, I was surprised at the pang of melancholy I felt when they finally fledged.

I’ve always had a fascination with bees. I could watch them for hours as they busily buzz away doing their thing for nature, and for us! So, it’s certainly no hardship to be asked to do a bee survey on a beautiful summer’s day, recording species like Common Carder Bees and Bumble Bees that are found throughout our wildflower meadows.

The visual spectacle and overwhelming sound of thousands of overwintering Svalbard Barnacle Geese landing in the fields is nothing short of amazing. I was particularly excited to get very close views of the rare leucistic geese we regularly counted on our bird surveys.

Prior to living on the reserve, I had never witnessed the shape-shifting Starling Murmurations in person, only through other people’s recordings of this mysterious and mesmerizing event. We started to see them from the Meida Hide in November and periodically through February, gathering in large numbers before plunging into the reed beds.

There are so many amazing birds to watch, but the Yellowhammers have been delighting visitors, photographers, and me, all winter. Some people came up from south of Liverpool just to see them firsthand after watching them on our live camera during the Big Garden Bird Watch and commented, sadly, that they don’t get to see these red-listed birds in their gardens anymore.

Yellowhammer at Mersehead. Photo credit: Keith Chippy Nicoll 

The reserve is also home to a large breeding colony of rare and endangered Natterjack Toads. Although June 2023 brought drought conditions to their habitat, sufficient numbers of breeding adults, like the one pictured below, survived from the previous year and we are hopeful for a thriving colony in the years to come. 

Our successful Badger Banquets have given visitors an up close and personal encounter with, and a greater appreciation for, these persistent, hardy creatures. It was a real treat to observe their antics and interactions as they made their way around our garden in search of food.

The reserve boasts some pretty fantastic fungi along Rainbow Lane and in the wet woodland and sand dunes, like Scarlet Elf Cup, Jelly Fungi and a Puffball (who can resist the urge of helping it release its smouldering spores?).

And sometimes it’s just nice to take a pause in one’s day to appreciate rain dripping on Snowdrops and dew glistening on a cobweb

Whether it’s blue skies, brilliant sunrises or blazing sunsets, the sky pagentry makes Mersehead a fantastic place to take in the splendour of such views. Sometimes, I had to pinch myself at the beauty and scintillating colours I was seeing before me.

In the summer, the meadows on the reserve are awash with bright red, purple, white and yellow wildflowers. The Marsh Orchid, in all its crowning glory, was a stand-out feature for me and for many of our visitors. And so was the Sea Lavender, with its lovely mauve flowers that are a defining image of saltmarsh in summer.

And finally, it would be remiss of me not to mention all the people – the warden team and hard-working crew of volunteers – who show up in all kinds of weather to do important habitat work in service of all the reserve’s precious wildlife and protected habitats.

Je t’aime Mersehead 

People come to Mersehead for different reasons. To be immersed in nature. To have a nice walk with their dog. To enjoy some fresh air. To watch birds or listen to birdsong. To volunteer and to learn how to protect the very wildlife and habitats we value in Scotland.

Looking back, I think I came here for all of these reasons after finishing my wildlife and conservation management studies at the SRUC’s Barony campus. It’s been nine months since I began volunteering at Mersehead, and I have to say it has been the most educational, eye-opening and fulfilling experience of my life.

Thanks for everything, Mersehead – the beauty, the lessons, the challenges, the amazing experiences. I’ll be baaaack!

Frances Gilgunn, Residential Volunteer/Trainee 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

*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.