The Sweetest Nectar

RSPB Mersehead blog: 22nd - 28th July 2023

The stars of the Mersehead wildlife spectacular can be a little trickier to find at this time of the year, as they are either very small, refuse to sit still, or come out under the cover of darkness.

With the wild flower meadows in full swing, these are the places to spend time looking for some miniature marvels.  The knapweed in the Butterfly Meadow is attracting a host of insects, including hoverflies, butterflies, bumblebees and solitary bees.  There are over 280 species of hoverfly in Britain, and they play a vital role in vital role in creating a healthy garden and vibrant ecosystem.  The fact that they are excellent pollinators and that their larvae are either predators of garden pests, such as aphids, or recycle organic matter is often overlooked.  Many hoverflies are wasp or bee mimics, but they can be distinguished by their hovering flight (the clue is in the name) and giant eyes which cover most of their face - as this excellent photograph demonstrates:

Male Syrphus sp. Hoverfly on knapweed. Photo credit: Claire Farrell

Visitors have been greeted on their arrival at the reserve by a kaleidoscope of butterflies, feasting on the nectar of the car park Buddleja. Many of the Red Admiral, that have been seen in large numbers, will be the offspring of the immigrant females who arrived in the Spring from continental Europe.

Red Admiral butterfly on Buddleja. Photo credit: Claire Farrell

Included in the many events being held at Mersehead over the summer (see more details below) are three Nocturnal Wildlife Walks.  The reserve really comes to life at this time of the year when most of us are going to bed.  Young Barn Owls take their first flights over the farm yard under the watchful eye of their attentive parents; several species of bat (including Soprano and Common Pipistrelle) fly low along the paths hunting insects, and badgers scurry across the main tracks and trails.  Take extra care if attending one of these events, as you may well catch an early glimpse of a badger, Roe Deer or Brown Hare in your headlights.

Young barn owl on roof of the Roost.  Photo credit: Claire Farrell

Cattle having been mooving about this week, with the Aberdeen Angus herd making a short trip along the Merse for some fresh grass, having done a great job of creating a diverse sward in the compartment closest to the beach.  This grazing is a key element of the habitat management for this area, which it is hoped will see breeding waders return in the future.  Over on the northern end of the reserve, the Belted Galloways obediently (and only temporarily) left their current home in the wetlands (where they are the main attraction for visitors to the hides) to receive a routine check-up from the vet.  

Look who is first past the post. Photo credit: Claire Farrell

Belties on day release from the wetlands. Photo credit: Claire Farrell

Unfortunately there are some plants that we simply can't allow to spread, despite their obvious benefit to wildlife.  Ragwort is classified as a harmful weed due to it being toxic to livestock, and as such landowners are obliged to prevent it from spreading on agricultural land used for grazing and growing crops.  So whilst ragwort is allowed to flourish in the wildflower meadows, we need to remove it from grassland fields.  Our volunteers have done a fantastic job in clearing large areas over recent weeks.

Volunteers pull ragwort with grateful onlookers close by. Photo credit: P. Radford

Paul Radford, Assistant Warden

Notices

Winter residential volunteering advert is LIVE

How does the idea of spending 6 months fully immersed in life an work on a nature reserve sound?  Looking to pursue a career in nature conservation, or simply wanting to give up your time and skills to help a great cause - whilst improving your duck and wader identification?  Then a residential placement at Mersehead could be for you.  We are offering two types of placement, with one incorporating a significant amount of practical conservation and survey work, whilst the other is for those looking to specialise in visitor and community engagement.  However, both placements would offer the opportunity to gain experience in all aspects of nature conservation work.  Find the adverts by visiting the RSPB volunteering page, selecting "Long Term" and putting a date of 1st September 2023.

Mersehead events and volunteering

RSPB Mersehead is running a full and varied Events Program. We are looking for Volunteers who can help with all our Visitor Engagement Activities, from welcoming people on arrival, to leading events and activities. In a nutshell, we are looking for volunteers who can provide a great visitor experience here on the reserve. If you love nature and working with people as much as we do, then we’d like you to join our team! Please get in touch with us here.

 For more information on individual events and to book a place please go to our website: https://events.rspb.org.uk/mersehead

Holiday Cottages 

In the winter, RSPB Mersehead is home to internationally important numbers of wildfowl including the Svalbard Barnacle Geese. Book your Mersehead holiday this winter through the cottage links – Barnacle and Shelduck – located in the heart of reserve.