Green-winged teal was spotted in the wetlands from Meida hide on Sunday. Green-winged teal are the North American equivalent of our native Eurasian teal and can be identified by the vertical rather than horizontal white stripe.
On Monday, we were out completing the monthly wildfowl and waders reserve count at Mersehead. We recorded a total of 2148 barnacel geese, 73 shelduck, 67 wigeon, 333 teal, 23 mallard 181 pintail, 76 shoveler, 8 tufted duck, 2 gadwall and 1 goldeneye. The high tide wader roost provided 920 oystercatcher, 251 curlew, and 7 dunlin. The field behind the visitor centre has been popular with lapwing this week; 275 were recorded on the count.
The Mersehead team also manage Kirkconnell Merse. This 296ha saltmarsh adjacent to the River Nith has no visitor access however, splendid views of the reserve can be obtained from the quay at Glencaple. On Tuesday, 550 barnacle geese, 48 wigeon, 63 teal, 26 mallard, 8 goldeneye, 18 oystercatcher, 95 curlew and 118 redshank were recorded on the mudflats and open water.
On Wednesday, we completed a section of the Solway-wide barnacle goose count co-ordinated by the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust at Caerlaverock. Our count section covers Mersehead reserve and the surrounding area up to Kirkbean; 8972 barnacle geese were recorded across this area.
The winter passerine survey on Wednesday morning recorded 188 birds across the arable habitat including skylark, tree sparrow, chaffinch, greenfinch, linnet, twite and reed bunting.
A lone little egret was sighted on the beach on Sunday. Small skeins of pink-footed geese are continually flying over the reserve. The barn owl is still a regular sight between the merse and hay shed. The woodland has come alive with the sound of the birdsong in the last couple of days with songthrush, wren, blackbird and chaffinch all starting off this year’s dawn chorus. There are 6 whooper swans on the wetlands today.
The Mersehead wetlands this week
Events at Mersehead this Weekend
Wellies & Worms; Saturday 13th 11am–1pm & 2pm – 4pm
Come and join us and be prepared to get muddy. Bring your wellingtons and make mud pies, mud towers and look for worms and much more.
Bird Ringing Demo; Sunday 14th 10am–1pm
North Solway Ringing Group demonstrations are not to be missed. They offer unique and rare opportunities to experience close encounters with the Mersehead birds – you never know what you might see! Join us to discover more about the lives of the Mersehead birds.