RSPB Mersehead Blog 22nd- 28th January 2022
Although it’s been quite cloudy this week it has been relatively mild with the first signs of spring starting to appear. The first snowdrops have begun to flower around the Sulwarth Centre, and Catkins have started to grow. Snowdrops grow in most soil types apart from permanently wet and very dry sandy soils. They favour being around deciduous trees and shrubs providing them with partial shade. Due to them flowering earlier than many other flowers they don’t depend on pollinators to reproduce, instead they spread via bulb division.
Colourful Catkins. Photo credit: Amy Blachford
Snowdrop making an appearance. Photo credit: Amy Blachford
A WeBS count for Mersehead was carried out on Sunday which recorded a total of 27 species. Dunlin were very abundant with 3312 being sighted along the shore. Along with the Dunlin were 2000 Knot, 181 Curlew, 66 Oystercatcher, 54 Cormorant, 48 Grey Plover, 42 Golden Plover and 8 Redshank. There were also 810 Lapwing present in the wetlands which is the largest flock we’ve seen this winter. In addition, there were 509 Teal, 202 Wigeon, 115 Shoveler, 36 Pintail, 11 Gadwall and 2 Tufted Duck. Tufted Ducks breed around shallow inland lochs and also slow flowing rivers. They tend to avoid deep water unless there are also shallow bays and margins present. In winter they have a tendency to gather on larger bodies of water, sometimes even on the sea.
View of the beach from the dunes. Photo credit: Amy Blachford
On Wednesday and Thursday the Land Management team were out at Kirkconnel Merse completing a livestock fence check and carrying out any necessary repairs. A large proportion of the work consisted of adding an additional bottom wire to a section of the fence bypassing a creek. As you can imagine this wasn’t the easiest of tasks whilst stood on slippery mud, luckily everyone manged to stay on two feet! The Barnies also gave us a nice fly over whilst out on the merse.
Kirkconnel Merse livestock fence. Photo credit: Amy Blachford
Barnies coming through. Photo credit: Amy Blachford
Our trail cameras managed to spot a Tawny Owl this week consuming a freshly caught meal. Females usually weigh roughly 500g (around the same size as a Wood Pigeon) and have a wingspan of up to one metre. Males are typically 25 percent smaller than their female counterparts. An otter was also spotted on another camera, these creatures can roam 10 kilometres in a single night.
The work party this week continued with the Natterjack habitat work this time focussing on removing some of the willow that has grown opposite the natterjack breeding pools. Two other small teams were also hard at work transforming the Sulwarth Garden and polytunnel. Good progress has also made on strimming the natterjack ditch.
Amy Blachford, Trainee Warden
Notices
Holiday Cottages
Planning your 2022 holidays? Discover the breath-taking scenery, wildlife, cultural and history of Dumfries & Galloway whilst staying in one of the Mersehead cosy semi-detached holiday cottages located in the heart of reserve. Enjoy a 10% discount on any remaining weeks throughout January and February at BARNACLE and SHELDUCK.
Residential Volunteering
We are currently advertising for a Residential Volunteer to join the reserve team as a Trainee Warden. With free accommodation provided on the reserve, the work is very varied and will allow you to gain a wealth of experience for pursuing a career in nature conservation. To find out more and apply, follow this link: https://volunteer.rspb.org.uk/opportunities/24480-residential-on-reserve-more-than-4-weeks-mersehead-2022-01-20
Avian Flu
Positive cases have been confirmed in dead birds at Mersehead nature reserve. Biosecurity measures are in place on the reserve along with signage with further information for visitors to try to help prevent further spread of the disease. Although the risk of contracting the disease from a wild bird is very low, we recommend that people do not handle sick or dead wild birds, remain vigilant, and report dead wild waterfowl (swans, geese or ducks), gulls or birds of prey to the UK government Defra helpline (03459 33 44 77).
Covid Advice
Please follow our advice on Covid restrictions and updates on our website: https://www.rspb.org.uk/our-work/rspb-news/news/stories/coronavirus/reserve-reboot/