Summer at Mersehead

Giving Nature a Home

Last winter our residential volunteers recreated their own version of the Giving Nature a Home campaign outside the Visitor Centre to inspire our visitors and show them how easy it is to get involved.  Ideas taken from the advertising campaign include a hedgehog campsite, bird cafe, bug hotels and a frog pool.  Our Tuesday volunteers have completed the display by growing wildlife friendly flowers (look closely and you will see a bee visiting a big pink flower) and choosing a bird bath.

Drumming & Tumbling

Although we are down one pair compared to last year, our lapwings have had a fantastic summer and fledged 15 chicks from 8 pairs – that is a productivity count of 1.9!  All the lapwing nests were located inside the anti-predator fence; so far, signs show that it is working well. Snipe numbers have been good this year with a maximum of 8 heard drumming whilst staff were completing an adult natterjack toad survey.  A pair of oystercatcher also nested inside the anti-predator fence and fledged 2 chicks.  Reedbed surveys have found 10 pairs of reed warbler, 37 pairs of sedge warbler and 22 pairs of reed bunting.  Grasshopper warbler has been heard singing down Rainbow Lane and a ringed plover nest was discovered on the beach whilst taking the dogs for a walk. 

Stuck in the Mud at Kirkconnell Merse

Surveying Kirkconnell Merse is always a challenge but extremely good fun as there are small winding creeks to jump, holes to fall down and oozing mud to get stuck in, or in Colin’s case, lose your wellingtons!  Waders at Kirkconnell are remaining stable with 15 pairs of curlew, 11 pairs of oystercatcher and 1 pair of lapwing.  Redshank have done well this year, increasing from 10 pairs last year to 16 this year.

Make Hay while the Sun Shines

We manage 50ha of dry grassland for the benefit of the internationally important population of wintering Svalbard barnacle geese.  Each year we take a harvest of either hay or silage off each of the dry grassland fields to ensure that they are in optimum condition for the returning barnacle geese.  This year, Cottage Field was cut for hay and 4 days later we had 260 bales from 32 acres.  Roughly 36 bales will make the 227 mile journey via motorway and sea to Oronsay to supplementary feed their cattle and sheep over the winter.  Silage was cut from 41 acres.  The wetlands have been drained, topped and areas rotavated ready for the returning wildfowl; dropping the water level also meant that we have been able to access the reedbed and remove the scrub growth. 

 All of a Natter

Our natterjack toads have been hitting the headlines and featured on BBC Radio Scotland’s good morning program and ITV Border news.  The Solway Firth is the only location in Scotland where the natterjack toad is found so the 40-50 strong colony at Mersehead is of vital importance to the species survival here.  We have been working with Amphibian & Reptile Conservation to gather a catalogue of photographs from which we can study the unique pattern of dorsal warts and so identify individuals in the future. 

Comings & Goings

Throughout the summer at Mersehead we take short-term residential volunteers on two week placements.  This year, 8 enthusiastic volunteers descended on the reserve and got stuck into all the work that is involved in running a nature reserve.  They completed butterfly surveys, hacked at willow, pulled ragwort, assisted with offsite events, chatted to visitors, painted chalkboards and helped round up the cattle when they made a great escape attempt!  Their hard work and enthusiasm has contributed 597 hours, great work has been done with their help and a big thank you goes to them all.  At the end of July, Alexandra moved on from Mersehead to start her second long-term residential volunteering placement at Surrey & Hampshire Heaths, we wish her luck in her new venture!