The arrival of Spring

RSPB Mersehead Blog 15^th – 21^st March 2025

We had our first report of a Chiffchaff singing at the start of Rainbow Lane last Saturday. Named after its ‘chiff chaff’ song, this small olive-brown warbler will be returning to our shores after wintering in southern Europe and North Africa. A week of mild dry weather saw the first butterfly of the year - Small Tortoiseshell – being recorded this week.

Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly. Photo taken at RSPB Mersehead in 2020. Photo credit: R. Chambers

Tuesday was a beach clean day with our Volunteer Work Party.  With Mersehead covering 3.2km of shoreline we aim to litter pick the entire shore at least once a year. The section covered this week had not been cleaned since the winter of 2023/24 and we found numerous large items which may have been washed up during the various named storms. As always the bulk of the litter was plastic. Slightly more unusual finds on this occasion included a plastic penguin and a rubber duck.  A big thank you to our volunteers for helping us keep the beach clean.

Beach Clean at RSPB Mersehead March 2025. Photo credit: R. Chambers

We found a beautiful Turkeytail fungus on the beach. The Turkeytail is a small bracket fungus which grows on dead wood in tiered layers. This species is very common and can be found throughout the UK. Clinging onto an old boat buoy was an incredible display of Common Mussels. Mussels form dense beds which can cover the seabed, or in this case a buoy, by attaching themselves to the object and each other using sticky fibres called byssus threads.

Turkeytail Fungus (above) & Common Mussels (Below). Photo credit R. Chambers.

This week saw the conclusion of the Wetland Bird Surveys (WeBS) across RSPB Kirkconnell Merse and RSPB Mersehead. This national survey aims to monitor the population of non-breeding waterbirds across the UK with the first surveys taking place in 1947. We will be returning to these surveys in September as migratory birds return to the UK but for now our focus has shifted towards monitoring key breeding species across the reserves which includes Lapwing, Curlew, Water Rail and Natterjack Toad.

Completing the March RSPB Mersehead WeBS Survey. Photo credit: R. Chambers.

Mersehead is home to three species of amphibian the Common Frog, Common Toad and Natterjack Toad. The Common Frog is the first to emerge from their winter slumber. They are generally a shade of olive-green or brown, with a dark patch known as a mask behind the eyes but colouration can be extremely variable: yellow, pink, red, orange and black individuals are often reported.

Second to emerge is the Common Toad with their brilliant bronze eyes. The UK’s rarest amphibian and one we are proud to say calls Mersehead home, the Natterjack Toad, is the last to emerge from hibernation. The bright yellow dorsal strip easily identifies this species, their emerald eyes a stark contrast to the bronze of the Common Toad. The natterjack toad prefers warmer night air temperatures with peak breeding activity therefore recorded throughout April and May. With night-time temperatures climbing a little higher over the coming weekend we are looking forward to seeing if any Natterjack Toads have emerged from hibernation.

Natterjack Toad (left) & Common Toad (right). Photo credit: R. Chambers.

The Natterjack Toad is a European Protected Species therefore a licence is required to go looking for the toads. Join our Natterjack Night Guided Walks on Thursday 17th & Friday 25^th April when you will be able to accompany an experienced member of the Mersehead team to visit the breeding pools and hopefully see these rare amphibians as dusk descends over the reserve. As the Easter holidays approach we have a number of events running on the reserve – follow the link below of full event details and information on how to book.

At Mersehead you will find the RSPB’s only self-catering holiday cottages - Barnacle and Shelduck. Available summer dates are currently going quickly, follow the links to book your next holiday.

*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.