The Barnies are Back!

I'm excited to announce the much-anticipated arrival of the Barnacle Geese! The official Barnacle goose count carried out on Wednesday 2^nd October revealed an impressive total of 6,000 individuals in the area with 5,500 of those at Mersehead. The goose count will be carried out weekly to monitor the location and size of the populations until late spring. The Barnacle Geese have travelled from Svalbard and landed in Mersehead and other fields along the EastCost where they will overwinter, feeding on the carefully managed pastureland we have prepared specifically for them. They are a rather shy, flighty species so if you can't spot them foraging in the fields you will most likely see them flying overhead in an irregular pack shape, not a 'v', making a harsh yapping chorus. Other species of geese currently on the reserve include Pink Footed, Canada and Greylag; to identify the Barnacles, look for the iconic black chest, neck, and top of head, contrasting the pale grey wings and white underside. You may also notice Barnacle's have a relatively short black bill adapted for foraging the short grasses. 

Unfortunately, an issue we still face at Mersehead is litter washing up on our lovely beach; however, thanks to The Great British Beach Clean run by the Marine Conservation Society, we have completed a clean and a survey at Mersehead with the D&G Eco-Warriors since 2018. Below are the results of the 100m survey completed on Saturday 28th September along with some photos of the items found. 

Items found in the survey during the beach clean, photo credit Rowena.C 

If you have visited recently, you will have noticed the fantastic new benches being installed throughout the reserve. These are strategically placed along the paths to provide a rest point with a beautiful view and will soon be open for use, so do be patient with us while we complete the finishing touches 

Zoe Phillips, Resident Volunteer 

Did you know that Mersehead is the only RSPB reserve with self-catering holiday cottages? Barnacle geese from the bedroom window . . tree sparrow on the bird table . . thousands of wintering wildfowl . . a cosy log burner . . . If this sounds like a great winter holiday, find out more about BARNACLE and SHELDUCK as we have limited availability between now and Christmas.

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

During October we are delighted to be running two events as part of Dumfries & Galloway’s Wild Goose Festival 2024 (https://wildgoosefestival.scot/) .  Join our guide at the 'Goose Roost of Sandflats' events to see the Svalbard Barnacle Geese descending on the reserve to roost or learn more about how we manage the reserve for wildlife by joining an 'Autumn Discovery Walk'.

We are pleased to see the return of our 'Badger Banquets' which provide the opportunity to learn about and see badgers close up from the comfort of the Sulwath Centre.

Last but not least, is our 'Halloween and Weird Geese trail', a self-guided family activity trail is available from 12^th to 27^th October. Why not explore the trail for some spooky creatures and learn about the mystery and magic of our Barnacle Geese and their cousins. Frights are optional!

 *Flooding - Please note that the council road leading to Mersehead 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.