RSPB Mersehead Recent Sightings 1st – 7th September 2018
September has arrived and signs of autumn are appearing. The nights are noticeably drawing in, the leaves are turning golden and birds are flocking together. In September, we start conducting the Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) again after a break during the breeding season. This monitoring scheme for non-breeding waterbirds in the UK aims to assess the size of species populations, determine trends in their numbers and assess the importance of individual sites informing the conservation of species and habitats. Ahead of the first survey next week, a trip up to the cliff top viewpoint found Oystercatcher and Curlew starting to congregate on the point. Shelduck and Mallard were on the sea and there were three species of gull present; Black-headed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull and Herring Gull.
We often think of owls as being nocturnal birds of prey however the Short-eared Owl is commonly seen hunting during the day and has been spotted along the beach this week. In Scotland, most of our breeding Short-eared Owls are found on moorland and once the breeding season is over the owls tend to leave upland areas and move to saltmarshes and coastal grasslands. A number of Wheatear have been seen on the beach this week along with a flock of Ringed Plover. The Barn Owl has been hunting along the merse next to the entrance road.
Short-eared owl by Gavin Chambers
If you have visited the reserve this week you will have noticed hundreds of bales in the fields. All of the arable work has came to end this week with a grand total of 497 bales stacked neatly in the sheds.
The last bales of summer.
Each year we grow around 25 acres of spring oats which when combined create the habitat over-winter stubble which provides a winter food source for seed-eating birds through spilt grain and the seeds of broad-leaved weeds. This is one of the fastest declining habitats in the agricultural landscape and the loss of this food source has been directly linked to the decline in farmland birds. The oats are sold as livestock feed and the 90 bales of straw will be used for livestock bedding.
Combining the oats.
Creating good conditions for our winter visitors the Svalbard Barnacle Geese takes a lot of work during the summer months. To keep the grass nutrient rich and attractive to the geese the temporary grassland fields are reseeded on a 5-year rotation. Each summer, a crop of either hay or silage is harvested from the goose fields to ensure they are in good condition for the returning geese. The barnacle goose requires an extremely short sward for optimum feeding. A research project has found they can achieve 200 pecks per minute in the right sward! The silage is sold to local farmers whereas the majority of the hay goes for horse feed.
Making Silage.
With a large amount rain falling over the weekend, the wetlands are beginning to flood. From both hides you can see areas of soil which have been turned over using a piece of machinery called a rotavator pulled behind a tractor. This breaks up the plant matter which increases the nutrient level of the soil and allows waders to easily probe for invertebrates. A diversity of birds of prey have been hunting over the wetlands this week including Kestrel, Red Kite, Buzzard, Peregrine and Sparrowhawk. Flocks of both Greylag and Canada geese have been heading to the wetlands in the early morning, their distinctive honking heard from some distance away. We are still waiting however for the first Pink-footed Geese of the autumn.
Despite the slightly wet weather the opening of the New Play Area was a great success with the mud kitchen proving very popular. The play area can be found in the Sulwath Garden where you will find swings, a fortress slide, sand pit, a custom-made badger sett where the kids can hide or rummage in tunnels just like badgers and foxes, and a picnic area.
The busy outdoor kitchen. Photo credit: Calum Murray.
Take part in the Great British Beach Clean by helping us tidy up Mersehead beach on Sunday 16th September. Free drop-in event from 11am – 3pm. Please bring your own gloves and wear sturdy footwear/appropriate clothing. For more information call 01387 780579 or email mersehead@rspb.org.uk.
Rowena Flavelle, Warden