We're on the road to.....the beach!

RSPB Mersehead Blog 24^th – 30^th September 2022

Back in August, the woodland path to the beach was closed, and visitors were asked to detour along an adjacent field.  Since then, a lot of work has been going on out of sight to install a new gravel path along the 476m path.  With financial support from the Robin Rigg Community Fund, it is hoped that the new path will enable those with limited mobility to enjoy more of Mersehead's wildlife and trails.  It will also improve access for young children, prams and pushchairs, and the elderly.

Staff and volunteers have worked tirelessly to install boards, backfill with soil, lay weed proofing membrane and spread gravel over 225m of the path - so we are just about half way.  Visitors should expect the diversion to be in place for some time yet, but we will continue to make progress over the coming weeks.

Staff and volunteers working on the woodland path. Photo credit: P. Radford

On Wednesday we completed a survey of waders and waterfowl at Kirkconnell Merse.  Here is a summary of what we counted.

Whilst surveying from the bank on the Glencaple side of the River Nith, we often witness a phenomenon known as a tidal bore, where a wave moves quickly up river as a result of the incoming tide from the Solway being constrained by the narrowing river.  This is a sign that we need to get a move on with the survey, as the bore forces the birds off the mud where they are resting and therefore much easier to count.  Here is a link to a superb video taken by one of our residential volunteers, Adam Sutton, who was helping with the survey:

https://fb.watch/fSMAZWo0s6/

Visitors to the reserve this week would have seen that there are Barnacle Geese! Around 1,000 in total have been spotted across the reserve, with a number making use of some of their favourite permanent grassland fields at the West Preston end of the reserve.  Whilst on a site visit other birds seen in this area included 500 Starlings, 2 Wheatear, Kestrel, 50 Curlew and 30 Lapwings.

Barnacle geese at Mersehead. Photo Credit: Adam Sutton

A book in the visitor centre is available for sightings to be listed, and it is great to be able to share some of these in the blog.  Some sightings of note this week include:

To learn more about these and other birds, check out the RSPB wildlife guide: Birds A- Z | Bird Guides - The RSPB

Paul Radford, Assistant Warden

Reserve Announcements:

Take action against marine litter and join us at RSPB Mersehead for our next beach clean in collaboration with the Solway Firth Partnership.

The state of our oceans has a massive impact on the birds and wildlife which rely on the beautiful wetlands and shores which surround our coastlines. Find out how green you are and what positive changes we can make by reading the RSPB’s Green Living facts. If everyone did something, it would add up to something big!

Upcoming events:

*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.