RSPB Mersehead Blog 5th-11th November 2022
It has been a wet and windy week at Mersehead, and thanks to over 50mm of rain from Saturday to Tuesday, the access road to Mersehead was once again flooded for several days. Waders were a necessity to get in and out of the reserve at the highest points, and our tree safety officer bravely waded through the flood to carry out our yearly review. As of Thursday, the access road is clear and we are once again open to the public, and those living on site can finally escape without needing welly boots. As the season goes on, we expect there will be more flooding if the trend of high rainfall continues, so keep an eye on the RSPB Dumfries and Galloway Facebook page to see when we are open.
Mute Swans in the great Scottish weather. Photo credit J. Lister
Despite the weather our staff and volunteers have been busy at work on our new footpath, and there is now only forty metres left of the roughly 500m path left to be done. Once the boards are up, and the gravel laid down and spread, all that will be left will be to even out the path with a roller and it will be ready to go. This path will replace an old muddy track, and so will make the beach much more accessible to visitors, especially when we’re having the kind of weather we’ve been having this week.
A male and female pintail, surrounded by wigeon. Photo credit J. Lister
This week’s Barnacle Goose count found 8,140 on and around the reserve, and there are estimated to be around 30,000 on the Solway. These numbers could show better recovery from last years devastating bird flu than we could have hoped, and we are keeping our fingers crossed for a good winter for the barnacle geese.
Barnacle geese landing in a field. Photo credit J. Lister
Noteworthy sightings this week include;
To learn more about these and other birds, check out the RSPB wildlife guide: Birds A- Z | Bird Guides - The RSPB
Upcoming Events:
*Holiday Cottages - Discover the breath-taking scenery, wildlife, cultural and history of Dumfries & Galloway whilst staying in one of the Mersehead cosy semi-detached holiday cottages – Barnacle and Shelduck – located in the heart of reserve.
*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.