Mersehead Recent Sightings 3rd – 9th February
February has arrived and signs of spring are appearing. The woodland is starting to wake up with the distinctive song of the Wren trilling out from the undergrowth. Great tits are singing high up in the branches and Skylark can be heard over the meadows. The days are growing noticeably longer with the light lingering on until at least five thirty. At the start of the week we were out completing the February supplementary WeBS count across Mersehead with a total of 14,096 individual wildfowl and waders counted. After recent heavy rain and a large amount of snowmelt coming off the surrounding hills, water levels have been a touch too high recently. This week however the wetlands have been looking fantastic with a drop in water levels attracting waders to feed in the freshly exposed mud.
Dusk from Bruiach Hide. Photo Credit: Eric Neilson
A total of 489 Lapwing, 54 Curlew, 2 Redshank and a Little Egret were recorded from Bruiach Hide. The lapwing could be heard as far away as the car park. Eleven species of wildfowl were recorded across the wetlands: Mute Swan, Pink-footed Goose, Barnacle Goose, Shelduck, Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Pintail and Shoveler. Red Kite was spotted soaring high over the saltmarsh. At the Western high tide point 1960 Oystercatcher, 199 Curlew and 19 Ringed Plover gathered to wait out the incoming tide. They were joined by 1 lonesome Great Black-backed Gull. There is a second high tide roost at the east side of the reserve looking towards Southerness Lighthouse where there tends to be a higher diversity of waders present. The count earlier this week found 866 Oystercatcher, 166 Golden Plover, 56 Ringed Plover, 48 Curlew, 1880 Dunlin, 3 Redshank and 1 Bar-tailed Godwit. The gull count was fairly low with just 16 Black-headed Gull and 3 Common Gull recorded.
Wigeon. Photo Credit: Andy Hay
This winter, we have been concentrating on improving habitat for our rare amphibian, the natterjack toad. Adult and juvenile toads prefer areas with very short vegetation because they actively hunt their prey by running after it unlike other amphibians which sit and wait for their prey to walk past. Tall vegetation surrounding the breeding pools also increases the like hood of the male toads being predated.
Natterjack pools ready for the new season: Photo credit: Rowena Flavelle
Don’t forget you can join us on Sunday 11th February for our next Duck & Goose guided walk around RSPB Mersehead. Learn more about where they have come from, and what we do to attract them. For more information you can call us on 01387 780579 or email us at mersehead@rspb.org.uk.
Rowena Flavelle, Warden