Mersehead Recent Sightings 31^st August – 6^th September 2019

There is a sudden Autumnal feeling at Mersehead with overnight temperatures dropping to single figures with a minimum of 5^oC recorded. The hedgerows are bursting with bright scarlet berries on the Hawthorn and Rowan trees which will provide a fantastic food source for returning winter migrants. The English Oak is heaving with acorns at Meida Hide. Most…

Mersehead Recent Sightings 24^th- 30^th August 2019

The fine weather over the weekend and at the beginning of the week kicked off some migration which was evident around the reserve. Tree Pipit were seen heading over the reserve on most days; these birds are usually found breeding in open woodland, heathland and scrub but this is the peak time to see them migrating south to Africa for the winter. They are often conspicuous…

Mersehead Recent Sightings 17^th- 23^rd August 2019

Those brave enough to face the wet and windy weather have had some great spots this week. One of the star species this week has been a Spotted Flycatcher, which was seen along the woodland trail towards Meida hide. The Spotted Flycatcher perches in open spaces to get a good view of flying invertebrates to catch. Also spotted along the woodland trail to Meida hide was a…

Mersehead Recent sightings 5^th August to 15^th August 2019

This was our first time volunteering at Mersehead reserve having done a couple of stints at South Stack on Anglesey in previous years.  We certainly brought the weather with us and we had several days of downpours.  The “wetlands” became even wetter and unfortunately the reserve had to close over the weekend due to a flooded access road.  It was a new…

Mersehead Recent Sightings 3^rd – 9^th August 2019

Sitting in the hides at Mersehead you may wonder where all the water has gone especially with the recent torrential rainfall. To provide the best breeding and wintering conditions for a variety of wildlife, wet grassland must be actively managed. If left alone, succession will occur; grassland becomes dominated by taller, courser species such as rush, which then succeeds…

Mersehead Recent Sightings 27th July - 2nd August 2019

Butterflies were out in force again on our weekly butterfly transect, enjoying afternoon temperatures of 24°C. Painted Lady were the most abundant, with 78 recorded in the Butterfly Garden alone. Peacock, Meadow Brown, Large and Green-veined White and 6 Spot Burnet Moth were also present, it is well worth spending some time there. Wall Brown are most prevalent…

Mersehead Recent Sightings 20^th – 26^th July 2019

This week started with the reserve having to be closed as the heavy rain on Sunday caused the entrance road to flood. The flood only lasted a day as the water disappeared completely overnight. Which then lead to the hottest day of the year, it was 28°c at Mersehead on Thursday.

Tuesday saw our usual local volunteers coming down to help for the morning. Our volunteers…

Mersehead Recent Sightings 13th - 19th July 2019

I’m back – not in Arnie style but I’m glad to say, I’m back at RSPB Mersehead for another two weeks of residential volunteering. It’s been three years since I was last here and while some things have changed (there’s a butterfly meadow), much remains the same.

I’m half way through my second week and am on a rain break as pulling weeds…

Mersehead Recent Sightings 6^th – 12^th July 2019

With high pressure and temperatures of 20^oC forecast for the next couple of weeks, the hay mower has been retrieved from the depths of the machinery shed and the first 20-acre field cut. We still have a further 22-acres to cut over the weekend. The fields are always cut from inside to out to ensure any wildlife can move safely away from the tractor. Today’s job was…

Mersehead Recent Sightings 29^th June-5^th July 2019

This week we were out on the wetlands carrying out fences checks in preparation for the arrival of cattle to carry out some essential grazing. Cattle will graze on the grassy areas and open them up to allow establishment of new plants, creating a mosaic of vegetation much like in the picture below. Species found in our meadow include White Clover, Yellow Rattle, Common…

Mersehead Recent Sightings 22nd - 28th June 2019

This week has been a warm week with daily temperatures reaching over 20°! We are feeling the heat on the reserve, however thankfully not 40° like Europe. The warm temperatures seem to have awaken the Painted Lady Butterflies, you can see them all over the reserve, particularly near the coast on the yellow flowering plant, Sea Radish. Painted lady butterflies are…

Mersehead Recent Sightings 15^th – 21^st June 2019

The merse (saltmarsh) is currently brimming with colour and sound. Ragged Robin and Lesser Spearwort are in flower whilst overhead the Skylark’s distinctive song can be heard from every corner. We have been out inspecting and repairing the livestock fence along the merse and sand dunes this week in readiness for the cattle. With the warm weather there were plenty…

Mersehead Recent Sightings 8^th-14^th June 2019

Sightings from our visitors this week include Whitethroat, Linnet, Sand Martin, House Martin and Swallow. A Sparrow Hawk appeared right outside the visitor centre window, perched near the hanging feeders. Needless to say, all the usual House Sparrows and Gold Finches disappeared from sight. A Reed Bunting was also spotted perched on a fence post along Rainbow lane (the path…

Mersehead Recent Sightings 1^st – 7^th June 2019

With the recent bouts of heavy rain over the last week or so the Natterjack pools have started to fill up again.  Natterjack Toad have an extended breeding season precisely for this reason; if the shallow breeding pools dry out early in the spring due to a lack of rain (as happened to some on the reserve this year), they are able to take advantage of the freshly filled…

Mersehead Recent Sightings 25th - 31st May 2019

Reserve work this week has focused on preparing the two 1ha Wild bird cover plots. Both areas have been ploughed, cultivated and the Oats and Sunflower seeds drilled into the ground. Just as the small seed spreader was being attached to the tractor, the heavy rain forecast for later in the afternoon arrived early and unfortunately prevented the work being completed. Over…

Mersehead Recent Sightings 18th - 24th May 2019

This week has seen the start of many babies emerging on Mersehead. Lapwing chicks are off to a strong start as egg predation has been relatively low. There have been around 23 chicks counted inside our anti-predator fence (built to keep ground predators such as badgers and foxes away from ground nests) and more elsewhere over the reserve. A Leveret (baby Hare) was flushed…

Mersehead Recent Sightings 11^th- 17^th May 2019

The latest new arrival to the reserve this week was a Spotted Flycatcher, a red-listed species of conservation concern due to the dramatic decline in their population (87% since 1970). The latest research is suggesting that first year mortality is high and that this may be driving the declines. This could be due to poor-quality breeding habitat and/or habitat loss either…

Mersehead Recent Sightings 4^th – 10^th May 2019

It has been a cold week with night-time temperatures dipping to 1^oC making it a slow Natterjack Toad season. Natterjack toads require a constant night-time temperature of a least 9^oC to spawn. So far this spring we have found 32 spawn strings. The spawn development has been slow as the water temperature has been cold which can make the spawn vulnerable to developing…

Mersehead recent sightings 27th April - 3rd May 

This week we undertook our 2nd Natterjack toad survey of the year. With a relatively mild evening temperature, little wind and light drizzle, it seemed the perfect conditions for Natterjack activity. However, there was only 31 adults found across the site. This is a drop from the 81 adults found 2 weeks prior. The number of toad spawn found are increasing as the days progress…

Mersehead Recent Sightings 20^th – 26^th April

This week, we undertook the first Water Rail survey of the season. These birds are incredibly illusive, and despite recording at least 12 individuals in the reedbed, they are rarely seen from the hides. The survey (like most) involves a very early start; two people head out into the reedbed and stand 20 metres apart. Then, we play the “squealing pig” call that the Water…

Mersehead Recent Sightings 13^th – 19^th April 2019

With overnight temperatures dipping as low as -2^oC during the last few weeks we have seen a delayed start to the Natterjack Toad season at Mersehead. Natterjacks are fussy amphibians requiring a constant air temperature of at least 7^oC throughout the night. Wednesday evening was looking promising so we headed out for the first adult population survey of the year…

RSPB Mersehead Recent Sightings 6^th – 12^th April 2019

Spring really sprung into action this week, as a host of summer visitors arrived. Saturday saw the first big arrival, as 8 White Wagtail and a female Wheatear were busy feeding in one of the recently ploughed fields. Out on the wetlands were another 2 White Wagtail and a single Black-tailed Godwit, and these were joined late-afternoon by an influx of hirundines;…

RSPB Mersehead Recent Sightings 30^th March – 5^th April 2019

The Lapwing has a spectacular display flight where the male rolls, dives and somersaults through the air whilst calling to attract a potential mate and alert rival males to his presence. The lapwings at Mersehead have been displaying and setting up territories for a few weeks now and this week we have found the first nests! Each nest contains four light…

Mersehead Recent Sightings 23rd - 29th March 2019

The short dark days of winter are all but a distant memory now. It is refreshing to think that daylight hours are now longer than the nights, and the thermometer regularly creeps up into the teens. The verges of our entrance road are adorned with gorgeous Lesser Celandines and Wood Anemones.  Often regarded as a symbol of the ‘joys to come’ the yellow hues of Lesser Celandines…

Mersehead Recent Sightings 16^th- 22^nd March 2019

After the heavy rain last week water levels remain high across the reserve.  The ducks are obviously enjoying these conditions, with Wigeon, Teal, Gadwall, Shoveler, Tufted Duck, and Pintail represented in good numbers.  Curlew have been enjoying the soft ground conditions too, allowing them to easily probe into the soil with their long, scythe-shaped bills.  Just past the…