It’s March at RSPB Mersehead. The snowdrops and daffodils are out in full force, Song Thrush practice before the mating season, and Lapwing start their aerial displays. In other words, spring is almost upon us! Just like the Barnacle Geese who will start heading back to the Svalbard in April, winter residential volunteers are preparing their outbound migration, before the summer residential volunteers arrive.

It…

Mersehead Recent Sightings 9^th – 15^th March 2019

With 98mm of raining falling in March so far, the reserve is looking extremely wet. In some areas this is great! The Natterjack pools are full of water and with night-time temperatures warming up it may not be long until the first Natterjacks are out of hibernation. The vegetation in the wet grassland in front of the Visitor Centre has been cut with a machine operated…

RSPB Mersehead Recent Sightings 2nd - 8th March 2019

The May like weather we were experiencing last week with a bags of sunshine and temperatures nearly reaching 20 degrees carried on this week. More spring butterflies species have started to appear and we've even spotted our first swallow! Or at least this is what I wish I had to write... Instead I can confirm that everything is back to normal weather wise at Mershsead…

Let Nature Sing to an Orchestral Overture!

Join the Solway Sinfonia for an evening of music inspired by nature and bird song with proceeds going towards RSPB Scotland’s conservation work in Dumfries & Galloway.

The Solway Sinfonia is a not for profit amateur orchestra based in Dumfries & Galloway.  Its members are drawn from the south of Scotland and north of England. The Solway Sinfonia likes (every spring…

RSPB Mersehead Recent Sightings 23^rd February – 1^st March 2019

An unseasonably warm week here at Mersehead (and around the UK) made it feel more like mid-May than the end of February! The sunny days were full of the signs of spring, with snowdrops out in full force and daffodils and crocuses beginning to emerge, providing beautiful splashes of colour around the trails. The conditions made it much more pleasant working…

RSPB Mersehead Recent Sightings 16^th- 22^nd February 2019

As usual, the weather has been a big topic of conversation this week. Spending so much time working outside means that you always have your eyes on the weather forecast. For the most part the weekend was dry with sunny spells, although a viciously cold wind whipped in off the Solway. This wind has stayed with us for the week, bringing a distinct chill to the air…

RSPB Mersehead Recent Sightings 9^th – 15^th February 2019

After a mild week, we have woken up to a cold, crisp and bright day. The Barnacle Geese have been soaring low over the fields whilst deciding where to settle for the morning. Small dots high up, skeins of Pink-footed Geese have been migrating north, their distinctive “wink wink” call making you automatically look skyward. Early this morning, 2…

RSPB Mersehead Recent Sightings 2^nd- 8^th February 2019

Clear, sunny skies and a not too cool breeze on Saturday morning saw for a flurry of sightings. Out on the Merse, viewed from Rainbow Lane, a flock of 32 Twite, their characteristic ‘tweee’ and ‘tveeiht’ (hence the name Twite!) calls alerted us to their presence. Similar in size to a Linnet, but more heavily streaked on the back, sporting a yellow bill in winter,…

RSPB Mersehead Recent Sightings 26^th January- 1^st February 2019

After a rainy start to the week, dry weather coupled with sub-zero temperatures settled in. Mersehead completely froze up and the wetlands became ice rinks for hardy ducks and waders! The absence of clouds allowed us to enjoy views of snow-capped hills, and we certainly had the best seat to admire the Lake District dressed in it’s Winter coat.

Bird…

Mersehead Recent Sightings 19th – 25th January 2019

It’s been a wintry week of freezing temperatures, the odd snow flurry and the occasional afternoon of thick fog. However, there have still been sunny spells, and the frosty wetlands with a backdrop of snow dusted hills have certainly made for some beautiful mornings, accompanied by the ‘wink wink’ of huge skeins of Pink-footed Geese passing overhead…

RSPB Mersehead Recent Sightings 12^th- 18^th January 2019

Despite a drop in temperature, this week has mainly been characterised by glorious sunny weather. The dramatic landscape of the lake district looked spectacular in this crisp, cold weather. The week started off with a sighting of 2 Mistle Thrush at the entrance of the reserve, whilst a further 4 were spotted on the main track towards the woodland on Friday. Similar…

Mersehead Recent Sightings 4^th – 11^th January 2019

Here at Mersesead we’re all back from our Christmas break and are back into the swing of reserve life, looking forward to the year ahead. The New Year always brings the promise of spring just around the corner, but there’s still a long stretch of winter lying ahead. With dark misty days and temperatures dropping below freezing, it can leave you with the feeling of…

Mersehead Recent Sightings 15^th – 21^st December 2018

The weekend did not start off too well at Mersehead, as heavy rainfall flooded the road and forced us to cancel Sunday’s beach clean. Targeted beach cleans are an important way to involve people in solving the global plastic crisis. Plastics represent 60 to 80% of all marine debris, and other than being an aesthetic nuisance during our beach walks, they are a…

RSPB Mersehead Recent Sightings 8^th – 14^th December 2018

With just a week to go to the big HoHo, we have been beavering away to ensure certain projects are completed before the Christmas break.

With the most successful Natterjack Toad colony in Scotland and across the RSPB found on the reserve, the focus of the winter habitat work has been ensuring ground conditions will be perfect for this amphibian in the spring…

RSPB Mersehead Recent Sightings 1st - 7th December 2018

The week started off with blue skies and low temperatures. Clear skies on Monday night were a perfect chance to make the most of the dark skies here at Mersehead and gaze at the stars, with the characteristic honking of a group of Whooper Swan heard flying over and a Badger was seen rootling around in the Sulwath Centre garden. Small groups of Pink-footed Geese were…

RSPB Mersehead Recent Sightings 24th - 30th November 2018

This week started off very cold and crisp. Temperatures dropped to below freezing on Monday night and we woke to encounter a frosty Mersehead on Tuesday morning. With not a drop of rain since the 15^th November, we were starting to forget what getting drenched felt like. However, the weather began to change on Tuesday afternoon as a low-pressure system swept up…

RSPB Mersehead Recent Sightings 17^th – 23^rd November 2018

Prevailing easterly winds made for colder temperatures this week but the sunny skies that came with it made for good wildlife watching conditions. There have been multiple sightings of Whooper Swans; first seen on Saturday when 8 birds flew into the wetlands, then again on Wednesday, with 10 birds flying into the wetlands again as well as along the beach…

RSPB Mersehead Recent Sightings 3rd - 9th November 2018

It‘s been a very wet week here at Mersehead… but the ducks, geese and waders have been loving it!

On Monday we had our 5th Wetland Bird Survey of the season with great numbers of ducks feeding in front of the hides, and in the flooded field just past the woodland trail. 479 teal were counted, as well as 541 pintail, 400 of which flew in just as we were…

RSPB Mersehead Recent Sightings 27^th October – 2^nd November 2018

A cold and frosty morning with temperatures dipping below zero. Initially, all is quiet on the reserve, then gradually the volume increases starting with Pink-footed Geese leaving the roost on the sandflats and heading out over Portling Hill. The Barnacle Geese are not far behind as they too leave the safety of their evening roost and land on the…

RSPB Mersehead Recent Sightings 20^th – 26^th October

The week started off with a flurry of good sightings when, on Monday, a 1^st winter Marsh Harrier was seen hunting over the wetlands from Bruaich Hide, whilst from Meida Hide a Sparrowhawk and Merlin were both sighted over the reedbed as well as 1 lonely Whooper Swan, who briefly stopped in before carrying on its journey. The winter visitors keep on arriving as…

RSPB Mersehead Recent Sightings 13th-19th October

A Busy week counting birds comes to an end at Mersehead as we had our 3rd coordinated Barnacle Goose survey as well as the 2nd Wetland bird survey and our first Winter Passerine Survey of the season!

We could not have asked for a better autumn day on Monday to record the number of Barnies, ducks and waders here on the reserve. A further 1200 barnacle geese have arrived…

RSPB Mersehead Recent Sightings 6^th – 12^th October 2018

It’s wild and windy at Mersehead today as Storm Calum hits the reserve. Very different to the last couple of days when temperatures have reached a balmy 23^oC and Red Admiral and Peacock butterflies have been on the wing.

Barnacle goose numbers are increasing across the reserve with the weekly count reaching 7,261. An increase from 3,812 last week. It…

RSPB Mersehead Recent sightings: 29th September – 5th October 2018

Autumn feasting is very much on the cards for our feathered friends at this time, with many flocks gathering along our hedgerows and trails. Around 30 greenfinches were spotted on the way to Bruaich Hide, stocking up on rose hips. A parcel of 40 linnets and trembling of 15 chaffinches could be seen in fields and by the woodland. Great spotted wo…

RSPB Mersehead Recent Sightings 22^nd – 28^th September

The biggest news of the week here at Mersehead has been the arrival of the Svalbard Barnacle Geese on Tuesday morning when 38 birds dropped into the wetland. This is 13 days earlier than last year but is not anything unusual; birds can arrive anytime from late September onwards depending on the weather in the Arctic, prevailing winds, feeding conditions elsewhere…

An amazing effort from over 70 folk of all ages came and helped out on the Great British Beach Clean at RSPB Mersehead on Sunday 16^th Sept working with the gallant ‘Dumfries and Galloway Eco-Warriors’.

Photo D&G Eco Eco-Warriors

Over a trailer full of rubbish was collected. Much of this was plastic ranging from bottle tops to wheelie bins! A big thanks the D&G Eco Warriors and to everyone else who helped…