RSPB Mersehead Blog 14^th – 20^th December 2024

I cannot quite believe that I am writing the last RSPB Mersehead blog of 2024. What a year it has been for the reserve with highlights including the reintroduction of Tadpole Shrimp after a 60-year absence, the first ever successful Marsh Harrier breeding attempt on the reserve, and a peak count of 100 Natterjack toadlets this year compared to 0 in 2023.

I thought I…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 7^th – 13^th December 2024

After a stormy weekend, it’s been a very calm week on the reserve.  This has given us the opportunity to get on with maintenance tasks as we prepare for the Christmas break, and on Thursday we held our annual Volunteer Christmas Event. 

But before we share highlights from the week, have you ever wanted to know the answer to the age-old question of “How many Barnacle…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 1st - 6th December

This week at Mersehead the team have been working hard through all the rain. Our latest project has been the construction of a new footpath to the Bruaich hide. We aim to widen the footpath to make it more accessible for everyone. The process, however, is a long one that includes many steps. 

Barnacle Geese flying over the freshly dug path. Photo credit: K.Stevenson. 

Using the…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 16th - 22nd November 2024

Earlier this week, hundreds of strange-looking jellyfish washed up along the coastline at Mersehead. We had no idea what species of jellyfish they were, so we sought out help from the Solway Firth Partnership. Thankfully they were able to shed some light on this matter, informing us that these translucent, gelatinous blobs along the beach were in fact Dustbin-lid Jellyfish

RSPB Mersehead Blog 9^th – 15^th November 2024

The Starling murmuration has continued to build at Mersehead this week with some great footage captured over the weekend from Meida Hide. Starling murmurations are an incredible winter wildlife phenomena often occurring at dusk, just before the birds roost overnight which provides them with safety in numbers, warmth and the opportunity to share information about the best…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 26^th October – 1^st November 2024

Barnacle geese are arguably the star attraction of the reserve and numbers have been building steadily over the past month as the geese return from their breeding grounds in Svalbard. A peak count for the reserve so far this autumn has been 8,930. Amongst the thousands the black and white stripes, there have been five ghostly pale birds – these are leuci…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 19th - 25th October. 

Autumn is well in to way and it looks absolutely beautiful on Mersehead!

Mute Swans and Canada Geese from Meida hide. Photo credit: K. Stevenson. 

In the past couple weeks, we have been hosting ‘Badger Banquets’ here at Mersehead. These events give people the opportunity to observe badgers in the natural habitat from the comfort of our Sulwath Centre. We are lucky enough to…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 12^th – 18^th October 2024

Autumn has officially arrived at Mersehead, and the changes that have occurred here in recent weeks have left the landscape looking particularly beautiful.

Barnacle Geese at RSPB Mersehead. Photo credit: F. Sanders.

On Monday evening, in the last of the golden sun, I meandered along the reserve footpaths to marvel at the autumn spectacles. Thousands of red Hawthorn…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 5^th – 11^th October 2024

Snow geese? [tick] Fields brimming with Barnacle Geese? [tick] Whooper Swans? [tick] New boardwalk at Meida Hide? [tick] 

It’s been an exciting week at RSPB Mersehead with the number and variety of wintering birds joining us continues to grow, and the installation of a new boardwalk up to the Meida Hide is completed.

New arrivals

This week on the reserve we were thrilled…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 21^st – 27^th September 2024

The seasons are changing as we leave summer behind and move forward into autumn. We began the annual task of cutting and nutrient stripping our wildflower meadows this week. Wildflowers thrive on poor nutrient depleted soils as this reduces competition from quick growing grasses which would smother out the wildflowers in a nutrient rich environment. At the end of summer…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 14th - 20th Septemper

Hi, my name is Keira, and I am the new residential volunteer here at RSPB Mersehead.

I have spent the past couple of years living in the Lake District, so I am no stranger to natural beauty. However, since coming to Mersehead I can confidently say that it is a strong contender for one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting. I am extremely lucky to…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 7^th – 13^th September 2024

September Evening At Mersehead. Photo Credit: C Glass

September at Mersehead is a time for taking stock as we slowly move from summer into autumn and prepare for the arrival of wintering waterbirds from the end of the month. Our survey programme will be changing, and focus will turn to habitat management to benefit next year’s breeding birds and Natterjack Toads. We also…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 31^st August – 6^th September 2024

Bumblebees are colourful, hairy insects that play a vital role in the pollination of crops, flowers, and fruits. Well known for their ‘bumbling’ flight, bumblebees are widely recognised for the loud buzzing noise they make. Unsurprisingly, this is where their scientific name 'Bombus' originates from, translating to ‘booming’.

RSPB Mersehead Blog 17th – 23rd August 2024

From Lillian to Lepidoptera

It has been a wet, windy and wild week on the reserve to say the least! The combination of storm Lillian and some unusually high August tides saw the Merse spectacularly inundated.  Faced with such conditions, staff time is split between ensuring our livestock are doing well in the harsher conditions and checking for storm damage, such as fallen…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 10^th – 16^th August 2024

It’s been a mixed bag of weather this week with days of heavy rain and bright sunshine the next. But that doesn’t deter us at Mersehead!  In this week’s blog hear how our volunteers braved the rain to join us for our summer BBQ, see our Marsh Harrier fledglings in flight, and learn more about the variety of fungi we are finding near our woodland paths.

RSPB Mersehead Blog 3^rd August – 9^th August

A truly momentous moment was recorded at RSPB Mersehead earlier this week. For the first time since the RSPB took over ownership of Mersehead in 1993, Marsh Harriers (Circus aeruginosus) have successfully bred on the reserve. You can see a photograph of the beautiful chicks below! 

‘Chick A’ and ‘Chick AB’ at nest location, RSPB Mersehead. Photo credit: G. Chambers.…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 20^th – 26^th July 2024

Flat, alluvial, frequently marshy land bordering upon a river, a river estuary or the sea, specifically applied to the land bordering the Solway Firth – definition of “merse” Scottish National Dictionary.

The above definition gives a good indication as to where Mersehead obtained its name. The past couple of weeks has seen us spending time out on the merse…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 13^th July – 18^th July

Colourful wildflowers at RSPB Mersehead. Photo credit: F. Sanders.

‘Rainbow Lane’ is the name given to the path that leads from the main entrance track at RSPB Mersehead to the sand dunes. As the story goes, previous tenants of Lapwing cottage observed numerous gorgeous rainbows over that path, eventually coining the name ‘Rainbow Lane’. Many moons later, that…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 6^th – 12^th July 2024

In this week of rather changeable weather, we have been continuing to focus on maintenance work at Mersehead.  While it sometimes feels like we are trying to beat a strimming world record, it’s important that we keep our electric fencing clear of vegetation and the water troughs in good working order for the livestock, during our summer of conservation grazing. 

Moving…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 29^th June – 05^th July 2024

After the vibrancy of the breeding bird season, the summer months feel naturally calmer on the reserve.  Dawn and dusk choruses alongside the springtime territorial singing of our bird species have now faded into the bucolic bleats of sheep and lows of our grazing cattle.  While these moments may seem and feel quieter, the summertime offers a great opportunity to discover…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 22^nd – 28^th June 2024

Mersehead would not be the amazing reserve for wildlife that it is, if it were not for our dedicated band of volunteers.

Our “Tuesday” Volunteers arrive week in, week out completing everything from practical habitat management such as scrub removal to benefit the UK’s rarest amphibian the Natterjack Toad, to completing wildflower meadow management and improving…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 15^th June – 21^st June

Saturday 15^th June marked the beginning of “Maintenance Week” at RSPB Mersehead. During this week, our holiday homes (Barnacle and Shelduck) don’t have any bookings, enabling us to give these cottages a little TLC! Thanks to the hard work of both our staff and volunteers, the insides and outsides of these holiday cottages are looking spick and span. Our volunteers whitewashed…