RSPB Mersehead Blog 26^th March – 1^st April 2022

Someone asked me this week what I find the most exciting species I work with. Although Mersehead is full to the brim of amazing species which change with the seasons, there is one which for myself takes the crown, the humble Natterjack toad.

Mersehead is home to three species of amphibian the common frog, common toad and natterjack toad. The Common Frog is the first…

RSPB Mersehead Blog: 19th - 25th March 2022

What a glorious week!  High pressure, low winds and cloudless skies have led to woolly hats and gloves being discarded, and replaced by sun hats and sun glasses.  The energising power of our favourite ball of hydrogen gas has sparked a flurry of activity across the reserve.

One thing I have noticed this week is that our favourite hedgerow birds, who have been such good friends…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 12^th – 18^th March 2022

As we head into the middle of march – and the equinox this Sunday – spring truly seems to be getting into full swing here on the reserve. Although we aren’t completely free from wet or cold weather (then again, Scotland never is), the average daily temperature is slowly rising and as of this week our hours of daylight have officially crossed the 12 hour mark. These changes…

Moths are great indicators of biodiversity and can tell us a lot about changes in the environment. The Garden Moth Scheme is a citizen science project open to anyone interested in recording moths regularly in their garden, anywhere in the UK and Ireland. With temperatures dropping to -5^oC this week we were not expecting to many moths to be recorded and were pleased to see a Hebrew Character, Oak Beauty and 2 Early Grey

RSPB Mersehead Blog 25th February - 4th March 2022

Tuesday marked the start of meteorological spring, and it has been uplifting to experience some calmer, sunnier days this week.  We’ve still had a fair amount of the wet and miserable kind of weather, but when it comes to transitions it is important to adjust to change gradually.

Visitor centre on a sunny early spring day: Photo credit: P. Radford

I’m not sure that…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 19^th – 25^th February 2022

Following hot on the heels of storms Dudley and Eunice, storm Franklin has left Mersehead a little waterlogged. Flooding on the access road forced the reserve to close on Sunday and Monday, and with many of the puddles elsewhere on the reserve yet to subside wellies were definitely a must this week! On the plus side, Barnacle Geese and Curlew have been congregating…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 12^th- 18^th February 2022

Stormy skies have been a common occurrence this week with both storm Dudley and Eunice passing through the region. There is a positive side to this however as the high amounts of precipitation has led to the Natterjack breeding pools and ditch filling up nicely. They are now looking very inviting for the natterjacks when they emerge soon from their hibernacula in the sand dunes…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 5^th – 11^th February 2022

Out on the wetlands this week, the Teal have been showing off their head flicking and tail waggling courtship display. Rather than singing like garden birds, wildfowl incorporate some vocalisation with dance. Species recognition places an important role in the complicated courtship of wildfowl as distinctive species-specific displays help to avoid hybridisation.

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RSPB Mersehead Blog 29th January to 4th February 2022

Recent Sightings

Dinner time. Photo credit: Luke Jones

Bullfinch have been seen across the reserve on numerous occasions over the last week, feeding in the hedgerows. With a lot of windy weather, some Shelduck were seen sheltering from the exposed beach some of the fields adjacent to Rainbow Lane. Some more signs of Spring slowly on its way are the Skylark, which…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 22^nd- 28^th  January 2022

Although it’s been quite cloudy this week it has been relatively mild with the first signs of spring starting to appear. The first snowdrops have begun to flower around the Sulwarth Centre, and Catkins have started to grow. Snowdrops grow in most soil types apart from permanently wet and very dry sandy soils. They favour being around deciduous trees and shrubs providing them…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 15^th – 21^st January 2022

A flock of around 30 Linnet were seen down the merse on the weekend, posing for a photo on the new fence.  

Linnet on the merse. Photo credit: Luke Jones.

Topping work to improve the habitat for natterjack toads. Photo credit: Luke Jones.

This week we have had some lovely sunny days and clear skies on the reserve, perfect for some habitat management work. Our volunteers continued…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 8^th – 14^th January 2022

The weather has been kind to us down at Mersehead this week; we have enjoyed some glorious winter sunshine and it has been noticeably mild for the time of year.  This favourable weather has encouraged a lot of activity around the reserve, and not just from the human inhabitants.

The mild evenings conjure up fond memories of summer nights splashing through warm pools with…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 1^st – 7^th January 2022

The end of 2021 saw a respectable 136 species on the Mersehead year list. The long-awaited final species was a Brambling, finally spotted in the Hawthorn bushes opposite the cottages. These vibrant finches head to the UK in the winter, escaping the Scandinavian ice and snow.

Brambling. Photo credit: G.Chambers

1. Carrion Crow
2. Yellowhammer
3. Dunnock
4. Blue Tit
5. Coal Tit
6. Barnacle…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 11th - 17th December 2021

On Monday, a flock of 18 very fluffy Twite were seen in the hedgerow running down to the Bruaich Hide. A similar bird to the Linnet, Twite can be distinguished by a slightly longer tail and a yellow bill in autumn and winter. A Todd’s/ Lesser Canada Goose was also seen on the weekend hiding amongst a flock of Barnacle Geese. 

Fluffy Twite. Photo credit: Luke Jones

Some amazing Starling m…

RSPB Mersehead blog 4^th- 10^th December 2021

The Mersehead Reserve count saw 3066 Barnacle Geese, 1700 Dunlin, 314 Lapwing, 281 Teal, 118 Wigeon and 100 Knot being the most abundant species recorded. The coordinated Barnacle Goose count was also undertaken this week which saw 9,382 being recorded in the local area.

Beach view whilst carrying out reserve count. Photo credit: Amy Blachford

Other sightings this week include…

RSPB Mersehead blog 26^th November – 3^rd December 2021

This week’s blog starts on a sombre note. A severe outbreak of avian influenza is occurring along the Solway Estuary with the internationally important population of Svalbard barnacle geese particularly affected. It is highly likely that you may see dead or sick barnacle geese whilst visiting Mersehead or other areas of the coast this winter. Please read the…

Many of you will have seen recent reports of dead and dying wild birds in the Solway area and the confirmation of Bird Flu here. Sadly, the UK Government’s Animal and Plant Health Agency who is monitoring this disease has confirmed positive cases in dead birds found at our RSPB Scotland Mersehead nature reserve.

The majority of the dead wild birds in the Solway area, including at Mersehead, are barnacle geese. These…

RSPB Mersehead Blog: 20^th – 26^th November 2021

The Sun has been the biggest star at Mersehead this week, thanks to its contribution to creating some awe-inspiring sunsets and sunrises.  Red and orange patterns have filled the sky, with a hue of yellowy-blue light melting into the horizon.  It is no coincidence that, for most of the week, the weather has been fine and bright, as the red sky can be associated with high…

RSPB Mersehead Blog  13th November – 19th November

A Red Kite has been a regular visitor to the reserve with it being sighted on a few different occasions throughout this week. Our feeders situated in the woodland on the way to the Meida Hide are attracting an array of different birds including Great Tits, Blue Tits and Chaffinches. Nearby in the woodland Treecreepers and Long-tailed Tits have also been seen.

RSPB Mersehead Blog 6th November - 12th November

Highlights from the Mersehead WeBS survey included 1,070 Dunlin, 1,040 Teal, 785 Oystercatcher, 516 Lapwing, 307 Grey Plover and 181 Curlew. A Red-breasted Merganser was also seen swimming in the waves along the coast at high tide, and a Water rail was heard calling from the reedbed. Interestingly, during the walk back from the high tide roost we came across a beached pumpkin! If you take…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 30th October - 5th November

One of the reasons Mersehead is such a fabulous haven for wildlife is the variety of habitats it offers, creating a diverse mosaic of flora and fauna.  However, following the 109mm of rain reported in last week’s blog, close to another 50mm fell over the weekend, leaving the reserve looking like one big wetland.  Nevertheless, there can still be plenty of diversity within…

RSPB Mersehead blog 23^rd October – 29^th October 2021

On Saturday, we were over at RSPB Kirkconnell Merse completing the monthly reserve count of the waterbirds on the saltmarsh and along the River Nith. Barnacle geese were present in good numbers with 2850 recorded along with a flock of around 400 Pink-footed geese.

Kirkconnell Merse with Criffel in the background

Wigeon numbers were high with 274 counted. Other…

RSPB Mersehead blog 16th October - 22th October 2021

The unsettled weather this week has enabled water levels to continue to rise with the most noticeable difference being the field outside of the visitor centre. This change has led to Barnacle Geese congregating which can be admired from the visitor centres viewing area.

Barnies flying over the pond dipping area. Photo credit: Amy Blachford

Also benefiting from the…

RSPB Mersehead blog 8^th October – 15^th October 2021

Some of the first Barnies arriving at Mersehead on Monday morning. Photo credit: Luke Jones

This week has finally seen the long-awaited arrival of thousands of our Svalbard Barnacle Geese. It’s lovely to have the Barnies back at Mersehead, and the sight and sound of thousands of geese flying overhead is amazing to witness, and well worth a trip to the reserve. The…

RSPB Mersehead Blog 2nd - 7th October

At the time of writing, we are still awaiting the long overdue, and eagerly anticipated mass return of the Svalbard Barnacle Geese to the Solway Firth.  Our appetite was whetted on Thursday, when 4 birds were spotted in one of the fields just past the woodland.  It is not possible to say if these are the early pace setters, or part of the local population of feral birds who are getting…