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Be an early bird Experience the Dawn Chorus at an RSPB Scotland nature reserve Getting up at dawn on a Sunday isn’t everyone’s idea of a lazy weekend. But as part of International Dawn Chorus Day on May 5, RSPB Scotland is offering visitors in Dumfries and Galloway, the rare chance...

A big thank you to all our visitors on Sunday a pity the weather was not a bit better but at least the rain stopped in time for the guided walk. A thank you to our volunteers and stand holders for coming have good feed back and hope to welcome you all back next year. We saw our first Swallow of the...

It's with baited breath that I go into the Visitor Centre these days. Any day now an osprey could appear on the nest. Already there has been an osprey sighted at Annan. Could this be the Caerlaverock birds returning? We will just have to wait and see. 3 other opsreys have been seen further south...

Just wanted to extend our best wishes to everyone for a happy and healthy 2013. The next guided walk at the Crook of Baldoon is on Sunday 13th January - a perfect reason to walk off some of the Christmas excess and see what's around at the busiest time of year for wildfowl on the Crook. Peak numbners...

T The 12th of the 12th 2012 was an auspicious day not only for the couples getting married at the other end of the county at Gretna Green. We at Wigtown had our Volunteer Christmas party for the Crook of Baldoon reserve, Wigtown Bay Visitor Centre and the other Galloway Reserves. We had a great...

What a beautiful day! A crisp blue sky, long fingers of frost on the grass and large mounds of ice over the lower reaches of the merse and chunks floating out to sea on the tide. I would never have believed it was cold enough last night for ice in the sea at midday but there it was glistening in the...

If you go down to the Crook of Baldoon this week, take a close look at the ruins of old Baldoon Castle, on the road to Baldoon Mains farm. There you might see the lonely ghost of Janet Dalrymple wandering the grounds of the ruin in the early hours, her nightdress splattered with blood. She is said to...

Hello everyone, Below are details of a few extra events that I'll be running for families in the Wigtown Bay Visitor Centre during the holidays. So if you're looking for a way to keep the children occupied drop in to the County Buildings for some fun and games. What's for Dinner - Owl...

Wigtown in Bloom was this year's Winner of the Scottish Natural Heritage Biodiversity Award 2012 , sponsored by SNH and Beautiful Scotland (part of Keep Scotland Beautiful) It is wonderful to get recognition for the work of the community, RSPB and D&G Council Ranger service in keeping Wigtown...

Crook of Baldoon, from April onwards, they are usually seen out on the Bay at high tide, diving for fish, but sometimes when it is a high spring tide, you may see one on a rock

Has there been any word at all about the Wigtown ospreys?

About 3:30 this afternoon on the Crook I took this picture of a ice crystal halo first time I have been able to get a picture of this natural event. Just shows how cold it was today

This was way out on the merse, sorry its not easy to make out, i had to confirm it was a merlin by using my telescope, it was hunting low then returning to this branch, lots of Skylark trying to pair up and pipits, in the location.

Two of these near the carpark.

A group of about 20 pale-bellied Brent Geese seems to be liking Wigtown Bay rather than Loch Ryan. They’ve been around the south end of the Crook and have recently been seen feeding at Garlieston Bay. I need to get fairly close to snap them with my digital Brownie so most views are of their back...

An unusual view from the embankment near the Crook car park. A high tide of 7.4m on 27 October completely inundates the merse. The distant grassy line in the water marks the outer edge of the merse, where the ground level drops a metre or more to the lower saltmarsh. The occasion was one of Paul Tarling’s...

Photo: Paul Tarling

Fewer birds now but the Crook has other interesting creatures. Peacock butterflies are reported to be more widespread in Scotland in recent years, but my BBCounts in July found none and few were seen elsewhere in D&G. So nice yesterday to see four – almost certainly this year’s offspring...

At the weekend I managed to get a close up of a red tailed bumblebee of a thrift plant down on the Crook of Baldoon it took some time and it is not a professional shoot but I am proud of it.