20^th May 2012

Hello, Adam here

Hope you didn’t miss Ben on Countryfile with his amphibious brethren – it’ll be on i-player for 2 weeks if you missed it – quality stuff.

 Well the last two weeks have been a full on training experience. First was the incredibly valuable but gruesome in places First Aid at Work course with the British Red Cross. With a bit of grit I learned about all the horrendous things that can happen to people and what to do to preserve their life. Hopefully won’t have to use that very much, but good to know. Then Becky and I spent 3 days at a Working with Volunteers training course in the idyllic setting of Netherurd near West Linton. Now this I hopefully will put into practice! Great to see just how many people do voluntary work – it’s the nation’s 2^nd most favourite past time, the first being DANCING! 90% of those that volunteered for the RSPB would recommend it to a friend... I recommend it to anyone reading!!!

With all this time offsite I haven’t had much time for spotting stuff at Mersehead, but last few days have been quite good:

• 2 Otters tumbling about in the water seen from Meida Hide
• A weasel dragging its prey (field vole) across the road a leaving it at my feet!

 Also got chance to explore the local area more – great walk from Rockliffe through Kippford towards Dalbeattie. And it’s not often you get to see an amourous pair of newly reunited Ospreys preening on their platform nest – thanks to Pam at Threave Castle with a scope trained on just the right spot.

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Just a quick blog to remind you all to watch Countryfile at 6.25pm tomorrow (Sunday 20th May) on BBC 1.  The programme is coming from Dumfries and Galloway and features a section from Mersehead where Ben talks to Ellie Harrison about our resident Natterjacks!  There is also a bit from Hannah over at the Mull of Galloway and whilst in the area they visited Eskrigg nature reserve near Lockerbie!

In other news we are getting great sightings of some of our summer migrants at the moment including Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, Willow Warbler, Swallow and Sand Martin.  Ben also saw 3 male Reed Warbler from the Meida Hide yesterday morning, obviously setting up territories!  Visitors had reported seeing 2 otter and 2 badger from the Meida Hide too and yesterday a Little Egret was seen behind the Visitor Centre - so plenty about!

Also a reminder about our 2 guided walks that are coming up over the next couple of weeks, for all of you that see Countryfile on Sunday and want to learn more about our Natterjacks, Ben will be leading a walk next Sunday (27th May) - a rare opportunity to get to the enclosures and learn more about these amazing amphibians!  The walk runs 8-10pm.  The next day our intern Adam will be leading a guided walk to look for our resident Lapwing and find out how we manage the reserve to help these endangered birds!  This walk is on 28th May 10.30-12pm.  Both walks are free - donations welcome, but booking for both is essential.  To join us on these walks please call 01387 780579 to book or email mersehead@rspb.org.uk

Enjoy Countryfile!!!! This Sunday 6.25pm BBC 1!

Glad to report that despite absolutely horrendous weather yesterday all at Mersehead have survived pretty much unscathed although some of oour paths are a little water logged and muddy!  We even had 5 intrepid visitors who braved gale force winds and torrential rain to visit us yesterday!  Four of them were from Norfolk - they obviously breed them tough down there :)

Today couldn't have been more different apart from a quick rain shower at lunchtime the summer has made a tentative return with this evening bringing sunshine and calmer weather.  I decided to venture out for a walk around the Coastal Trail after work and was glad I'd made the effort with fantastic views of Meadow Pipit and Wheatear on the merse as well as the delightful sound of the skylarks!  I was even lucky enough to watch 2 hare chasing each other in one of the fields on the way back down Rainbow Lane.  Then one of the highlights of my walk -  the distinctive "peewit" as a Lapwing tumbled out of the sky performing its elaborate aerial display.

The erratic sound of a Sedge Warbler in the hedgerow and the bright white glint of 2 Shelduck feeding in the water gathered behind the Visitor centre finished off what was a lovely evening stroll.

We had a fantastic evening with BBC countryfile doing a piece on our natterjack toads. The evening went really well and the team were a really nice bunch. We managed to get them some fantastic footage of the toads and the little fellas put on a great performance.

The piece will be going out on Countryfile on Sunday 20^th May and will be a really nice taster for people who would be interested in coming along on my guided natterjack walk on the following Sunday (27^th). All details of the walk are on the Mersehead reserve website. Here is a photo of myself and Adam looking completely start-struck with Ellie Harrison!

Cheers,

Ben

4^th May 2012

Hello, Adam here!

It’s been a busy few weeks here, and the learning curve is still curving up – but still having a fab time. After some horrendous weather, including a hail storm in the middle of my Goose Count ( I got bruises ), the spring season is well underway and there are even signs of summer. Here are some of my recent sightings:

• 12^th April  – First Swallow, now they’re everywhere!
• 16^th April  – Willow Warbler down at the dune scrub
• 17^th April  – Osprey flying across the reserve being mobbed by crows. Eric saw it earlier fishing towards the coast.
• 23^rd April  – Natterjacks calling and snipe drumming out on the merse – FANTASTIC!
• 27^th April – Grasshopper Warbler
• 1^st May  – First Lapwing Nest spotted – 4 beautiful dappled eggs all facing inward
• 3^rd May  – CUCKOO in the woods!

Mersehead Natterjacks are getting a taste for fame as BBC Countryfile team came to film them by dusk on the 2^nd of May. As requested, it was a warm balmy night with a calm breeze and these guys were not camera shy. Ben did a great job in his interview with Ellie Harrison (who is lovely) describing ecology of the natterjacks in a most entertaining way! It will be screened on the 20^th MAY along with Lockerbie’s Red Squirrels and Mull of Galloway’s Black Guillemots.  

After filming, we got a brief sleep, and then rose with the dawn chorus to commence phase 1 of Mersehead Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) on the grazed saltmarsh area of Kirkconnel – notoriously tricky to navigate with its spaghetti matrix of brackish channels that fill up with every tide. Technology came to our rescue as Ben hard work program a safe route into his GPS paid off. Satellites guided use around the treacherous channels and we saw a great many skylarks and meadow pipits displaying, red shank and curlew alarming and shelduck laughing.

Adam Reid

RSPB Intern