Sightings - Caerlaverock

Reserve Update Wednesday 3rd August - Waders Galore!

Reserve Update Wednesday 3rd August - Waders Galore!

Folly Pond is the place to be this morning.  After a fairly quiet few weeks, the recent field cutting and wet weather has seen an influx of waders onto the surrounding field and muddy edges with 143 Curlew, 22 Lapwing, 2 Snipe and 1 Black-tailed Godwit p

3 August 2016

Latest Sightings - 2nd August - Tawny Owl back

Latest Sightings - 2nd August - Tawny Owl back

A busy morning with farmers on site early to continue baling and wrapping silage in the fields. The Meadow will be cut for hay soon, so if you want to see the wild flowers come down this week! Tawny Owl is once again in its tree along the Folly Hide path.

2 August 2016

Monday August 1st

Monday August 1st

No sign yet today, but yesterday morning gave great views of the young Marsh Harrier again, this time hunting over the upper merse terraces, close to Saltcot Merse Onservatory. While enjoying that spectacle, we were distracted by a Red Kite which dropped

1 August 2016

Latest Sightings - 30th July - Marsh Harrier yesterday

Latest Sightings - 30th July - Marsh Harrier yesterday

Yesterday, a juvenile Marsh Harrier was hunting over the reserve all afternoon. First seen from the Avenue Tower, it then moved up towards the Visitor Centre before tracking out onto the Merse. Last seen at 5pm yesterday near the Avenue Tower, no sign

30 July 2016

Latest Sightings - 29th July - Young birds a plenty

Latest Sightings - 29th July - Young birds a plenty

Plenty of young birds out in the sunshine this morning. Highlights so far have been 2 young Sedge Warblers in the Peter Scott Trail and a young Song Thrush in the Avenue. A Peregrine Falcon was spotted recently perched in one of our fields. A common sight

29 July 2016

Reserve Update Thursday 28th July

Reserve Update Thursday 28th July

The mute swan family with seven cygnets is now all back together again on Whooper Pond this morning.  The female sparrow hawk has once again been sighted hunting down the Avenue Today's high tide 20:01, 8.0m Around the reserve today: Wildflowers Red Clo

28 July 2016

Latest Sightings 27th July

Latest Sightings 27th July

Our Mute Swan family seem to have split up briefly, with the parents and 6 cygnets on the Whooper Pond and a lone cygnet on the Teal Pond this morning. There is also a single cygnet on the Flood Ground, which is now back with it's parents. All cygnets are

27 July 2016

Latest Sightings 26th July

Latest Sightings 26th July

A Common Sandpiper on the Folly Pond this morning, likely on passage through the reserve heading south. Roe Deer in the Meadow and Flood Ground today, with Sand Martins also beginning to pass through. Today's high tide 17:48       8.5m Around the

26 July 2016

Reserve Update Monday 25th July

Reserve Update Monday 25th July

The osprey chicks are proving to be a very entertaining spectacle on the big screen for visitors to the coffee shop on the reserve.  They are getting more experienced with their flying and have started to feed themselves on the plentiful fish stocks tha

25 July 2016

Reserve Update Saturday 23rd July

Reserve Update Saturday 23rd July

Both osprey chicks have now taken their maiden flights, they will need a bit more practice before they attempt their long journey south!  It will be interesting to see where they end up this winter. A little egret was spotted back at Folly Pond first thi

23 July 2016

Reserve Update 22nd July - Ospreys fly

Reserve Update 22nd July - Ospreys fly

The first osprey chick made its maiden flight yesterday and has been away from the nest this morning.  The second chick is making tentative hops and flutters towards joining its sibling today but is yet to take off.  It has chosen to pick one of the mos

22 July 2016

Reserve Update Thursday 21st July

Reserve Update Thursday 21st July

Natterjack Toad success at last!!!  Staff have discovered tadpoles present in one of the pools on the wider reserve which is great news considering this year was looking like a washout for the species (or should that be a "dry out" considering the heatwa

21 July 2016

Caerlaverock reserve update Tues 19th July

Caerlaverock reserve update Tues 19th July

Plenty of damsel and dragonfly action around the meadow pools in the (very) warm sunshine today, just watch out for those clegs!! Still birdsong going on as yesterday, with Whitethroat, Blackcap and Sedge Warbler particularly. Little Grebes currently invi

19 July 2016

Reserve update Monday July 18th

Reserve update Monday July 18th

Little Grebe chicks from The Teal Pond have relocated to The Flood Ground, with a single older chick now established on The Back Pond. A few passerines still in song periodically, notably Blackcap, Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat Today's high tide is at 12

18 July 2016

Reserve Update Saturday 16th July

Reserve Update Saturday 16th July

The Tawny Owl is back on its perch down towards Folly Pond Hide this morning.  There are still two Brown Hares out on the re-seeded field alongside Avenue Tower, Swift overhead along the Lochar on the summer walk and masses of Meadow Brown butterflies in

16 July 2016