News
Weeding - is it like marmite?
Excited for another day working on the reserve, I practically run onto site. But then I see the list of jobs and immediately regret my enthusiasm: weeding is at the top, a rather monotonous task. Having done my fair share of weeding since arriving at Cae
20 November 2023
Checking the sheep
We own 12 sheep at Caerlaverock. They are our natterjack toad habitat managers, keeping the grass short around the best breeding ponds used by these rare amphibians. We check on them every day, usually first thing, to make sure they are fit and healthy, s
17 November 2023
Reincarnating unwanted wood as conservation joy
Tree sparrows are a red listed species that struggle mainly because of the changes in farming practices and land management that have happened in recent decades. At WWT Caerlvaerock, we’ve been running a farmland bird project for a number of years and c
13 November 2023
Fungi and why you should leave dead wood in your garden
It’s amazing what can be spotted hidden amongst the fallen leaves, perfectly camouflaged and easily unnoticed.The fruiting bodies of a fascinating and valuable organism: fungi. They play a crucial role in our ecosystem, breaking down organic matter and
10 November 2023
Wild Goose Festival round up
The geese are ever-present in the colder months at Caerlaverock, but never quite as much as during the Wild Goose Festival. This year we hosted many events over the eleven days, connecting people with nature and celebrating the incredible migration
7 November 2023
Are sparrowhawks boring?
As I wander around the reserve in the early morning, preparing the site for the day, I get the privilege of seeing all sorts of amazing wildlife. A highlight is the female sparrowhawk that like clockwork, zips in front of the Peter Scott Observatory and d
4 November 2023
Hello, Annie!
Hello, Annie here, your new warden at Caerlaverock. I’ve travelled across the UK from WWT Welney in Norfolk in search of new adventures and new challenges. Already in these first two months I’ve encountered so much change. As the seasons turn, I’ve
1 November 2023
Appreciate the geese
There is nothing quite like standing in the middle of the courtyard and being brought to a halt by a skein of geese flying overhead. A wildlife spectacle unlike many others in that it isn’t a rare occurrence here at WWT Caerlaverock, a flyover of a fl
29 October 2023
Mosquito hunting at Caerlaverock
Wetland nature reserves like WWT Caerlaverock support a huge amount of biodiversity and attract many people (myself included) hoping to see some of the incredible creatures that make wetlands their home. While catching a glimpse of a mosquito is less like
26 October 2023
A welcomed change (and hello to Ed!)
After a long day at work, I take off my shoes and settle on the couch. I’m back in the man-made world and cut off from nature – or at least that’s what I think...From the corner of my eye, I see something green jumping around: it’s startled and re
24 October 2023
How many geese?
It is 6 am in the morning, dark, cold, still, not quite a frost and I am standing on the edge of one of the largest areas of mud in the UK and I am wondering why I do these things. The alarm went off at 05:00 and even the normally enthusiastic dog looked
21 October 2023
A day in the life of a guide in the hide
I have been volunteering at Caerlaverock since 2017 where I am Friday’s Guide in the Hide. My role is to help guests connect with the wildlife around the reserve and hopefully make their visit more enjoyable. This is the first of an occasional series of
19 October 2023
Arrivals and depatures
It’s that time of year again: migration is upon us. The bird airport has opened. End of September, early October, sees that last few remaining swallows and house martins waiting at their gate, getting their last feeds in before making their journey so
17 October 2023
The devil bird?
An early morning walk along the edge of the Lochar this week and a bird flicked up in front of me and flew away along the shore. A little brown job but with a difference: a bright white flash on its behind told me it was a wheatear. Wheatears are fantasti
16 October 2023
Making water do more
For hundreds of years, farming the land around Caerlaverock meant trying to get the water off the land as fast as feasible. Being flat land, the water didn’t flow off quickly and filled up the water table but waterlogged land is no good for growing cr
12 October 2023