News
Wetland Word of the Week 14
The wetland word this week is... ... burn. Up here in south west Scotland, this is what we call a small river or large stream.! It's also used in north east England, parts of Ulster, Kansas, Australia and New Zealand. Feature image by Shannon Clifford
3 June 2024
How we survey natterjack toads
We welcomed Amphibian and Reptile Conservation to lead some natterjack toad survey training at WWT Caerlaverock in May. At the training session, we were introduced to the species ecology and identification, methods of surveying and the importance of co
1 June 2024
Who needs fences? Wilder, Wetter Caerlaverock Diaries no.3
As a part of The Wilder, Wetter Caerlaverock Project (supported by the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, managed by NatureScot), we have an exciting opportunity this summer to use Nofence collars on some of the cattle grazing on the reserve
29 May 2024
Wetland Word of the Week 13
This week, our wetland word is...... natterjack, our favourite kind of toad. They are identified by the distinctive yellow stripe going along their back and have a croaking mating call that you can hear through the spring months. Natterjack toads are a pa
27 May 2024
The rain isn't deterring the wildlife
After some lovely sunny weather, it has become rainy at Caerlaverock again. The wildlife hasn’t been discouraged though. Around the Peter Scott Trail, tree sparrows, goldfinch and greenfinch have been seen on the feeders. In the foliage, the first br
25 May 2024
Enjoying gorse close up... carefully
Gorse is a plant that we have a bit of a mixed relationship with on the reserve. Sometimes there is too much of it - it spreads and covers lots of other plants so we work hard to clear it in some places. It is unbelievably prickly and each prickle that pi
23 May 2024
Wetland Word of the Week 12
Our wetland word of the week is... ... Solway. This is the firth that our reserve is situated on. It forms the border between Scotland and England on the west coast. It stretches from the Mull of Galloway in the north to just south of Whitehaven. There ar
20 May 2024
Welcome to the flock!
Hi, everyone. My name is Charlie and I’m proud to be the new reserve warden at WWT Caerlaverock!My journey into conservation began five years ago back in Northern Ireland when I decided to change career because I wanted to make positive environmental ch
14 May 2024
Wetland Word of the Week 11
The wetland words this week is...... mavis. In Southwest Scotland, mavis refers to a mistle thrush while in other areas it is used for a song thrush. So what is a song thrush called here? A throstle - two wetland words for the price of one this week!Our f
13 May 2024
Dragonflies galore
With summer approaching, invertebrates are becoming more abundant on the reserve each day. A particular group of invertebrates that I’m excited to see is Ordonata (the team here may even say that I’m a bit obsessed!) which is made up dragonflies and d
8 May 2024
Wetland Word of the Week 10
This week's wetland word is...... deluge which is a severe flood or a heavy fall of rain. It can also be employed as a verb meaning to overwhelm with a flood. If you are the poetic sort, you could also put it to use as a metaphor: "I've got a deluge of em
6 May 2024
The Walk on the Wild Side is back!
The Walk on the Wild Side takes a meandering route through the wildflower meadow and along the Lochar Water. If insects are your thing, this is a spot you cannot miss. Below are some of our favourites.The azure damselfly is quite a common species and has
2 May 2024
Wetland Word of the Week 9
This week's wetland word is...soggy meaning wet and soft. It comes from an old English dialect word, 'sog' meaning swamp or an obsolete verb meaning to become soaked. Either way, when it rains here at Caerlaverock, wellies are definitely needed to avoid g
29 April 2024
Finally it feels like spring!
As we near the end of April, we are finally feeling the spring weather! It is getting warmer here and the sky stays blue for more than a few hours. There is even warmth when the sun goes behind the clouds.The Peter Scott Trail is alive with birdsong: the
28 April 2024
Reminiscent Reflections
As I wander out onto our wild side meadow trail, I have mixed emotions and reflect on my time working here. Passing the now vacant Whooper Pond, where we fed the swans and I saw my first wild otters, I continue along the path. It follows the Back Pond,
28 April 2024