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Summer to autumn

Summer to autumn

As the seasons shift from summer to autumn, I start to notice a change in Caerlaverock. The summer trail has now shut its gates for the winter and the Whooper Pond is almost ready to receive its annual swan migrants. The swallows and house martins have ga

29 September 2024

Our July highlights

Our July highlights

A badger was seen wandering around near the Saltcot Loaning and the Peter Scott Observatory. Mostly, badgers are nocturnal and come out at night to look for food but when they are youngsters or if food is scarce, they venture out during the day. The reser

27 July 2024

What have we seen this week?

What have we seen this week?

We are into July now and have been experiencing a lot of mixed weather, from pouring to bright sunshine in a matter of minutes. The wet weather hasn’t discouraged our buzzing insects though. Meadow brown, ringlet and speckled wood butterflies have been

4 July 2024

The 2024 tree sparrow season so far

The 2024 tree sparrow season so far

Tree sparrows are a farmland bird and a focal species for us here at WWT Caerlaverock. Their numbers have declined over the last few decades due to the intensification of farming causing them to become a red listed species. They lack the sexual dimorphism

7 June 2024

The rain isn't deterring the wildlife

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

Dragonflies galore

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

Finally it feels like spring!

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

Holy moly, it's holy grass!

Holy moly, it's holy grass!

You may be asking “why are you so excited about a kind of grass?” but as the name says, holy grass is pretty special. Found across Eurasia and the Americas, Hierochloe odorata, or holy grass as it is known in the UK, is a marshland species, particul

19 April 2024

Seasonal Sights

Seasonal Sights

With a fresh spring breeze in the air, I head towards Sharp's Lookout to try and get a glimpse of the black tailed godwit in breeding plumage that has been showing well recently on the Folly Pond. Binoculars up, scanning the horizon with sunlight sparklin

6 April 2024

A spring walk

A spring walk

A wren calls from somewhere, as yet unseen. It seems to be yelling at me to pay attention and I eventually spot it, on a little branch shouting with all its tiny might. A loud voice for one so small.Then there is the drone of a bee, a queen most likely. S

4 April 2024

Between showers, spring arrives

Between showers, spring arrives

We've been enjoying a seasonal shift in some of our wildlife sightings here at Caerlaverock. Spring showers, between blue skies and rainbows, are beckoning tree buds to leaf, blossoms to emerge and more flowers to begin blooming. Since the rafts have been

27 March 2024

Nighttime escapades

Nighttime escapades

Pitch black. Jacket zipped up. Torch at the ready. It is night and a group of us are standing in a field at Powhillon, one of the northern holdings of WWT Caerlaverock. We get the go ahead and switch our bright torches on. We are looking for eye shine.

19 March 2024

What is WeBS?

What is WeBS?

Ever heard someone referring to webs and then when they started talking about birds instead of spiders were a bit thrown? Well that's because they were talking about WeBS, the British Trust for Ornithology's monthly Wetland Bird Survey. It is a UK-wide su

13 March 2024

Green winged teal and more sightings highlights

Green winged teal and more sightings highlights

We have had a special visitor causing a bit of a flutter this week: a drake (male) green winged teal. It was first spotted on the Folly Pond this Wednesday (6th March) and was moving around the site the rest of the week. Very similar to our Eurasian teal

9 March 2024

We all know what March means...

We all know what March means...

It’s getting to that time of year: we are nearing the end of daily swan feeds.The swans are getting ready to head back to Iceland for their summer holidays. We are seeing fewer and fewer of them on the Whooper Pond during the feeds and will soon be able

4 March 2024