News - Caerlaverock
Wetland Word of the Week 18
This week's word is... ... pond, a pool of water in a depression made naturally or artificially. Collectively, they support more species, and more scarce species, than any other freshwater habitat. Creating a pond is one of the most important things
1 July 2024
Wetland Word of the Week 17
This week's wetland word is... ... gled, meaning red kite in Scots. Although maybe not the first bird you think of when you think of Caerlaverock, the red kit or gled is a conservation success story so we want to shout about it! After going extinct in
24 June 2024
A new recruit flying in
Hi, everyone. I’m Rebekah and I have just started as the new reserve warden alongside Charlie. I first became interested in conservation through volunteering as a young ranger with the Lake District National Park and with Eden Rivers Trust based in
20 June 2024
Wetland Words of the Week 16
Our newest wetland word of the week is... ... Comlongon. I'm sure you have heard of Caerlaverock Castle but have you heard of Comlongon Castle? Located north of the reserve, it was a tower house built in the 16th century that was then extended with a baro
17 June 2024
A beast of a beetle
The life of a fish fry can be a stressful affair. Between death from the dive bombing tactics of kingfishers to the endless pursuits from other larger fish, they have little time to rest in this relentless freshwater ecosystem. Now imagine that on top of
14 June 2024
Wetland Word of the Week 15
For our 15th installment of wetland word of the week, we have chosen... ...flocht, a Scots word meaning 'bird on the wing'. It is related to another word, flochter, which means to allow yourself to feel joy freely, perhaps as a bird does while flying.
10 June 2024
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
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