Sightings - Caerlaverock
Water rail, barn owl and a surprise magpie
Recent sightings from WWT Caerlaverock September 30th to October 4th
5 December 2024
It's fungus season
Autumn is prime time to see the weird and wonderful fruiting bodies of fungi. The moisture in the air and cool temperatures create the ideal conditions for their spores to germinate. Although the fruiting bodies can be large and eye catching, the majority
28 November 2024
Caerlaverock swan update
Our swans have returned. We are not yet at full numbers but have some ringed individuals back. See the list below: ZJH - Aspen - paired with YVH, 3 cygnets ZJZ - Snoopy - paired with an unringed bird, 4 cygnets ZLA - Beatrice ZLP -
16 November 2024
Water rail, short-eared owl and peregrine falcon
Over the past week, its been raptor heaven. The Saltcot Merse Observatory has been a good viewing area with male and female hen harriers regularly seen last week, a female merlin, and peregrines all being seen around high tide. Hen harriers and buzzards h
14 November 2024
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
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?
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
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
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
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!
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!
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
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 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
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