Isaac Fledges the Nest
When applying for my placement at WWT, I was instantly drawn to Caerlaverock. It held the possibility for many new experiences. Being in a new country, living on a nature reserve, learning about a unique habitat and meeting new people with a shared love of the natural world. It definitely did not disappoint.
My yearlong placement allowed me to see how the reserve changed over the seasons. The arrival of geese and swans in the autumn to the frozen ponds in the winter, the arrival of spring migrants and finally, the wildflower meadows in bloom in the summer. It really highlighted the sheer variety of British nature and reinforced the connection that I feel with it.
I learned a lot during my time. However, I increased my practical skills far more than I expected and how those practical skills can be applied to conservation. Learning about conservation in university gives the theory but does not give learners an insight into how it is actually carried out. My placement on the other hand gave me first-hand experience in conservation being carried out and all the people it takes. It has expanded my knowledge of conservation in practice and given me many transferable skills for wherever the future takes me.
During my time at Caerlaverock I have been part of important projects but the one that I am most proud of being a part of is the tree sparrow nest box project. I played a role in making tree sparrow specific nest boxes, installing them, creating a transect map for monitoring the boxes and then compiling the data to see how well the tree sparrows did during the breeding season. Being able to play my part in each component and seeing what different skills are required was eye opening and makes me appreciate conservation projects more, no matter the apparent size.
Working at WWT Caerlaverock you are surrounded by birds and I was sucked in to becoming a birder. Before my placement I had a small interest in birds, but now it is a hobby. From a single little grebe to thousands of barnacle geese, each bird seen is a spectacle in itself. I have seen many lifers this year at Caerlaverock but my highlights have to be; seeing an osprey carrying a fish over my head, watching a water rail feeding on a frozen pond and spotting a brent goose among a flock of a few hundred barnacle geese. It is not just birds that I have spotted during my time at Caerlaverock and my absolute highlight sighting was three otters about 10 metres away from me running up and down a frozen creek out on the merse.
All in all it has been a thoroughly enjoyable year at Caerlaverock thanks to the wonderful people and wildlife I have encountered.
All the best
Isaac
