Caerlaverock news
Making water do more
For hundreds of years, farming the land around Caerlaverock meant trying to get the water off the land as fast as feasible. Being flat land, the water didn’t flow off quickly and filled up the water table but waterlogged land is no good for growing cr
12 October 2023
A big welcome to Meg!
We are pleased to have welcomed some new team members recently so have some important introductions to make: starting with Meg, one of the new placement students! Hi, I'm Meg. I have recently started as a reserve management placement here at Caerlaverock.
9 October 2023
The Ivy Buffet
I’m walking down the avenue to check the trees because we’ve had some bad weather – high winds and the like – when I am stopped in my tracks. Hoverfly on ivy by Marianne Nicholson There is a massive amount of buzzing coming from an ivy-covered ha
5 October 2023
Wild
Another day, another butterfly transect.I only just started the survey and I was feeling deflated: days like this often feel like a waste as it’s like I’m not really able to appreciate the saltmarsh for all its awesomeness. As soon as this thought had
29 September 2023
Maybe I should become a spider expert?
It feels like I am noticing spider webs everywhere. They seem to be all over the place this year: cast your eyes over any vegetation and you spot them. When I have walked along the summer trail to where the pump is, they are down in the rush. Glancing at
26 September 2023
Pollutants on the merse
I was walking along the Lochar Water on the reserve recently and came across some routine litter for this time of year: shotgun cartridges and plastic waddings.To be clear, the wildfowlers who discard this litter are perfectly allowed to shoot along the n
20 September 2023
Nettles and why you shouldn't hate them
The other day I was wandering down the Saltcot Loaning, a warm autumn sun on my face, a gentle breeze in my hair. There were butterflies flitting all around and birds singing in the trees. And there were lots of nettles.Firstly I noticed that the speckled
7 September 2023
Folly Pond Finds
Sunday afternoon. Warm but breezy. I have been sat inside all day, working away at my desk, waiting for the moment when I am able to head outside. It comes about three o’clock. It’s been quiet all morning and I’ve finished all the jobs I had on my
31 August 2023
Me, a birder?
I am the first to admit that I am not a big birder. I like birds. I’ve got bird feeders in my garden. But that’s about as far as it goes. I’ve got a cruddy old pair of binos that belonged to a long dead relative and mostly use them to frown at birds
28 August 2023
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 o
26 August 2023
Lunchtime wonderings
I’m out on the merse carrying out a butterfly transect.It requires a long, long walk out on the saltmarsh, counting every butterfly I see. Often there are only about seven in total so it makes for a boring morning a lot of the time. It’s going well, I
24 August 2023
Reserve Roundup
An exciting week where we got lots done and said goodbye to one of our placement students. Tuesday saw the volunteers tackle the rush in the paddocks. Jake and Isaac had pre-cut the vegetation in the paddocks so that the volunteers could rake up all the p
22 August 2023
Recent Sightings - 20th August
Where to start with this last week's sightings? A good place would probably be the red necked phalarope that graced us with its presence on Saturday afternoon (possibly brought in with the strong wind) and was still hanging around on the whooper pond on S
20 August 2023
JC's placement comes to an end
My time here at Caelaverock has been an unforgettable experience, every second of my year in Scotland filled with highs and lows. Throughout the past 12 months, I have learnt an indescribable amount of new skills and more knowledge than I would have ever
18 August 2023
Reserve Roundup
On Tuesday Bob, Anita, Joan, and Joanna joined the reserve team out on the Folly Pond islands raking up the cuttings from last week. We cut the islands annually to keep on top of the vegetation levels, ready for when the hordes of wildfowl making their wa
15 August 2023