Caerlaverock news
Reserve update, Monday Jan 11th
Access blocked due to flooding at Bankend (3 miles away) affecting visitors from an easterly direction, ie from Carlisle/Annan/M6. Head instead to Dumfries and back out to here via the Bankend Road, past the hospital. Access in turn to the hides in the wi
11 January 2016
Caerlaverock reserve, Sunday 10th Jan
Back to wet today after 31mm of rain in last 24hrs. Wellies are a must for full reserve access, also keep an eye on local traffic reports, as earlier the water was just coming over the road at Bankend, 3 miles away, and tide rising, possibly affecting vis
10 January 2016
Latest Sightings - 9th January - Otter still around
Dry and cold this morning, with plenty of waders in the fields. A lucky visitor was able to see the Otter in the Whooper Pond at 4pm yesterday. Today's high tide is at 11:42 9.0m Around the reserve today: Barnacle Geese: 5000 Whooper Swans: 120 Whoop
9 January 2016
Latest Sightings - 8th January - Colder, but still wet
Apologies for the late update. Out network and internet has been down this morning, but is back up and running now. An Otter has been seen on the Folly Pond fairly regularly over the past week. All sightings have either been in the early morning, just as
8 January 2016
Latest Sightings - 7th January - Otter!
An Otter has been seen on the Folly Pond fairly regularly over the past week. All sightings have either been in the early morning, just as it gets light or in the afternoon around 4pm just before dark. We know there is a healthy population of Otter on th
7 January 2016
Around Caerlaverock, Wed Jan 6th
No problems with access today, though boots/wellies are still recommended for the avenues. Up to 12 Little Egrets can be found dotted around, especially on the merses from Saltcot Merse Observatory. 7000 Barnacle Geese are similarly quite widely distrib
6 January 2016
Soggy Caerlaverock, Tuesday 5th Jan
Currently raining, forecast to dry up a bit... All usual roads to here passable with no problems. Avenues remain quite wet but are easily walked in decent waterproof footwear, wellingtons ideally. Lots of water lying in the fields, so a good broadcast of
5 January 2016
Latest Sightings - 3rd January - Jumpy Tufties
A dry and bright morning again, but rain is forecast again for this afternoon. The Tufted Ducks are very jumpy on the Whooper Pond which can be a sign that there is something in the water, such as an Otter. Keep your eyes peeled if visiting today as our
3 January 2016
Latest Sightings - 2nd January
A dry and bright morning again, but rain is forecast for this afternoon. Tufted Duck and Wigeon numbers seem higher today, possibly the slightly colder weather has brought some in from the surrounding area. The Whoopers were out feeding in the fields ea
2 January 2016
1st January 2016! - Happy New Year - Latest Sightings
Happy New Year everyone! A dry and bright morning here on the reserve and a bit cooler, only 3 degrees at 9am. Why not start the year by trying to see as many species of bird as you can by taking part in our New Years Day Bird Race?! 10am - 4pm with a pri
1 January 2016
Latest Sightings - 31st December - a bright morning
A bright and sunny start to the day, but a cool breeze is making it feel quite cold which makes a change. Rain is forecast this afternoon. Roads in the area still have a lot of surface water but all are open as far as we know. The tracks here are still we
31 December 2015
Latest Sightings - 30th December - wet and windy
As forecast, it is extremely wet and windy at the moment, with roads in the area beginning to flood. We are still opening as normal at 10am, but we will continue to assess the conditions throughout the day. Please take care if travelling around this area.
30 December 2015
Latest Sightings - 29th December - still wet and warm
A lovely sunny morning on the reserve, if a bit breezy. The tracks are now passable with walking boots, but wellies are still recommended. With the rain forecast tomorrow, we could end up with flooding on the roads and tracks again. Both American ducks ar
29 December 2015
Caerlaverock Wildlife highlights, Monday Dec 28th
Road access from the east (M6, Carlisle, Annan etc) is now ok, but there are some pretty large puddles on the roads so do take extra care. The water is completely over the road at Bankend near here, but is easily passable with care. Visitors should also
28 December 2015
Caerlaverock wildlife highlights, Sunday Dec 27th
Road access from the east (M6, Carlisle, Annan etc) is blocked at Bankend by flooding. Visitors should head for Dumfries and then take the Bankend Road past the hospital to get here. Visitors should also be aware that yesterday's rain has re-flooded the
27 December 2015