WWT Caerlaverock – Dragonfly Hotspot
In the summer of 2016, WWT Caerlaverock was designated a Dragonfly Hotspot by the British Dragonfly Society.
For more information on the British Dragonfly Society (BDS) and Dragonfly Hotspots please see their website www.british-dragonflies.org.uk/content/hot-spots-Scotland
WWT Caerlaverock is well known for its thousands of wintering wildfowl, including barnacle geese, whooper swans, ducks and waders. In summer however the reserve is very different - we open the ‘Walk on the Wildside’, an area of the reserve that is inaccessible during winter. It includes a walk through our wildflower meadow and beside various different ponds and the River Lochar. These are great habitats for dragonflies and damselflies, including four spotted chasers, common darters, blue-tailed and common blue damselflies.
There are lots of opportunities to see dragonflies at Caerlaverock. During the summer holidays we have bug hunting on Tuesdays, pond dipping on Wednesdays and a special Dragons & Damsels event on Thursday 3rd August 2017, 10am-12. You can also use our dragonfly spotter sheet which is downloadable from our website.
June 2017 will be ‘Bug Month’ at Wildfowl and Wetland Trust Centres and families will be able to explore nature at Caerlaverock, with the help of ‘Dusty Duck’. Activities will include finding and identifying moths, bug hunting and pond dipping.
In August there will also be a Bioblitz at WWT Caerlaverock in partnership with SNH, to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Caerlaverock NNR. For more information on this and other events, please see the What's On page.
Every January, Dumfries hosts the Big Burns Supper festival and as part of this, there is a large lantern parade. This year we decided to make huge dragonfly lanterns from willow and tissue paper. On 22nd January 2017 we paraded them down the streets of Dumfries.
