Spring explosion on the Peter Scott Trail: The Wilder, Wetter Caerlaverock Diaries no.2
Working on The Wilder, Wetter Caerlaverock project can be varied at times. Sometimes I’m working large amounts of the site all day to prepare future project work. Other times I’m sat at my desk working on maps, contracts and other admin based work. It’s fair to say as an outdoorsy person, I love being out in nature working on practical tasks. Days that I’m based at my desk, I naturally find harder.
To stop myself going insane, I’ve figured out that an occasional break to walk a portion of the reserve and refresh my brain does the trick. I seem to have set my sights on a walk around the Peter Scott Trail (PST) as it's close to the office and is a fairly short circular walk. Having commandeered the PST as my regular space away from the desk, it’s been great to watch the changes from winter to spring. For quite a short trail, it certainly packs a punch - habitats vary form reedbed and orchard to wet woodland.
wet woodland
When I started walking around the PST in March, the trees were still leafless, the reedbed that was cut in the winter had a few very small shoots and tree sparrows were only prospecting nest boxes. Since then the spring explosion has slowly began. One of the first things I noticed was the mallards. It is usual to see them wandering around the PST in early spring as they start to breed. There’s even a snug looking nest tucked away in there! Then the green leaves of yellow iris burst from the ground and birds like dunnock, greenfinch, chaffinch and song thrush began singing away. Spring was well on its way.
apple blossom against a blue sky
Recently migrants have made their way over and so the air is filled with the song of blackcap, willow warbler and chiffchaff. The trees are showing their shiny green leaves and the orchard is in blossom adding eruptions of colour. Nests in boxes are painstakingly built by tree sparrows, clumps of brooklime are appearing in the wet woodland and the new shoots of the reedbed are growing larger and larger each day!
brooklime
It just goes to show the changes you can see in smaller areas, be it local nature reserves, parks and even your garden. I would implore you to take the time to watch the season develop, no matter the scale. Use it as an excuse to step away from your computer and destress!
The Wilder, Wetter Caerlaverock project is supported by the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, managed by NatureScot.
Words and pictures by Jake Goodwin
Feature image is of the reedbed with some of the centre buildings behind
