Caerlaverock news
Gadwall, brent geese and siskin (Bird Race update 5)
Meg: It’s over two weeks into the bird race and Ed started us off strong. I have added several species to our slowly growing list: we are on 62 species, trailing behind Team Warden and Team Dave. But I think it is an impressive feat considering our expe
17 January 2024
Working the office window (Bird Race Update 4)
This Bird Race is tough for me: I’m not like the other teams, gallivanting round the reserve all day, in amongst the birds all the time. They only have to stumble over them to add them to their lists. I am busy taking one for the team, working the desk
14 January 2024
January Whooper Swan Update
Swans are numbering at about 100 a day currently. A few more ringed and named have returned including Sugar Baby! ZJHAspen. -ZHLWhoopyZLABeatrice.YHVWowsieZJBBlessing.RenfrewZVXBrooklyn BelleZNDRosieZY2626Elsie BarbaraACFZLPKeith JohnTUZZNJLanriggUNRXLXLi
12 January 2024
End of week 1 (Bird Race update 3)
It is Sunday and therefore the end to the first week of an exciting bird race.So far Team Warden is on 66 species. Their highlights include: spoonbill, hen harrier, merlin, goldcrest, sparrowhawk, tree sparrow, snipe and bullfinch.Two goldcrests in a hedg
7 January 2024
Who dares wins
We really feel the winter at Caerlaverock. We get a lot of wind and a lot of rain. These ingredients are part of what shapes Caerlaverock, filling the wetlands, shaping the trees or sometimes removing them. The days where we get both in spades can be chal
7 January 2024
Would you risk your car's suspension for a sparrowhawk?
As a trading assistant at WWT Caerlaverock, it’s not a mandatory part of my job description to know a thing about birds and wildlife. I don’t own an anorak or wellies. I don’t know how to talk about tits without secretly finding it funny and I am ce
4 January 2024
Dave gets stuck in (Bird Race update 2)
I’m already regretting being away for New Year's Day. Those pesky kids in the Bird Race have got a flying start and are well ahead. So to catch up I am going to have to use guile, intelligence, experience... and if that doesn’t work just plenty of har
3 January 2024
And so it begins... (Bird Race update 1)
EdIt’s the first day of the Bird Race so I arrive at the reserve early for extra time – I know that Jake has dedicated too much of his life to birding so was going to be tough competition. When I opened up the reserve office I knew that I was the firs
1 January 2024
The Caerlaverock Bird Race is back for 2024!
After all the fun we had last year, we are bringing back the Caerlaverock Bird Race, this time with a third team! Who knows their birds and who mistakes a blackbird for a robin? Get ready to place your bets and follow along here and in the centre.Rules ar
1 January 2024
Less hibernation, more sensation
In the sometimes bleak Scottish winter, it can be tempting to become a homebody and shelter from the elements. Whilst it is good to rest at any time of year, it is important to keep getting out and spend time connecting with nature when possible.Making th
28 December 2023
Has Caerlaverock cracked the secret to achieving New Year's resolutions?
We have had a busy year at WWT Caerlaverock. As with any year, there has been ups and downs. The team has said goodbye to some valued staff as well as welcoming Dawn, Rhona, Rosie, Annie and our new placement students Meg and Ed to Caerlaverock. Overall w
23 December 2023
The joy of mammals
It’s been almost four months since starting my placement here yet the dynamism of the reserve surprises me every day. I am noticing more and more as the weeks go by and my appreciation for Caerlaverock grows by the day. One of the best parts of the job
15 December 2023
A moment of quiet and calm
Sitting on a bench, you begin to feel the damp seeping through your trosuers and seemigly into your bones. There is still a little snow on the ground but it’s turning to ice now. It’s chilly out today and it will shortly be time to go in for a cup of
12 December 2023
Whooper Swan Update!
The weather is cold and snowy, the sky is grey and the air is filled with the sounds of whooper swans. Every day we feed the swans a barrow full of barely and count them. At the beginning of the season there are maybe 20 but the numbers trickle in steadil
9 December 2023
The Compost Queen
I have recently taken over maintaining the Caerlaverock compost pile from the last work placement student - a very exciting responsibility... Composting is vital since it reduces organic waste that ends up at landfill sites, meaning less methane is relea
6 December 2023