Reserve Update - Monday 8th October - Autumn leaves and bright feathers!

It's a blustery day today on the merse, the winds have encouraged many autumn leaves to fall onto the avenue making a lovely colourful walk.  The same can be said about our waterfowl, with many of the shoveler and teal coming out of their eclipse plumage leaving the males looking very flash!  Quiet on the whooper pond this morning, however, 22 whoopers were spotted flying east from the avenue tower which will hopefully drop in for the 11am feed.

We have a leucistic barnacle goose with us this morning and one of the barnacle x snow goose hybrids, which are easily spotted among the flocks due to their unusually pale plumage.

Named Whooper Swan arrivals:

YHS - Solway Siren
Lost Darvic - Hagar
YJL - Linda H
YSJ - Sheldon Whooper

Today's high tide is at 12:30, 9.6m

Around the reserve:

Whooper Pond
Whooper Swan 11
Mute Swan 2 adults 6 cygnets
Canada Goose 4
Mallard 150
Teal 4
Wigeon 5
Little Grebe 2
Tufted Duck 20
Moorhen 4

Folly Pond
Mallard 17
Teal 1000+
Wigeon 64
Shoveler 11
Canada Goose 2
Greylag Goose 10
Pink-footed Goose 1
Black-tailed Godwit 3
Lapwing 28
Moorhen 2

Teal Pond
Shoveler 2
Moorhen 1
Mute Swan 1

Avenue Tower
Mallard
Teal
Shoveler
Wigeon
Gadwall
Curlew
Mute Swan
Barnacle Geese
Longhorn Cattle 2

Saltcot Merse Observatory
Pink-footed Geese
Barnacle Geese
Greylag Geese
Canada Geese
Peregrine
Merlin
Hen Harrier
Buzzard
Mute Swan
Shelduck
Mallard
Lapwing
Oystercatcher
Curlew
Little Egret
Great Black-backed Gull
Black-headed Gull
Common Gull
Herring Gull
Hebridean Sheep 9

Avenues & Feeders
(notable species)
Reed Bunting
Sparrowhawk
Coal Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
House Sparrow
Tree Sparrow
Treecreeper
Great-spotted Woodpecker
Goldcrest

Webcam

We aim to have Swan Cam and Badger Cam up and running soon.

Twitter & Facebook

Follow us on Twitter @WWTCaerlaverock for instant WWT Caerlaverock bird news, wildlife news and upcoming events to your mobile phone or computer. This is a great way to get instant news as we update from our mobile phones as we are finding the birds.

You can also ‘Like’ us on Facebook https://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/caerlaverock/

Reserve manager - joe.bilous@wwt.org.uk

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