It was a bitterly cold morning. I was up early, and de-icing my car under the starlight, wrapped up in layer upon layer of warm clothing. It was the day of the Dawn Flight event, and I was ready to go.
Sleepy but excited visitors began trickling into WWT Caerlaverock as the site manager and I prepared refreshments and welcomed everyone. At around 06:50, the group set off down the path towards the Saltcot Merse Observatory, with me following behind. As I made my way along the path, I was struck by just how peaceful the world can be at that time of morning.
By the time I caught up with the group, they were drinking in the pre-dawn sky and quietly watching the horizon. We spotted our first birds of the morning: kestrels, already starting their morning hunt. As the light slowly grew, three little egrets glided serenely overhead, heading out to feed on the merse. Their bright white feathers stood out beautifully against the dark landscape.
After some patience, we spotted our first geese: a handful of greylags. But as we watched them, our attention was drawn to enormous flocks in the distance, skirting just below the cloud line as they travelled west. Despite how far away they were, we could still hear their calls carrying across the fields.
My most exciting spot of the dawn, however, was a solitary fox prowling and hunting through the grasses. Watching it make little leaps into the greenery was a real treat. Then, having spotted something, it suddenly sprinted off in pursuit, disappearing as quickly as it had appeared.
Gradually, the sky grew brighter, and we could hear the rise of the barnacle geese’s unmistakable yapping. Huge flocks lifted off in the distance towards Criffel, landing again in the distance. Sadly, they weren’t very obliging that morning and kept mostly to the horizon.
We were lucky, though, to have a small flock fly overhead. We could see them take off in front of us, and slowly they made their way towards us, the noise getting louder and louder as they drew in closer. At the same time, a large flock of linnets danced in front of us, adding their own notes to this rich, orchestral morning chorus.
My favourite sight of all, however, was the sunrise itself. Even without the spectacular displays of wildfowl, the sunrise alone would made the early, cold start worthwhile. In just a few short moments, the sun crept above the horizon, bathing the landscape in a gorgeous wash of orange and yellow, some stars still twinkling above it. A truly breathtaking sight.
And just as the sun beamed its brightest, we spotted a male hen harrier. This majestic raptor was flying from old tree branch to driftwood, waking up and warming his wings in the sunshine. He had started his breakfast hunt and gave us a truly remarkable show of his agility and prowess.
For my first dawn experience on the merse, I felt incredibly blessed, refreshed, and energised. There’s something special about stopping, waiting, and watching during the most peaceful time of the day unfold in front of you.
As we walked back to the visitor centre for some well-earned teas and coffees, I felt wonderfully grateful. With such a magical start to the morning, I couldn't help feeling that the rest of the day would be a good one. After all, how could a day that begins with a Dawn Flight sunrise be anything but?
By Georgia Pope, Engagement Officer
