Bright Sun and Butterflies

The sun has been shining on Caerlaverock this week and the butterflies are out and about everywhere enjoying the good weather.

The sun has been shining on Caerlaverock this week and the butterflies are out and about everywhere enjoying the good weather. Red admiral, peacock, small white, green-veined white, orange tip and speckled wood have all been seen in the last few days. You will find them milling around the reserve where ever you go, but Saltcot Loaning does appear to be a spot they particularly favour.

Not only are all the butterflies announcing that spring is here, but swallows are increasing in number and have begun nest building. Willow warblers can be heard singing from many a tree and blackcap numbers are rising too. The resident swans meanwhile, are also been busy nest building. One pair have decided to show off their construction skills and have placed their nest in full view of the Teal Hide. And the goosander pair continue to chill out on the whooper pond.

However, not everyone seems to have got the message about it being spring. The Barnacle Geese are still around in great numbers and can often still be clearly heard yapping away and seen flying from field to field as they hunt out the best grass to feed on. Also, one whooper swan apparently did not catch on that everyone else was leaving and was seen by the whooper pond earlier in the week.

In other news… The otter has been seen again! This time gracing the farmhouse guests with a spot of evening otter watching as it passed through the folly pond. A pair of black-tailed godwit have also been seen on the folly pond and at least one ruff has decided to come over and join them.

The swan feeds may have finished but the webcam is still on the Whooper Pond during the day and still swapping to the badger feeding station after 16:30 to catch those badger antics. Click on the link below.

https://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/caerlaveroc.

Tide Times:

Sat 23rd 18:31 7.7m

Sun 24th 19:51 7.4m

Mon 25th 08:32 7.7m

Tue 26th 09:49 8.0m

Wed 27th 10:51 8.5m

Thu 28th 11:40 8.8m

Fri 29th 12:22 9.1m

Sat 30th 12:59 9.2m

Photo credit: Alex Hillier

Birds

Mammals

Mute Swan

Hare

Greylag geese

Roe Deer


Canada Geese

Weasel


Shelduck

Stoat


Mallard

Fox


Gadwall

Otter


Shoveler

Badger

Teal

Water vole

Moorhen

Bank vole

Cormorant


Little Egret



Grey Heron


Buzzard



Kestrel



Peregrine Falcon


Merlin


Sparrowhawk


Golden Plover


Oystercatcher


Lapwing


Common Sandpiper


Redshank


Black-tailed Godwit


Curlew


Snipe


Black-headed Gull


Common Gull


Herring Gull


Great Black Backed Gull


Wood Pigeon


Collared Dove


Great Spotted Woodpecker


Skylark


Yellowhammer

Redwing

Fieldfare

Meadow Pipit

Pied Wagtail

Dunnock

Chiffchaff

Song Thrush

Blackbird

Greenfinch

Goldfinch

Wren

Great Tit

Coal Tit

Blue Tit

Long-tailed Tit

Treecreeper

Jackdaw

Rook

Carrion Crow

Raven

Starling

House Sparrow

Tree Sparrow

Chaffinch

Linnet

Twite

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