A wander along the summer meadow trail
As I walk through the summer meadow trail, the first thing I notice is the osier willow. The slim leaves and fluffy pines stand out as they make a soft rustle in the breeze. I hear the distinct honks of greylags overhead, who have appeared to make the waterbodies on our reserve their home for the summer. As I approach a grassy bend, I see the Back Pond and its hide. I hear a multitude of birdsong piercing through the trees from the Peter Scott Trail but also the appearance of a barn swallow dashing across the pond, with its iridescent bluey red plumage and forked tail.
I saunter, taking in the scenery around me.
Walking further afield, I begin to see the signs of spring and summer approaching. Amongst the rushes, cuckoo flowers and sweet vernal begin to bloom and marsh horsetail shoots up. I find myself at the Teal Pond and see the greylags from earlier which fly away from me with caution. I continue, finding clusters of silverweed in the grass with their metallic sheen.
Marsh horsetail
Cuckoo flower
I approach the Lochar Water, a stream of water which flows from Dumfries south into the Solway Firth. As I walk along the bank, I begin to see shapes etched into the silty mud - immediately this catches my attention and I have a closer look. Paw prints! Telling prints apart can sometimes be hard but once you remember the traits of mammals, the prints start to make sense. Badger prints are broad with five forward pointing toes arranged in a line and their front paws are larger with longer claws for digging. Foxes, on the other hand, have four toes with a triangular pad, much like a dog.
Badger footprints on the Lochar Water
Fox footprints on the Lochar Water
These prints are somewhat fresh, as the tide comes in the Lochar Water rises and washes away the prints, leaving behind a marbled silt effect as the water rises and depletes.
Marbled silt on the Lochar Water
As I begin to make my way to the trails end, I hear the distinct chatty song of a sedge warbler, which is a familiar migratory face around the reserve that tells us warmer times are well and truly ahead.
Words and pictures by Madisyn Pett
