With shimmering Solway sands and the lakeland fells on the far side, and the rolling heather-clad hills on the other,Mersehead is surrounded by breathtaking scenery with inspiring landscapes and wildlife to see, the reserve is a delight at any time of the year.The crisp winter months offer a wonderful wild spectacle of Barnacle Geese, Pintail and Teal on the wetlands:- flocks of finches, buntings and larks feeding in the fields and hedges:- rafts of divers, grebes and sea duck offshore.In spring, the reserve is alive with the sound of skylarks and the display flight of lapwing, snipe, curlew and redshank.The summer is the time to see otters, badgers and roe deer, and the area is full of colour as flowering plants, butterflies and dragonflies border the trails.In spring and summer, Barn Owls flit around at dusk amidst the background of croaking natterjack toads on warm evenings.
Breeding birds of Mersehead
68 species were recorded breeding at Mersehead in 2005 including Common Sandpiper, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Wheatear, Long-tailed tit, Tree Sparrow (right Pic:Sergey Yeliseev), Water Rail, Skylark, Wren Blackbird, Blackcap, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Reed Bunting,Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Snipe, Curlew, Redshank, Ringed Plover, Mute Swan, Little Grebe, Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Shoveler, Pintail, Reed Warbler, Barn Owl, Cuckoo, Rock Pipit, Stonechat, Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat, Spotted Flycatcher, Goldfinch, Linnet, Yellowhammer.
From Dumfries, take the A710 Solway Coast road, passing through the villages of New Abbey, Kirkbean, Prestonmill and Mainsriddle. The reserve is signposted just before the village of Caulkerbush, on the left. A single-track road with passing places runs for a mile down to the car park, adjacent to the visitor centre. From Castle Douglas, take the A745, then the A711 to Dalbeattie before joining the A710 Solway Coast road, passing through the villages of Colvend, Sandyhills and Caulkerbush. The reserve is signposted just after Caulkerbush bridge, on the right.
Main picture: Birdersmarket
We highly recommend the publications below to compliment your visit to this Region.
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