Caerlaverock

Perhaps the most famous of Caerlavarock's visitors are the wild Barnacle Geese that arrive on the reserve every October from Svalbard in the high Arctic to spend the winter in vast flocks. A recording made at Caerlavarock in 2004 is available on the download page.Their recovery has been quite remarkable ,thanks to the conservation efforts of the WWT, SNH and the Caerlavarock estate.From fewer than 400 birds in the late 1940's they now number somewhere in the region of 40,000!

Caerlaverock
WWT reserve Dumfries and Galloway Scotland
Special Birds;-Both pink-feet and barnacle Geese arrive in late september.
large numbers of Whooper swan, wildfowl, Peregrine regular.Best time;Winter Sept-March
WWT Caerlaverock lies 9 miles south east of Dumfries. Follow tourist signs from A75 west of Annan or St. Michael's church in Dumfries. Nearest railway and coach stations Dumfries; limited bus service to Caerlaverock.The number of Barnacle Geese that fly from Norway to the banks of the Solway Firth each year are a sign of the quality of the wetlands at Caerlaverlock.

This is simply a must for any lover of birds and their wild habitats. On-site accommodation is also available.Facilities
1,400-acre wild nature reserve with hides and observation towers linked by network of screened approaches and seasonal nature trails. Free parking.
Visitor building with Fair Trade coffee shop, natural history bookshop and binoculars and telescopes for sale. Binoculars for hire. Theatre/conference room. Sheltered picnic area. Self-catering farmhouse accommodation.

WWT Caerlaverock
Eastpark Farm, Caerlaverock
Dumfriesshire, Scotland
DG1 4RS

T: 01387 770200
F: 01387 770539
E: info.caerlaverock@wwt.org.uk

Mammals;-Stoat,Weasel,Badger,Otter,Hare,Fox and Roe Deer

The distribution of barnacle geese around the North Solway shore.Free online PDF report from Scottish Natural Heritage.Click here for further details.....

reserve map

Other reserves in the area; Kirkonnell Merese nature reserve
Kirkonnell Merese covers a wide expanse of merse (saltmarsh) and mudflats lying on the west bank of the River Nith, south of Dumfries. This high quality habitat is one of Scotland's largest and is an important area for Barnacle Geese, Whooper Swan, Pink-footed Geese, Pintail, Wigeon and Teal. The reserve is managed to encourage breeding waders such as Redshank and Lapwing. Skylark and Reed Bunting numbers are increasing and Twite can be observed in large feeding flocks in the winter.Hen Harrier, Peregrine and Buzzard are also seen throughout the year. Telephone 01387 780579 (visitor centre)

Departments

Support Our Free Resource
Unlike other sites our birding resource including the constantly updated world site guide is free to use.This takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce so any support would be most welcome. You can set a monthly rate below and cancel at any time. Thank you.