Enjoying Wildlife in Dumfries and Galloway

We recently returned from a short holiday in Dumfries and Galloway. As I said in my last post, for me this was a real vacation not a staycation, though I know some people consider any trip in their own country to be a staycation.

Dumfries and Galloway is a wonderful place for wildlife and an area we have visited many times. One of our favourite places is the Caerlaverock WWT (Wildfowl and Wetlands) Reserve. This large area of wetlands is managed for all sorts of wetland wildlife, from damselflies to geese. Dotted around the reserve are hides and observation towers to enable people to watch wildlife.

The reserve is most popular in winter, when thousands of geese and swans migrate to spend the winter here. However, it is equally wonderful in summer, when the dragonflies and damselflies come into their own. It is really inspiring to see such a variety of insects on the reserve, given the obvious decline of insect populations in most places. Wetlands like Caerlaverock are among the most biodiverse habitats in the world, offering vital habitats for many freshwater species and important stopping points for millions of migratory birds on their long journeys. You can find out more about the importance of wetlands on this page of the WWT website. WWT was founded in 1946 by Sir Peter Scott, and the initial focus of the organisation was on conserving geese and other migratory wildfowl. The focus has since widened to cover wetland habitats and all the wildlife that make these places their homes.

We also visited Drumlanrig Castle, which is billed as a 'place of adventure', but is also a lovely place to enjoy wildlife in its wooded grounds, that boast a number of ponds that are home to a variety of dragonflies and damselflies, like this Large Red Damselfly

We visited the RSPB Reserve of Wood of Cree too. This is a beautiful ancient woodland, or is it? Ancient woodlands are areas that have been continuously covered in woodland since 1750 in Scotland (since 1600 in England and Wales). Large parts of the Wood of Cree were clear-felled for timber during the First World War, so many of the trees themselves aren't ancient, but their rootstocks are ancient, and the wood was allowed to regenerate, meaning that the area has been continuously wooded for the required length of time to qualify as ancient woodland. The vegetation in the undergrowth is also typical of an ancient woodland. It certainly feels and looks like an ancient woodland.

I've Been Watching

(both these documentaries can be viewed on BBC i-player, which is only available in the UK)

Cumbria's Red Squirrels – an interesting documentary about the UK's native red squirrels.

Mysterious Origins of Insects – a fascinating look at prehistoric insects, which could be longer in my opinion.

Interesting Article

Good news for Scotland's Wildcats – article in Guardian Environment.

Join In!

This Week is Insect Week with the Royal Entomological Society.

29 June – 9 July is Swift Awareness Week – a chance to celebrate these wonderful migratory birds

Words of the Wild from Scottish Wildlife Trust is a writing competition looking for pieces of up to 1000 words on the theme of 'the wild' with a closing date of 31 August.