All photos in this blog are copyright Valerie Harrison, additional photos by Mike Harrison copyright Creative Nature Media. No photos to be used without permission.
The year didn’t start well along the Solway coast as it was badly affected by the tidal surges and storms that caused havoc in many other places around the UK.
RSPB Mersehead in Dumfries and Galloway was particularly badly hit, even making it into the news. You can read the story here.
These photos were taken after the first surge by Mike who was living at Mersehead at the time.
The access road was closed so only the staff/residents were able to see the initial damage
Its not unusual for the road to get flooded but this time it was particularly bad!
Just outside one of the cottages
The flood meadows of the Southwick Water
The field drains pretty full
The only way in!
The most devastating effect was the damage to the dunes
This tree was once growing in the dunes but its roots now completely exposed
These dunes were once extensive but in some places have completely disappeared
A sign of hope, by Rainbow Lane of course!
Rainbow Lane, very muddy but it was completely under water.
Work begins on repairing the sea defences
A lot of work went into rebuilding these banks…
…but they were washed away again later by another surge
Great trees have appeared on the merse
Flattened dunes
All thats left of the dunes in some places is a tangled mess of Marram Grass
This site is an SSSI…
…and these dunes are important as they are home to the rare Natterjack toad which hibernate in them
Click on image to view larger
Some landmarks survived!
Hopefully these trees will help to form the skeletons of new dunes
A few windswept trees remain
Marram Grass in tangled heaps
A Mermaids Purse washed up
Such a strange sight with the dunes all but gone in places
The fields were filled with salt water…
…with no dunes to protect them
Some dunes just about hanging on
An amazing amount of debris..
…this looked like farm rubble that may have been buried decades ago
At this point the Mersehead sign was still hanging on but this was later lost by further storms and then recovered a few weeks later
Even with all the damage, still beautiful!
Apart from being a bit muddy and some sand washed inland, the woodland areas appear unscathed.
..and the Barnies dont mind…
…or the Pinkies!
Morning light
Frost on holly
Early morning from the Meida Hide
Ducks
Icy ponds
Plenty of Barnies about
…and then it happened again!
An amazing amount of cockle shells were heaped up!
Waterfall
Mud patterns
Geese flying over the Southwick Water
Underwater shells
Cockleshell stream
Sea monster!
Storm victim
A huge number of assorted mermaid purses washed up
Yet another rainbow by Rainbow Lane
Tree Sparrow and Greenfinch from the Visitor Centre
Greenfinch
Snowdrops
Panorama view from the hide-click to view larger
Reflected reeds
The clean up has started and was featured on ITV Border
A channel has been cut to drain the salt water from the merse
Looking much tidier on this part of the beach
A Canoe Shell washed up
The signs that survived the first onslaught now damaged or gone
Signs of life…
…a Fox Moth caterpillar
These are what is left of the dunes walking towards Southerness
…some still hanging on!
The beach clean didnt stretch this far and it will be a mammoth task to clear it!
Rubbish, branches and other flotsam and jetsam all tangled together in what remains of the Marram
The largest of the dunes have survived
Amazing what gets washed up…
…even aliens!
Snow on the Cumbrian mountains across the Solway
Beach fungi
The sand is beginning to collect around the old trees
Barnies having a dip outside the Visitor Centre
New life-Coltsfoot in bloom
Skull
Pheasant
The Common Toads have arrived!
Hitching a ride!
Threes a crowd!
We rescued several that day from the access road to the reserve
Green Dock Beetles
Good to see the water at normal levels
Larch flowers
Tree Sparrow
Yellowhammer and Chaffinch
A wonderful sign of hope….
…the Natterjack Toads have survived!
All photos in this blog are copyright Valerie Harrison, additional photos by Mike Harrison copyright Creative Nature Media. No photos to be used without permission.
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