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Welcome 2 Dumfries & Galloway! Looking for wildlife? Look no further than Dumfries & Galloway - The Natural Place!
If you are a bird watcher, up in the hills you will see Buzzards and, if you know where to look, Eagles too. Red and Black Grouse, Harriers, Merlins and even Kites can be spotted. Around wetter parts of the uplands, look for summer residents such as Curlew, Lapwings and Snipe. Gardens (public and private) will have a host of residents and visitors depending on the season; a wide variety of Finches, Tits, Wagtails, Swallows, Blackbirds, Thrushes, Flycatchers, Sparrows...the list goes on. Between April - November, look for Bats emerging around or just after sunset to begin the insect-hunt. (Speaking of which, ponds are a rich habitat, and a pleasant hour or so can be spent netting the min-beasts which live within them, all that is required is a pond, a net, and adult supervison!) Habitats vary across D&G as you might expect. The uplands (which account for over a fifth of the region) are home to brackens, heathers, blaeberry and many lichens on the trees and rocks. Lower down keep an eye out for purple moor grass and bog mosses in a variety of shades. Over head, look for Ravens, Jackdaws and the ubiquitous Crows. Along the coast there are plants which enjoy the bracing life. River and loch-side too offer a habitat to many species, some indigenous to that particular area. Mix that with managed woodland, wild woodland, managed plantations and hedges and it becomes easy to see why there is so much flora and fauna in Dumfries & Galloway. The damper areas, river sides, bogs, streams etc, are home to Alders and Willows, with Larch adding colour to the higher ground in autumn. Look out for Dragonflies and suchlike during the summer flitting along the rivers and lochs looking for prey. In sandy, heather covered areas, keep a wary eye out for Adders and Grass Snakes. Some of our woodland is of great age. The Oak wood at Lochwood (off the A75 north of Johnstone Bridge) is truly ancient. Gnarled, hollowed, dripping with lichens and mosses, carpeted with Harebells in season, home to hundreds of insects and not a few Woodpeckers. These trees are many hundreds of years old and well worth a visit - as is the nearby ruin of Lochwood Tower, once a seat of the infamous Johnstone Clan.
For a great overview of the Natural History and Wildlife in D&G, check out Kieth Kirk's fantastic site based on the area's Natural history. Outstanding photographic work by a skille dphotographer. Kieth Kirk's Natural History Website. Dumfries and Galloway has quite a few Nature Reserves, here's a few you can visit: Mossburn Animal Centre, Hightae (Lochmaben) WWT Caerlaverock Wetlands Centre Cree Valley Community Woodlands Trust Galloway Wildlife Conservation Park, Kirkudbright. Want a link from this site to yours? Just add the logo below to your site and link to:
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There is no shortage of wildlife in Dumfries & Galloway. For the nature lover, our hills, forests, lochs, rivers, coastline and fields hold an abundance of life. Be it plant life or wildlife you want to see and experience, there is a tremdous variety of nature here.
Riperian life is abundant too. Otters can be found in most rivers if one is quiet and patient, as are Trout, Salmon and Pike. Herons can be seen in the near shallows looking for fish to eat, whilst the Kingfisher is not unknown in the region. Naturally, we have a good population of Deer, mainly Roe, but with an admix of Red in the less populated or aforested areas, and Muntjac too. Keep an eye out for other woodland denizens too, Wood Pidgeon, Siskins, and summer visitors. Winter brings new arrivals, many Geese and Ducks fly in to overwinter in our mild climate before departing in the spring.