Visit to the Falls of Clyde Wildlife Reserve.

Pond Clearance

The pond area was dug out to re-establish open water. From now on the tall reed-grasses will be controlled using chemicals rather than by the very time consuming activities of draining, cutting, clearing and re-flooding. The old method was very dependent on weather conditions and sometimes took months to complete.

The firm of Scott Young, from Sibbaldbie was contracted to do the job. The cost of excavating the pond was met through a grant of £1,400 from Scottish Natural Heritage.

Routine maintenance and path construction.

A new path was begun behind the hedge opposite the Dryfesdale Lodge Visitors' Centre so that people could go round most of the Woodland Walks without having to cross the busy Dumfries road.

Hugh Glass and John MacDonald working to level the path near the new bridge.

A lot of cut and fallen timber had to be cleared and the ground levelled.

Improving awareness and access

At this time a lot of time was spent making plans for a new Interactive Nature Trail. This would be completed in a number of phases as the necessary funds were raised.

Before creating the trail itself it was felt necessary to increase public awareness about the Eskrigg Reserve and Woodland Walks and improve access to the Reserve itself.

Freda Seddon designed an information board for the entrance opposite the Visitors' Centre. The Lockerbie firm DE Smith assisted at the design stage and contributed £100 towards the project. Donations from a variety of other sources also helped to cover the costs. The sign and timber mount was made by Border Signs and Graphix.

The picture above shows Freda Seddon and Jim Rae (Reserve Manager) in front of the information board that was erected at the end of January.

All-user path

During the month of February the firm Grange Quarry Ltd. was contracted to remove the woodchip path round the Reserve and replace it with a gravel, all-user path.

Originally there had been a grass path, but this was found to get too soft and wet, particularly after some people on horseback churned it up. The woodchip path, with regular maintenance, had lasted for 15 years.

The above picture shows part of the new path at the entrance to the Reserve from the forest road. The new hardcore path will allow access for wheelchair-users as well as being more resilient when used by mountain bikers.

The cost of the path was £5,500, of which £5,000 were granted by Forward Scotland from funds raised through the Aggregates Levy. The balance of £500 was very kindly donated by Grange Quarry Ltd..

While the boards for the Interactive Nature Trail were being designed it was time to raise some more funds.

On the 28th of February the Annual Nut Race was held at Eskrigg Reserve. The weather was fair and the turnout quite good.

Interactive Nature Trail - Phase 1

The plans for the trail included 12 stations at various points along the path with a total of twenty different 'themes' and related activities.

Phase 1 involved designing, manufacturing and erecting interpretive boards at six of these stations.

This consists of an interpretation board mounted on a lectern at the jetty with information about 'Life in the Pond', the 'History of the Pond' and activities relating to each of these.

This is located in the West Hide where there are three interpretation boards with the following themes - 'Woodland Birds', 'Wetland Birds' and 'Squirrels'.

Commonly known as 'The Squirrel Post', this station consists of a green oak post in which are mounted samples of cones and nuts eaten by red squirrels and samples eaten by woodmice for comparison. Notes on the front describe the difference in 'Feeding Habits'.

This is an 'audio post'. Also inserted in a green oak post is a 'black box' with a handle on the front. When the handle is turned in one direction various sounds made by the red squirrel may be heard. If turned in the other direction one can hear recordings of some of the common woodland birds.

This consists of an interpretation board mounted on a lectern beside the silt trap with information about 'Life at the Water Surface'.

On the back of the shelter there are two interpretation boards with the following themes; 'Heathland' and 'Non-flowering Plants'

The 'Themes' covered so far were developed by the following people:-

1. 'Life in the Pond' - Jim Rae
2. 'History of the Pond' - Jim Rae
3. 'Woodland Birds' - Freda Seddon
4. 'Wetland Birds' - Freda Seddon
5. 'Squirrels' - Zoe Smolka
6. 'Feeding Habits' - Zoe Smolka
7. 'Audio Post' - Zoe Smolka
8. 'Life at the Water Surface' - Jim Rae
9. 'Heathland' - Freda Seddon
10. 'Non-flowering Plants' - Freda Seddon.

The 'Themes' to be developed in Phase 2 include:-

1. 'Nature's Food Store'
2. 'Oak v Spruce - Deciduous v Evergreen'
3. 'Oak v Spruce - Native v Foreign'
4. 'Plant Uses'
5. 'Plant Reproduction'
6. 'Plant Seed Dispersal'
7. 'Lichens as Pollution Indicators'
8. 'Life Cycles'
9. 'Plants Protecting Themselves'
10. 'Man Protecting Plants and Animals'

Phase 1 was completed by the end of March through funding by 'Forward Scotland' (£2.500) and 'Red Squirrels in South Scotland' (£1,500). If things go to plan, Phase 2 will be completed in 2004-2005.

On Saturday 3rd of April , Lockerbie Wildlife Trust had a stand at the Environment Fair in the Loreburn Hall, Dumfries.

On Saturday 10th of April Eskrigg Reserve was the venue for a Green Gym Taster Day to promote Health, Fitness and the Environment.

On Sunday 18th April four Guided Walks round Eskrigg Nature Reserve (at 10.00, 12.00, 14.00 and 16.00 hours) were organised as part of the Dumfries and Galloway Wildlife Festival. In all 36 people visited the Reserve on the walks.

Lochmaben Primary School Visit

On Monday the 10th of May , the Primary 7 class from Lochmaben Primary School, under the supervision of their teacher Mrs Lorna Grierson, visited Eskrigg Nature Reserve to learn more about the plant life in the area and how they are adapted to their various habitats. They were shown round by Jim Rae. The pupils had a good awareness about plant structure and function, and in particular plant reproduction and photosynthesis. The pupils also used the opportunity to develop their skills at using keys to identify organisms in the field.

On Saturday 15th May the proprietors of the Café 91 Restaurant, Ralph and Adele Scott, held a draw in aid of the Lockerbie Wildlife Trust which raised the sum of £60. Ralph and Adele also made a generous donation of £100 towards the next phase of the Interactive Nature Trail at Eskrigg Nature Reserve. The Trust would like to thank Ralph and Adele for their magnificent support.

On Saturday 15th May the Lockerbie Wildlife Trust held its annual coffee morning in Lockerbie Town Hall and raised the sum of £450 for the work at Eskrigg Reserve. The Trust committee would like to thank all who helped in any way to make the event such a success.

On Friday evening 28th May Richard Mearns, of the Dumfries and Galloway Council Ranger Service, set up three Heath Traps at Eskrigg Reserve in three different habitats.

Habitat 1 - Scots pine woodland + birch, oak, rowan, beech, bilberry and bracken.

Habitat 2 - Beside the feeder burn with nearby willow, Scots pine, oak, birch and sedges.

Habitat 3 - Willow Carr with nearby sedges and reeds.

The following morning a total of 35 different species of moth were identified.

1. Brown Rustic - Rusina ferruginea
2. Brown Silver-line - Petrophora chlorosata
3. Buff-tip - Phalera bucephala
4. Campion, The - Hadena rivularis
5. Clouded Border - Lomaspilis marginata
6. Clouded-bordered Brindle - Apamea crenata
7. Clouded Silver - Lomographa temerata
8. Common Carpet - Epirrhoe alternate alternate
9. Common Lutestring - Ochropacha duplaris
10. Common Pug - Eupithecia vulgate vulgate
11. Common Swift - Hepialus lupulinus
12. Common Wave - Cabera exanthemata
13. Common White Wave - Cabera pusaria
14. Coxcomb Prominent - Ptilodon capucina
15. Engrailed, The - Ectropis bistortata
16. Foxglove Pug - Eupithecia pulchellata pulchellata
17. Green Pug - Chloroclystis rectangulata
18. Grey Pine Carpet - Thera obeliscata
19. Hebrew Character - Orthosia gothica
20. Herald, The - Scoliopteryx libatrix
21. Marsh Oblique-barred - Hypenodes humidalis
22. Nut-tree Tussock - Colocasia coryli
23. Pale Prominent - Pterostoma palpina
24. Pale-shouldered Brocade - Lacanobia thalassina
25. Pebble Hook-tip - Drepana falcataria
26. Purple Bar - Cosmorhoe ocellata
27. Riband Wave - Idaea aversata
28. Scalloped Hazel - Odontopera bidentata
29. Scorched Wing - Plagodis dolabraria
30. Small Phoenix - Ecliptopera silacata
31. Small Square-spot - Diarsia rubi
32. Tawny Speckled Pug - Eupithecia icterata
33. Water Carpet - Lampropteryx suffumata
34. Welsh Wave - Venusia cambrica
35. White Ermine - Spilosoma lubricipeda

L-R, David Graham, Healthy Communities Manager BTCV Scotland; David Niven, BTCV Green Gym Co-ordinator D&G; Vonnie Dreyfuss, volunteer; David Mundell, MSP; Brian Patterson, Volunteer Action Lochmaben.

A total of £110 was raised for the Trust by Leslie Brown and Jim Rae, when they took part in the Sponsored Hill Walk organised by Moffat Mountain Rescue Team on Sunday the 13th of June.

On Saturday 19th June, Lion President Rebecca French planted an oak tree at Eskrigg Nature Reserve to celebrate 10 years of Lockerbie and District Lions Club, on behalf of all 'Lions' members, past and present.

In the foreground, planting the oak tree, is Rebecca French (President). In the background, from left to right, Grace French, David Spence, Elaine Spence, Hannah Spence and Geoff Mitton.

The Lions Club donated £280 by way of sponsorship for one of the educational display boards on the Interactive Nature Trail at the Reserve.

The Linn

On Sunday 27th June nine members of the Lockerbie Wildlife Trust were taken to Dob's Linn by National Trust Ranger - Dan Watson.

En route the group took the opportunity to study and photograph some of the many interesting plants and insects.

Apart from keeping the De'il at bay each night, they were apparently suspected of murdering a man called Birnam. Birnam, the local curate at St. Mary's, by St. Mary's Loch, was himself suspected of being a spy for Claverhouse. The infamous 'Bluidy Clavers', acting as judge, jury and executioner, shot two young Covenanters on the doorstep of a cottage at the head of the Moffat valley, now called Birkhill Cottage, the scene of blanket preachings.

In the early19th century Birkhill Cottage was an inn. Sir Walter Scott slept there on his way to visit Buccleuch at Drumlanrig.

In 1864 Charles Lapworth became a schoolmaster at Galashiels and began studying the Lower Paleozoic strata of the Southern Uplands. He based himself at Birkhill cottage and used the occurrence of graptolite fossils at Dob's Linn to establish the order of these strata. There is a plaque on the wall of the cottage commemorating the work of Lapworth.

In 1873 he published his findings and in 1879 he proposed that a complex series of strata (considered Upper Cambrian by the British geologist Adam Sedgwick and Lower Silurian by the British geologist Sir Roderick I Murchison) was in fact a separate system. He proposed that this series of rocks (430 million to 500 million years old) be called the Ordovician System.

From 1881 to 1913 Charles Lapworth held the newly established chair of geology and physiography at Mason College, Birmingham University. At Dob's Linn it is possible to recognise the boundary between the Ordovician and Silurian strata.

Today the sheer, wet cliffs are the habitat for some rare alpine plants and provide a nesting site for peregrine falcons. The Moffat Mountain Rescue Team also use the site to practise stretcher lifting and rope work.

At the beginning of July a ramp was built to allow visitors easier access to the jetty.

Thanks are due to David Niven of the BTCV (Green Gym coordinator) and the Green Gym volunteers.

The above photograph of the pond was taken from the top of the tower and used to publicise the Reserve on the web site.

During August the Lockerbie Wildlife Trust Web Site was set up. The Trust is indebted to Paul Seddon for his invaluable assistance with this project. The web site was launched on Friday 20th August. Visitors to the web site will get information about the Trust and about Eskrigg Nature Reserve.

The site is still under development and will be added to and updated at regular intervals. Any suggestions from members about the layout and content of the site will be welcome.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all who helped with the work of the Trust over the past year. It has been a very busy, but rewarding, year with all the developments at Eskrigg Reserve. From the comments I have received from visitors to the Reserve I know that our efforts are greatly appreciated.

Jim Rae (Chairman and Reserve Manager) 31st August 2004