Mersehead reserve secures funds for expansion plans

The RSPB Scotland reserve is home to natterjack toads

A nature reserve which is home to rare natterjack toads and other wildlife is set to expand.

RSPB Scotland launched an appeal to raise £285,000 for the Mersehead reserve on the Solway Firth in October last year.

The target has been reached enabling it to buy an extra 112 hectares (275 acres) of land in the area.

It will allow two separate parts of the reserve, situated south of Dumfries, to be linked up.

The reserve is a sanctuary for thousands of Svalbard barnacle geese every year as well as a home to natterjack toads and many different types of bird.

Thousands of geese are regular visitors to the south of Scotland site

David Beaumont, RSPB Scotland reserves manager in south and west Scotland, said: "A huge thank-you to everyone who donated money to this urgent appeal.

"It really was a race against time when we launched our campaign to secure this site for nature.

"Thanks to the overwhelming public response, Mersehead has now been made whole, which is wonderful news for the special wildlife of the Solway Firth."

Over the next two years, RSPB Scotland will be working to restore the special saltmarsh and sand dune habitats on the newest part of the reserve.

This will create more nesting opportunities for birds such as redshanks and skylarks that breed in the saltmarsh and more ponds in the sand dunes suitable for the natterjack toad population to expand into.

Work will begin this spring with the removal of scrub and non-native plant species.