Dumfriesshire - Caerlaverock

The reserve is by the estuary of the Solway Firth in Western Scotland. This 1,400 acre wild nature reserve with hides and observation towers linked by a network or screened approaches and seasonal nature trails is simply a must visit for any wildlife lover.

WHERE IS IT?
Wildfowl and wetlands centre , Eastpark Farm, Dumfriesshire, DG1 4RS. 14km Southeast of Dumfries.

WHAT'S THERE?
Heres are some of the key highlights:

25,000 Barnacle geese live here between October and April.

A cottage on the reserve offers the chance to go and see badgers at a nearby sett and even have a purpose built hide for you to view them from.

Ospreys can be seen hunting, as well as on a CCTV camera that monitors the nest.

Barn owls can also be seen on CCTV and in the flesh. Remember they're easiest to spot after a period of rain.

Whooper swans gather in large numbers.

Britain's rarest amphibian - the Naterjack Toad - can be seen in Caerlaverock

OK, you're almost certainly not going to spot it but the rare White-tailed Plover was seen here in June 2007 - the only sighting in Scotland and only the 4th in Britain.

There are some additional details here:

http://www.wwt.org.uk/gallery/117/caerlaverock.html