Sand, sea, mud and merse

A visual melting pot of swirling blues and greys, the mudflats and saltmarsh (merse) of Caerlaverock provide a winter feast for birds like barnacle geese, bar tailed godwit and knot. Standing on the edge of this vast flat expanse, you can watch flocks of birds wheeling through the sky as they travel from mudflat to coastal salt marsh. Or arrive at dusk in early summer and listen to the eerie chorus of natterjack toads as they compete to attract a mate, noisily croaking for attention.