Saltholme

Image Credit: Katie Nethercoat, RSPB Images. 

Good afternoon and welcome back to the Saltholme blog! We know we’ve left you stewing in a blog-less world for a couple of weeks, so we’re back with a bang! The reason you haven’t endured terrible puns and faintly wayward grammar recently is because there has been so much going on at Saltholme. Fortunately for you (we think), we’re back with the puns and most of the grammar…

 After 12 years our beloved Alice Table is starting to decay and can no longer be repaired. The Alice Table has become a focal point of the reserve, creating a photo opportunity for visitors and a chance for imaginative play alongside long lasting memories.

Our Alice Table:

Back in 2012 there was a commission for natural play equipment, themed around the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party from Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice’s Adventures…

Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images. 

And with that, Friday is here again. But we don’t mind because that means it’s (a) nearly the weekend and (b) blog post day! So, read on to unearth everything that has happened at Saltholme this week.

News from the Estate:

Foxes are one of the top predators at Saltholme. They have a very important role to play in controlling the populations of a variety of species. Image…

Image Credit: RSPB

Hello you wonderful people, and welcome back to the latest gripping instalment of life at RSPB Saltholme. We know you can’t wait to delve into what has been happening this week, so we won’t keep you waiting any longer- read on for more.

News from the Estate:

Japanese Knotweed is an invasive species- it grows very quickly, shading out smaller plants and therefore reducing the biodiversity…

Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images

Brace yourself…it’s now suddenly warm enough to be t-shirt weather! Some of our staff and volunteers are now exhibiting…bare ankles. But don’t worry, that’s not the most dramatic thing that has happened this week at Saltholme. The sun has shone metaphorically as well as physically on our reserve, with many unusual wildlife sightings and plenty of conservation work and events. Want…

Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images

If you thought last week was hectic, wait until you see the line-up for this iteration of the blog! Not only have we had rare birds hurling themselves at us from all angles, but we have also had a myriad of events to run, conservation work to initiate and visitors to greet. So take your seats, fasten your seatbelt, stow your trays and items of hand luggage and lets get started……

Image Credit: Markus Craig, All About Birds. 

June has brought many things to Saltholme- mainly sunshine, rare birds, bees and existential crises about the passing of time. But we’ll only talk about the first three in this blog. Read on for more!

News from the Estate:

Image Credit: Ben Hall, RSPB Images

This week, the Estates Team have been bracken bashing, reed raking and bramble breaking. We’ll tell you a bit…

Image Credit: RSPB

Apart from Wednesday, on which the rain was fairly biblical in its proportions, the weather has not been too bad this week! Granted it has been colder and slightly damper than previously, but we need rain as well as sunshine to ensure all nature is catered for. Speaking of all nature, we’ve probably had about 90% of it on the reserve this week. Ok, this may be a slight exaggeration, but the point still…

Image Credit: RSPB

What a glorious week! Not only was the weekend and early part of the week beset by sunshine, we then had the wonderful smell of light rain on dry ground on Tuesday and Wednesday. Did you know the smell of rain is called ‘Petrichor’? Well, there you go. Of course, that’s not the only thing you will learn if you continue reading…it’s been an incredibly busy week here at Saltholme (even by our standards…

Image Credit: Sam Turley, RSPB Images

After last week’s mixed weather, May has certainly seemed much more seasonal in comparison- we’ve even had that strange, warm glowing thing in the sky again. Staff, visitors and wildlife alike have been making the most of this welcome brightness and warmth. Fortunately, this blog is here to tell you all about what has been happening on the reserve this week!

News from…

Image Credit: Mary Hon

Ah yes, the end of April. Don’t you just love it when the end of April involves sleet splatting against the window like congealed soup? Fortunately for us, the wildlife seen this week has more than made up for the deplorable state of the weather. Read on for more!

News from the Estate:

We are often treated to spectacular sunrises and sunsets at Saltholme. Honestly, the sun does shine occasionally…

Image Credit: Lockhart Horsburgh

Fasten your seatbelts…the blog will be functioning a little differently this week! Instead of our usual round-up of reserve life, we thought we would tell you a little bit more about some of our Star Species. These species may not be mentioned regularly in the blog- they are the species that are always here, quietly being amazing. It’s only fair to shine the spotlight on them once in a…

Image Credit: Adam Jones

We may not have seen the solar eclipse here at Saltholme, but we have certaintly had times where the sun has been covered (by clouds, rain, etc.) and, towards the end of the week, times when it has actually been visible. Of course, no matter what the weather, Saltholme is a fantastic place to visit with plenty of things going on. It’s been a week of ‘firsts’ as well as the last week of the Easter…

Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images. 

As the second week of Easter Holiday activities draws to a close, another blog comes along to tell you all about what has been happening at Saltholme. Lucky you! So settle down and read all about the amazing wildlife, amazing events and amazing conservation work on our amazing reserve…

News from the Estate:

Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images

Conservation isn’t all about…

Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images

Well, if Spring was springing last week it has now definitely sprung- astronomically, officially and in terms of wildlife. With Easter hot on the Vernal Equinox’s heels, there are many preparations afoot at Saltholme to ensure everyone can make the most of the approaching school holidays.

So, if you want to learn more about conservation, upcoming events and wildlife with one…

Image Credit: Mark Thomas, RSPB Images

Did you think it’s getting…warmer? Maybe a little…greener? Spring may not have exactly ‘sprung’ yet but it’s definitely ‘springing’. The birds are singing away merrily and it feels the reserve is bursting into even more life than usual. This blog is here to tell you all about what this ‘life’ is, so read on for more!

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We are saddened by the news that our dear friend and colleague Brian Darby passed away on Friday 9 February. Brian was a hugely popular member of the team at RSPB Saltholme. He joined us in 2022 as a Senior Project Manager and quickly fell in love wi...

Image Credit: Owen Lyons.

If you, like us, are slightly terrified with how quickly the year is going…congratulations, it’s now March. MARCH. 2024. Last time we looked it was 2019 and nobody had even heard of coronavirus!

Existential crises notwithstanding, it has been a fantastic week at Saltholme. The first signs of Spring are beginning to appear and the wildlife is noticing this too. As well as lots of…

Image Credit: Andy Hay, RSPB Images. 

RSPB Saltholme is a Ramsar wetland site of international importance nestled in the Tees Valley. Our status as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Protection Area (SPA) stems from our wetland and wet grassland habitats, which are crucial for waders and wildfowl: in the winter months, migrant wading birds such as Black-tailed Godwit, Ruff and Green Sandpiper rest…

Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images

A huge thank you to all our visitors this week- it’s been fantastic to see so many smiling faces enjoying our brilliant reserve over the February half-term. To be honest (and slightly immodest), we’re not entirely surprised you’ve all had such a good time- we’ve done our best to supply you with family-friendly events and our wonderful wildlife has also been performing! Want to learn…

Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images. 

Can we all just take a moment to reflect on the rapid passing of February. How are we 9 days in already?! On the plus side, being this far through the second month of 2024 (…take a deep breath and carry on like nothing happened) means that the 2024 Species List, events programme and conservation work is really starting to step up! Want to find out more? Continue reading……

Image Credit: Richard Carlyon, RSPB Images

The longest month of the year is over and done with; we’re now, already, in February. But if 2024 is sneaking past you at an alarming rate, just remember time flies when you’re having fun! We’ve certainly had fun this week, with plenty of events coming up and wonderful wildlife to showcase our reserve. Read on for more!

News from the Estate:

We have the largest…

Saltholme moth report, 2023

It has been a cracking year recording moths at Saltholme.  We've had our highest annual species count with 287 species recorded, 40 of which were new to Saltholme.  The following is a roundup of the year’s efforts.

The first trap of the year was on the 28^th January.  It was the first January trap we’ve carried out on site, and it proved worthwhile; five moths, of five species were recorded…

Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images

Hello again! Welcome back to THE blog. The best blog there is about life and conservation work about Saltholme. Granted, it’s the only blog about Saltholme (to our knowledge) but it still counts, right? Anyway, read on for all the juicy gossip from this week…

News from the Estate:

Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images. 

As usual, the Estates Team have had a busy week…

Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images

Congratulations, you’ve made it through one of the longest weeks of the year. But it’s nearly over AND it’s been another good week at RSPB Saltholme. There’s lots to tell you about, so we’ll get straight into it…read on for more!

News from the Estate:

With the new year starting to put down some roots, the Estates Team have begun the process of…