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 keeping the reserve up-and-running as a conservation station. Here’s what they have been up to:
Tuesday brought scrub pruning at Haverton Gate. This is done regularly to keep the height of the scrub that borders the Wet Grassland relatively low. We do this in preparation for the upcoming Wader breeding season. Species such as Lapwing nest on the ground in the Wet Grassland and are one of the species that need a little extra help to boost population sizes. Avian predators such as Carrion Crows are quite partial to Lapwing eggs and chicks, but keeping the scrubland at a low height reduces the number of lookout perches these predators have. This in turn increases the survival rates among Lapwing eggs and chicks.
Thursday brought something a little different. Have you ever attempted to birdwatch from a hide whilst cows are licking the windows? If you are a regular visitor to Paddy’s Pool, that might well be the case. Whilst the cows have a great time and the situation gives a good opportunity for benevolent bovine stares, we have decided that a fence should be built to prevent further unscheduled window-cleaning…
What’s On:
The staff and volunteers are also getting involved with the Saltholme Passport! Image Credit: Matthew Scarborough
If you visited Saltholme on Sunday 21 January, you may have noticed that (a) the Visitor Centre was fetchingly and festively decorated, (b) many of the staff and volunteers were bemoaning the passing of time and (c) there was something called the ‘Saltholme Passport’ available for free from the Welcome Desk. Shall we unpack these?
Firstly, the decorations. On 21 January 2009 (to save you doing the maths, that was 15 years ago), RSPB Saltholme first opened its doors to the general public. So, on 21 January 2024, we kicked off celebrations for our 15th birthday! We’re planning a year-long party to commemorate all the conservation work, habitat change and species that the last decade-and-a-half have brought to this little patch of Teesside. So keep an eye on our website, social media pages and this blog for more details about what events are coming up!
Secondly, the staff and volunteers. We’re very fortunate to have many staff and volunteers completed their first shift on or around 21 January 2009. We’re also very fortunate to have many staff and volunteers that don’t remember 2009 in any great detail at all…we’ll let you work out the rest.
Thirdly and most importantly, THE PASSPORT. The Passport. The Saltholme Passport. What is it? Well, we decided that there is so much to see and do at Saltholme that sometimes it’s easy to overlook many of the activities, species and events that occur throughout the year. So we put them all in a passport! Available to pick up for FREE from the Welcome Desk, every time you complete a passport activity you get a (specially designed) stamp. Keep collecting stamps until you have 15, and then you get a commemorative sticker and certificate (both of these also specially designed for the occasion). Keep going to collect 30 stamps and you get an even more specially designed sticker and certificate!
The passport has been designed for everyone; regardless of your age, wildlife knowledge or accessibility requirements, you will be able to complete at least 15 activities with ease. You have all year to work on your passport, and we’re not above encouraging a little healthy competition between friends and relatives, so why not pick one up on your next visit?
Recent Sightings:
We’re pretty sure the wildlife knew Saltholme was turning 15 this week. In fact, it was 21 January- the start of the 15-year celebrations- that was reached 100 SPECIES on our 2024 Year List! We have since exceeded that number but don’t worry, we’re not going to mention all of them…here are a few highlights from this week:
There are three Waxwing species in the world. In the UK, we see the Bohemian Waxwing. Ever wondered why they’re called Waxwings? The red-tipped wing feathers of some individuals makes them look like they’ve dipped their wings in letter wax! Image Credit: Adam Jones
Our car park has been the place to see Waxwings this winter, with fantastic views of these beautiful birds for both staff/volunteers and visitors. The Waxwings will be making the most of the bountiful berries on the trees and shrubs in the car park, fuelling up for their onward journeys. They will be back, so keep your eyes peeled!
Great Spotted Woodpeckers have a sticky tongue which they use to catch insects hiding in trees and under bark. This tongue can protrude 4 centimetres beyond the end of its bill! Image Credit: Louise Greenhorn, RSPB Images.
The 44 Year 5 pupils who visited the reserve on Wednesday may have been faintly windswept by the time they left, but that was more than made up for by the presence of a Great Spotted Woodpecker which caused much excitement for staff (RSPB and Teachers) and pupils alike. In fact, the best view of this bird was from the floor of the Wildlife Watchpoint hide, so anyone walking into the Watchpoint on Wednesday afternoon would have found an entire class lying on the floor staring upwards into the eyes of a woodpecker. It’s something the children will remember for a long time, and here’s hoping this bird sparks a lifelong interest in wildlife and its conservation.
The UK gets more Merlins in the winter than it does in the summer, as numbers are boosted by birds from Iceland. Image Credit: Chris Gomersall, RSPB Images.
To round off the blog this week, we’re going to mention the Merlin that flew across Paddy’s Pool on Thursday. The Merlin is the UK’s smallest Bird of Prey and hasn’t been seen at Saltholme for a while as it has been avoiding competition with the Peregrine Falcons. It’s good to see this tiny hunter- which in the summer has a taste for dragonflies- returning to our reserve.
Well, that’s all we’ve got time for this week. As you can see, life is busy here at Saltholme and has been for the last 15 years. Want to help us celebrate and support the next 15 years of conservation work? Come along and visit us! You will have a fantastic day and will be supporting the work of the RSPB. What’s not to love?
References and Additional Reading
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2024). Carrion Crow [hyperlink]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/carrion-crow [last accessed 25/01/2024].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2024). Great Spotted Woodpecker [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/great-spotted-woodpecker [last accessed 25/01/2024].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2024). Lapwing [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/lapwing [last accessed 25/01/2024].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2024). Merlin [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/merlin [last accessed 25/01/2024].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2024). Peregrine Falcon [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/peregrine-falcon [last accessed 26/01/2024].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2024). Waxwing [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/waxwing [last accessed 25/01/2024].