Image Credit: Lockhart Horsburgh
After a week off, the blog is back with a vengeance. Read on for updates on what has been seen at Saltholme this week, alongside events and conservation work…
News from the Estate:
It’s important to have a range of plant species present in wildflower meadows, to support as many insects and other animals as possible. Some species, such as thistles, can dominate these areas if left to their own devices. Whilst thistles are important, it’s also important to maintain this balance between species. Image Credit: Colin Wilkinson, RSPB Images
On Tuesday, the work party raked up and cleared a patch of thistles along the wildflower walk. Why remove a wildflower from the wildflower walk, especially one that is preferentially eaten by a range of insect species? Well, thistles can be referred to as a dominant species. This means that, if left unchecked, they can take over an area and prevent other plant species from growing there. If there are already lots of species present, this is less of a problem. But as this is an area where we are trying to encourage more species to move in, keeping the thistles in-check improves the chances of higher biodiversity in the future.
Yellow rattle is so called because, when ready to be released, the seeds rattle inside their cases. Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images
And the fun didn’t stop there! On Thursday, the seeds of yellow rattle were collected from our meadow to be redistributed elsewhere. Yellow rattle is called a ‘hemiparasite’. A hemiparasite is a plant species that obtains all or part of its nutrients by parasitising other plant species. Yellow rattle parasitises grass species. By taking nutrients from grasses, yellow rattle stops these species taking over meadows and thereby encourages the growth of other plants and wildflowers.
What’s On:
Image Credit: Rosemary Despres, RSPB Images
Tomorrow will be a fair day. By which we mean our Artisan and Eco Fair will be available for happy shoppers! Seen as the last fair happened over the infamous Storm Arwen weekend, we’re certain that this one will be much easier to keep on the ground. We’re very happy to welcome back a lot of the stallholders from our last Artisan and Eco Fair, along with some new faces. There will be a great range of products on-sale, and anything you buy will be supporting local businesses. What’s not to like?
Recent Sightings:
The cattle egret is smaller than the little egret, and have a yellow bill and legs. Little egrets have a black bill and legs. Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images
Well, it must have known that this blog was going out to today, because a cattle egret in breeding plumage decided to show up at the Philstead hide on Friday morning! This means that all three egret species have now been seen at Saltholme over the past two weeks. Not bad going!
Spoonbills are so named after their bill, which is specially adapted for fishing fish and invertebrates hiding in mud and water. Image Credit: Lockhart Horsburgh
Not one, not two, but THREE spoonbills have been hanging around Saltholme Pools this week. That’s practically enough spoons for a tea party. Anyway, the eponymous bill of these long-legged birds makes them very easy to recognise.
The incredible feather ruff, after which this species is named, is present in breeding males. Image Credit: Mike Richards, RSPB Images
Next, Shakespeare’s favourite bird- the ruff- was seen on Monday. This is most likely a young bird using the UK has a stop-off point on its migration route from Scandinavia to Africa.
The yellow wagtail is mainly a farmland species. They are mainly seen on our wet grassland. Image Credit: Andy Hay, RSPB Images
This section would not be complete without mentioning the adventures of the young birds onsite. Many of this year’s chicks are now figuring out these ‘wing’ things that they have, and are losing their baby feathers in order to do so. One such bird is the juvenile Mediterranean gull. We’re very excited to have fledged Mediterranean gulls, as it suggests there may well be a breeding colony being established at Saltholme.
And the Mediterranean gulls are not the only ones learning to fly! A juvenile yellow wagtail has also been seen this week. This farmland species is on the conservation red list, and so young birds successfully leaving the nest and going into the big wide world is always a welcome sight.
And last but certainly not least of the 'chick' section, a water rail chick has been seen exploring Dorman's pool with its parent! These shy birds hide in reeds so it's really good to see a young one out and about in the open.
In the UK, red-breasted geese that are seen in the wild have often escaped from collections. Image Credit: Avibirds.com
And the sightings don’t stop there. We’ve also had golden plover, common sandpiper, dunlin and red-breasted geese showing off at the Saltholme Pools hide this week.
One of our hide guides, Ian Robinson, has caught many of these species on film. Watch the video here.
And this is only a small proportion of the species seen at Saltholme this week. We haven’t even begun to mention all the butterfly, dragonfly, bee and mammal species that have graced Saltholme with their presence. Oh well, you’ll just have to visit our reserve to see all this amazing wildlife for yourself!
References and Additional Reading
eBird (2022). Red-breasted Goose [webpage]. Accessed through https://ebird.org/species/rebgoo1 [last accessed 07/07/2022].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2022). Common Sandpiper [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/common-sandpiper/ [last accessed 07/07/2022].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2022). Dunlin [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/dunlin/ [last accessed 07/07/2022].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2022). Golden Plover [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/golden-plover/ [last accessed 07/07/2022].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2022). Mediterranean gull [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/mediterranean-gull/ [last accessed 07/07/2022].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2022). Ruff [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/ruff/ [last accessed 06/07/2022].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2022). Spoonbill [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/spoonbill/ [last accessed 06/07/2022].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2022). Water Rail [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/water-rail/ [last accessed 08/07/2022].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2022). Yellow Wagtail [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/yellow-wagtail/ [last accessed 07/07/2022].
The Wildlife Trusts (2022). Yellow Rattle [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/wildflowers/yellow-rattle [last accessed 07/07/2022].