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 holidays, so read on for more!
News from the Estate:
Organising a litter pick, or even just making sure you take your rubbish home with you, is a fantastic way to protect your local habitats and wildlife. Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images.
Terrifyingly, there are over 2 million pieces of litter dropped in the UK every day. Even more terrifyingly, plastic litter kills 1 million seabirds and 100,000 sea mammals, turtles and fish every year. You can see that litter is a big problem and that we do not want it on our reserve. The trouble is, even though our visitors are mostly excellent at taking rubbish back to the Visitor Centre, there is so much litter in the UK that it blows into our reserve from elsewhere. To keep on top of it, the Estates Team regularly perform litter picks to keep Saltholme tidy and safe for wildlife and visitors alike. This week, the team litter picked along the permissive footpath that leads to our Haverton Viewpoint.
Of course, we can all do our bit to help prevent wildlife getting injured by litter. The simplest thing you can do it make sure you take all our rubbish home with you. If you see any litter on our reserve (or anywhere in fact) and it is safe to pick it up, please do and put it in the nearest bin. Reducing your use of plastic also reduces the risk of it accidentally entering your local habitats!
On a more positive note, the Estates Team have been preparing for the arrival of the warmer weather (it will happen, we promise!) by clearing basking spots along our footpaths for bees, butterflies and other insects. These insects need to remain warm to remain active, and so spend time soaking up the rays in ‘basking spots’. These areas are usually on bare ground, which absorbs sunlight and so heats up more quickly than ground covered in plants. By keeping our footpaths clear of weeds, we make sure these important members of the food chain can remain happy and healthy at Saltholme!
What’s On:
Noctule bat. Image Credit: Bat Conservation Trust.
Firstly, thank you to everyone who came along to our BIG BIRTHDAY PARTY on 6 April! With well over 400 visitors in attendance, it was a fantastic way to celebrate 15 years of conservation at RSPB Saltholme. With pond dipping, minibeast hunting, mindfulness art, crafts, guided walks, presentations and trails to enjoy for just £1 per person, there was something for everyone to enjoy- that was very apparent from all the smiling faces we saw! So thank you- without your support over the last 15 years, Saltholme would not be the incredible place it is today.
Looking forward to the next 15 years of Saltholme, there are plenty of events coming up. We’ll stick to what has happened this week, because we’re not entirely convinced we have all the event dates for the next 15 years. We hope that’s ok.
On Wednesday, the first BAT WALK of the year took place. Ok, we might have only seen one bat (a Noctule if you were wondering) but we can very easily blame that on the strong winds and rain that joined the event. However, the lack of bats didn’t bat away our enthusiasm or drive us batty, because we saw plenty of other amazing wildlife! With Brown Hares on the central meadow, gull colonies coming into roost, Grey Herons at Haverton and a possible Kingfisher in the Discovery Zone, the Bat Walk definitely showed the range of wildlife sightings we enjoy at Saltholme. But more on that in the next section of this blog…
Recent Sightings:
This week has been a week of ‘firsts’…we have certainly added a lot to our year list! Here are some of the highlights:
These are the first ducklings of the year! They were seen by our wardens from Haverton Viewpoint. Image Credit: Adam Jones.
The first ‘first’ has to go to the ducklings at Haverton and goslings on the Wet Grassland. By the end of the month, there will be many ducklings, goslings and other chicks to admire. However, this sign of new life is always welcome and one that we are always happy to share with you!
The Sedge Warbler has a distinctive white stripe above its eye. Image Credit: Chris Gomersall, RSPB Images.
The second ‘first’ (or, if you will, the first of the rest of the ‘firsts’ that aren’t the first ‘first’) goes to the Sedge Warbler and Reed Warbler, who were both the first of their species to be seen at Saltholme this year. Both of these species can be difficult to identify by sight, but learn their song and it suddenly becomes much easier! Just click on the links above to hear the songs of these wonderful warblers.
Swallows are part of a group called 'Hirundines'. House Martins and Sand Martins- both of which can be seen at Saltholme- are also in this group. Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images.
The third ‘first’ (bear with us…the first ‘first’ that isn’t the first or even the first of the rest of the ‘firsts’ that aren’t the first ‘first’) is that the Swallows are back! These individuals will have flown from sub-Saharan Africa to breed at Saltholme- quite a journey for a bird that only weighs 25 grams!
The American name for the Slavonian Grebe is the 'Horned Grebe'. This is because of the amazing head tufts that make up part of their breeding plumage. Image Credit: Chris Gomersall, RSPB Images.
You may be quite pleased to know the last species we’re going to mention isn’t a ‘first’ of any kind, but is still a very notable sighting for Saltholme! A Slavonian Grebe in full breeding plumage joined the various other grebe species at Saltholme Pools on Tuesday morning. These beautiful birds usually breed in Scotland, so this individual may well have been using us as a stopover point on a longer journey.
As usual, we have run out of time before we have run out of amazing species to talk about. As usual, we strongly recommend you visit us soon to get a more accurate and wholistic view of the wonderful wildlife of this area. So we hope to see you soon!
References and Additional Reading
Bat Conservation Trust (2024). Noctule [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.bats.org.uk/about-bats/what-are-bats/uk-bats/noctule [last accessed 12/04/2024].
Keep Britain Tidy (2024). Litter and the Law [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/faqs/advice/litter-and-law [last accessed 12/04/2024].
Keep Britain Tidy (2024). Plastic’s Impact on Wildlife [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/get-involved/support-our-campaigns/plastic-challenge/impact-wildlife
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2024). Grey Heron [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/grey-heron [last accessed 12/04/2024].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2024). Kingfisher [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/kingfisher [last accessed 12/04/2024].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2024). Reed Warbler [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/reed-warbler [last accessed 12/04/2024].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2024). Sedge Warbler [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/sedge-warbler [last accessed 12/04/2024].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2024). Slavonian Grebe [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/slavonian-grebe [last accessed 12/04/2024].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2024). Swallow [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/swallow [last accessed 12/04/2024].
The Wildlife Trusts (2024). Brown Hare [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/mammals/brown-hare [last accessed 12/04/2024].