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 the Estate:
There are over 250 species of bee in the UK. Of these 24 species are Bumblebees, one species is a Honeybee and the other 90% are Solitary Bees. The Solitary Bee group includes Mason Bees, Mining Bees, Leafcutter Bees and many more! Image Credit: Sam Turley, RSPB Images.
With the (eventual) arrival of the warmer weather, it’s time to get the reserve ready for the emergence of pollinators such as bees and butterflies. The wonderful Estates Team have therefore once again been working hard to keep Saltholme a haven for all wildlife:
As you may know, there are many types of bee. As well as those that live in hives, there are also solitary bees; as well as bumblebees and honeybees, there are also mining bees. It’s critical to provide space for all types of bee, but some species get more of a look-in than others. For example, typical minibeast hotels are only really useful for solitary bees (still very important). So, to cater for the often overlooked mining bees we created a bee bank. A bee bank does exactly what it says on the tin- by providing a bank of warm, loose soil that the bees can burrow into (hence the name ‘Mining’ bees), we ensure those species have a foothold at Saltholme.
Our bee bank is made up of a mixture of cement, sand and soil. This is to give the perfect mining consistency for the bees. However, when the bank was created we were slightly too heavy-handed with the cement, meaning the mining bees would have to be very determined indeed to chisel their way through the mixture. This week, the team have added more sand to make the burrowing work easier going for these industrious pollinators!
What’s On:
Remember that completing the May half-term trail gets you another stamp in your Saltholme Passport!
If you are struggling to comprehend that it is May already, join the club. Fortunately, we saw the rapid approach of the fifth month (five! Already!) and have been busy planning events for May half-term (25 May- 2 June).
As well as the Estates Team providing a home for bees at RSPB Saltholme, this week the Visitor Experience Team have bee-n creating a bee-themed trail for May half-term! If you discover all the amazing bee facts, you can use the key words to reveal a hidden code that tells you another really interesting fact about these incredible insects. So make sure to make a beeline to Saltholme this half-term to avoid missing out (which would leave you with a bee in your bonnet, wouldn’t it?)!
Recent Sightings:
Ok, ok we’ll stop with the bee puns. We can’t say for certain that we’ll stop with all forms of pun for the remainder of this blog, but the bee ones are definitely over and done with. Happy? Ok, we’ll tell you about some of the headline species sightings from this week!
Bitterns are part of the Heron family. At Saltholme, you can also see Grey Herons, Little Egrets, Great White Egrets and (sometimes) Cattle Egrets. Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images.
Firstly, a Bittern has been seen flying to and from the Phil Stead Hide on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. Even a glimpse of this elusive bird through a reedbed is cause for celebration, so to see it in flight is definitely worth a full party (within reason). So make sure to visit the Phil Stead Hide and Wildlife Watchpoint on your next trip to Saltholme.
Saltholme has one of the largest inland breeding colonies of Common Tern in the UK. Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images
The Common Terns are back! They may be slightly later than normal (we blame the weather) but the first couple of individuals have been spotted at Saltholme Pools and on the Main Lake this week. So their reputation remains untern-ished for another year. After the devastation of Avian Flu throughout the UK, we’re keeping our fingers and toes crossed for a very successful breeding season for these seabirds.
Can you spot the difference between this species- the Arctic Tern- and the Common Tern? We’ll give you a hint…look at the beak! Image Credit: Louise Greenhorn, RSPB Images.
As well as the Common Terns, we have also had the wonderful Arctic Terns back. No, the main difference between the two species isn’t that one is colder than the other or more numerous than the other- the Arctic Tern can be distinguished by the lack of a black spot at the end of its bill (Common Terns have this) and their legs, which are redder than those of the Common Tern.
Well, that’s all we have time for this week. With the weather finally playing ball and our summer species now arriving and settling down, upcoming weeks at Saltholme promise to be full of promise- we promise! Of course, your presence is sure to make Saltholme’s future even more promising, so please visit us soon!
References and Additional Reading
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2024). Arctic Tern [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/arctic-tern [last accessed 02/05/2024].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2024). Avian Flu [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/avian-influenza-updates [last accessed 02/05/2024].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2024). Bittern [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/bittern [last accessed 02/05/2024].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2024). Common Tern [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/common-tern [last accessed 02/05/2024].
The Woodland Trust (2023). Types of bee in the UK: how to tell the difference [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2023/07/types-of-bee-in-the-uk/ [last accessed 02/05/2024].