Image Credit: Tim Robinson
It’s March! The sun shone both literally and metaphorically on the reserve this week (although the metaphorical aspect did, in fairness, last longer), with a wide range of species seen in and around our site. The start of a new month means there are now 20 days until spring officially arrives, and so we have also been busy preparing the estate for the return of some of our more fair weather species. Read on to find out more!
Also, AN IMPORTANT REMINDER ABOUT ROAD CLOSURES!
Next week, the road leading up to our car park and visitor centre will be resurfaced. This means the reserve and visitor centre will be closed 8 and 9 March. We apologise for any inconvenience, and look forward to seeing you again once this essential work is completed.
News from the Estate:
If you looked at the islands on our main lake, you may notice that some of them appear to have been scraped clean and/or covered with fresh shell. This is the work of the estates team. They have been removing the cockle shell from last year and replacing it with a fresh layer of shell, so that these islands are ready and waiting for returning summer species such as terns.
Where does the old cockle shell go? The answer is into the lake, right next to the islands. This bank of shell reduces the erosional power of any waves hitting the island, and so minimises the risk of damage to these sites in any future storms or high winds.
What’s On:
Our half-term trail was very successful last week, with the welly dogs proving very popular with children, parents, staff and volunteers! In fact, we couldn’t bear to put them away when our half-term trail finished, so you can still spot them in the discovery zone!
This weekend (5-6 March) is our latest Binocular and Telescope Open Weekend! Our Optics Team will be available 10am-3:30pm to talk you through how to find the perfect binoculars or telescopes for you. They will tell you what all the numbers mean, give you the opportunity to try out a range of models, and show you how to get the most out of the optics you choose.
This weekend is going to be particularly good, as we now have the brand-new Harrier X binoculars in stock! They are fully waterproof and fog proof, with phase-corrected optics and ED glass lenses. They boast 10x42 magnification and a field of view of 6.6 degrees on AP32. Don’t know what any of those numbers mean? It means they’re good. VERY good. Why not come along and try them out?
Recent Sightings:
Image Credit: Andy Hay, RSPB Images
We’ve been quite gull-ible this week, with a mediterranean gull seen from the Saltholme Pools hide on Thursday. What's really interesting is that this individual has the markings of a bird that is two years old. This suggests that this bird has returned to Saltholme, possibly having been born here in previous years!
The similar, but slightly smaller, black-headed gulls (pictured above) have also returned to Saltholme. They are currently settling on the islands in the main lake, and their calls definitely mark the turn of the seasons!
After having its meal stolen by a kestrel last week, one of our barn owls has been determined to make up for it and has been spotted out hunting on the reserve several times. Barn owls don’t particularly like hunting in the rain, and so it will have been making the most of the dry weather on Tuesday and Thursday.
The short-eared owl has also been out and about hunting this week. Unlike barn owls, these birds are commonly seen out hunting during daylight hours. This week, the short-eared owl has been hunting close to our visitor centre, giving our visitors some spectacular views!
Image Credit: Lockhart Horsburgh
The avocets are settling in well at the Saltholme Pools hide; at the last count, there were 19 of them! This is great news for the upcoming breeding season, where we are hoping to have a bumper year for avocet chicks.
If you want a more complete summary of the wildlife seen at Saltholme recently, follow this link to watch a video, filmed by Ian Robinson, of recent sightings at Saltholme.
We hope you enjoy the rest of your week, and we hope to see you at Saltholme soon!
References and Additional Reading
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2022). Avocet [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/avocet/ [last accessed 04/03/2022].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2022). Barn Owl [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/barn-owl/ [last accessed 04/03/2022].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2022). Black-headed gull [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/black-headed-gull/ [last accessed 04/03/2022].
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 04/03/2022].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2022). Short-eared owl [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/short-eared-owl/ [last accessed 04/03/2022].