Image Credit: Lockhart Horsburgh
It’s been an all-hands-on-deck sort of week at Saltholme; we’ve had lots of birds to count, events to plan, conservation jobs to complete and visitors to impress! Oh, and we’ve had some rare sightings just to add that little bit extra excitement to the week. Read on to find out more!
News from the Estate:
This is a very busy time of the year for the Estates team, with nests and chicks to monitor, species to count and rare sightings to record. This, of course, is in addition to all the ‘normal’ conservation work and site maintenance! Here is what they have been up to this week:
Image Credit: Josh Swales
The WeBS is a project run by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) which monitors non-breeding waterbirds in the UK. Every month, counters all over the country go to assigned wetland sites to count the number of species and the number of individuals of each species. This information is used to monitor population trends, allowing researchers to see if certain species are declining and therefore of conservation concern. For more information, visit this website.
Our WeBS results for this month were:
14 Mute Swan, 2 Pink-Footed Geese, 184 Greylag, 347 Canada Geese, 1 Barnacle Goose, 68 Shelduck, 75 Mallard, 103 Gadwall, 21 Shoveler, 10 Wigeon, 21 Pochard, 72 Tufted Duck, 4 Little Grebe, 13 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Cormorant, 5 Little Egret, 4 Grey Heron, 16 Moorhen, 96 Coot, 11 Oystercatcher, 102 Avocet, 4 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Ringed Plover, 77 Lapwing, 1 Dunlin, 5 Redshank, 68 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Curlew, 1336 Black-headed Gull, 2 Common Gull, 5 Mediterranean Gull, 48 Herring Gull, 12 Lesser Black-backed Gull and 27 Common Tern.
If you want more information on any of these species, visit the RSPB Bird A-Z.
Image Credit: Garry Hird
Butterflies and other insects do not generate their own body heat. Instead, they use the heat from their surroundings to keep warm and active. This is why butterflies can often be seen ‘basking’ in the sun.
The work party have been busy weeding areas along our footpaths, creating patches of bare ground for butterflies to use as basking spots. So, next time you see a beautiful butterfly at Saltholme thank the Estates team!
As of yesterday, all our tern rafts are now out on the main lake. You may be wondering why we didn’t put them out all at once. Well, they might be called Tern Rafts, but black-headed gulls think they are for them too. Whilst we don’t mind the black-headed gulls using the rafts (more nests and chicks are always good, right?), we don’t want them to be completely overrun by something that is not the target species. So, by waiting until the terns have arrived and staggering when we put the rafts out, we make sure that the terns have space to nest too.
What’s On:
We’re busy preparing for the upcoming May Half Term and Jubilee Weekend! There are going to be a wide range of events running from 28 May to 5 June, with something for everyone to enjoy. For more information on these events, and to book tickets, visit our website.
Recent Sightings:
Well, it’s all been happening this week. From hatching eggs to rare sightings, we’ve had it all! Here is a summary:
Image Credit: Chris Francis
A black-necked grebe has been hanging around the reserve this week. It was first spotted on Saturday 14 May but has since been seen swimming around our main lake. What’s even better is that it is resplendent in its breeding plumage, with the definitive golden feather tufts on its face. Less than 50 of these birds breed in the UK, and less than 150 spend the winter here.
Image Credit: Adam Jones
The black-necked grebe wasn’t the only rare sighting! On Tuesday, a blue-headed wagtail spent a morning showing off on the wet grassland. Never heard of a blue-headed wagtail? You’re not the only one! This is a subspecies of the yellow wagtail. The blue-headed version is more commonly seen in mainland Europe; the individual seen on our reserve may well be visiting from across the channel.
Image Credit: David Tipling, RSPB Images
We’ve got avocet chicks! Born with the famous bill already curved, these bundles of fluff (on very long legs) are sure to be a hit at the Saltholme Pools hide over the coming weeks. Keep an eye out for them on your next visit!
Image Credit: Katie Nethercoat, RSPB Images
You may have noticed that the weather has been quite nice this week. The butterflies certainly seem to think so; we have seen a real range of species over the last few days, including a rare-to-Saltholme brimstone butterfly. This striking species lays eggs on the leaves of alder trees, and feed on the nectar of flowers such as bluebells and teasels.
What will you see on your next visit to Saltholme?
References and Additional Reading
British Trust for Ornithology (2022). Wetland Bird Survey [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/wetland-bird-survey [last accessed 18/05/2022].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2022). Avocet. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/avocet/ [last accessed 19/05/2022].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2022). Bird A-Z [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/ [last accessed 18/05/2022].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2022). Black-necked Grebe [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/black-necked-grebe/ [last accessed 19/05/2022].
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 19/05/2022].
The Woodland Trust (2022). Brimstone Butterfly [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/animals/butterflies/brimstone/ [last accessed 19/05/2022].