Image Credit: Ethan Denton, eBird
It’s Friday again! This means two things…Firstly, it’s nearly the weekend. Secondly, you have another blog to make today pass that little bit faster. So read on to get a glimpse of life at a nature reserve!
News from the Estate:
Cattle are allowed into the Saltholme Pools area over the winter. Sometimes they like to check out our visitors!
The life of a warden is varied to say the least. Conservation work is wide-ranging and often not entirely intuitive. For example, preventing cattle from wandering wherever they want may not strike you as a top priority in saving a species, but is particularly important when it comes to protecting ground-nesting wetland birds. This week, the work party have installed electric fencing around the Saltholme Pools scrape. The scrape is where birds like avocets, ringed plover and little ringed plover have a higher density of nests. Curious cattle could trample these nests and so the temporary fence should greatly improve breeding success rates.
Similarly, the team spent Thursday installing post and rail barriers around the new sluices on the wet grassland. Cows may like sluices, but sluices do not like cows. Poached ground (caused by the cattle) can cause the sluices to leak, and wetland wardens definitely do NOT like leaky sluices! Why? Well, this can affect water levels on the wet grassland, which in turn affects the availability of nesting space for ground-nesting birds.
So why not just remove the cattle entirely? Again, not as simple as you may think. Grazing cattle keep the vegetation height right for feeding waders. When the vegetation…comes out the other end of the cow, this attracts insects and other invertebrates that are perfect for feeding hungry chicks. The stock density is lower over the warmer months to minimise the negative effects of large herbivore grazing whilst maintaining the benefits.
What’s On:
Our education sessions cover a huge range of science topics and can be tailored to suit all school ages. For more information, contact our Learning Officer through josh.swales@rspb.org.uk.
We have been excitedly preparing for our Teacher Taster Day- it starts tomorrow! If you are a teacher and want to see what educational opportunities Saltholme can offer you and your class, this is the perfect opportunity to come along and see for yourself. Starting at 10am on Saturday 18 March, this event will give you the chance to meet our amazing Learning Team, try out the activities we offer to school groups and ask any questions you may have. The event is free on production of valid school ID (badge, email address, etc.); additional family members will be charged entry but can take part in the activities free of charge. It is shaping up to be a fun and informative day!
Recent Sightings:
There are several sub-species of redpoll: the lesser redpoll is the most common at Saltholme. There is also the mealy redpoll, Greenland redpoll and Arctic redpoll. The Coues’s redpoll is part of the Arctic redpoll group. Not that it’s complicated! Image Credit: Ethan Denton, eBird.
A Coues’s Arctic redpoll has been causing a stir at Dorman’s Pool this week. Not heard of it? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. The redpoll is a species that has been subject to a string of changes in terms of what constitutes a redpoll. Once the existential crises were over, it was decided that, compared to the lesser redpoll (the UK’s most common subspecies), the Coues’s Arctic redpoll is lighter in colour with a white rump. So, if you fancy a birdwatching challenge, head to the Dorman’s Pool hide!
The great spotted woodpecker feeds on insects, seeds and nuts. It can be distinguished from the lesser spotted woodpecker by its larger size and bolder markings. Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images
The great spotted woodpecker is back! It’s been making the most of the birdfeeders visible from our shop. Very often, you see the flash of black, white and red (maybe it supports both Newcastle AND Sunderland?) as it flies away. But sometimes, if you’re very lucky, you can actually see it drumming on nearside trees.
Avocets recolonised the UK after their wetland habitat was restored. They are one of the best examples of a conservation success story, hence their inclusion in the RSPB logo! Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images
Ok, so we might have mentioned them once or twice before, but we are still very excited by the returning avocets! There are now at least 20 birds wading around Saltholme Pools, hopefully with many more yet to come! It’s always worth a visit down to this hide; let us know how many avocets you see on your next visit!
Speaking of your next visit, there are many amazing species that we have seen recently that have not been mentioned in this blog. Watching this video- filmed by Ian Robinson- will give you a more complete picture, but coming along and experiencing our amazing reserve for yourself is always preferable…we hope to see you soon!
References and Additional Reading
eBird (2023). Coues’s Arctic Redpoll [webpage]. Accessed through https://ebird.org/species/hoared2?siteLanguage=en_GB [last accessed 16/03/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Avocet [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/avocet/ [last accessed 16/03/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Great Spotted Woodpecker [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/great-spotted-woodpecker/ [last accessed 16/03/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Lesser Redpoll [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/lesser-redpoll/ [last accessed 16/03/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Little Ringed Plover [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/little-ringed-plover/ [last accessed 16/03/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Ringed Plover [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/ringed-plover/ [last accessed 16/03/2023].