Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images
It’s Friday- the best day of the week! You know why? Because Friday is Blog Day. As we may have mentioned previously, RSPB Saltholme is a fantastic place to visit (the wildlife certainly thinks so) and so who wouldn’t want to spend a few minutes reading all about what has been happening on the reserve this week? We know you want to, so we won’t keep you any longer; read on for more information!
News from the Estate:
May is most definitely here. Ok, technically it started 12 days ago but it’s only recently the temperatures have caught up. The warm and (incredibly) wet weather has convinced much of the reserve’s vegetation that they need to grow at the same pace as much more tropical plants. While they may not have quite achieved the same levels of growth, the Estates Team have certainly been kept busy keeping things in trim. Keeping grasses and scrub under control mean smaller species- particularly wildflowers- are not shaded out and so this increases the diversity of life on our reserve. Cutting the grass around benches is equally important for not losing any visitors.
Sand martins were one of the first of the summer migrants to return to Saltholme; the first individuals were seen in March. Image Credit: Ben Hall, RSPB Images.
On Tuesday the Work Party went a step further in their control of vegetation height, donning waders to trim the reeds in front of the artificial Sand Martin nesting bank. It has been fantastic to see so much activity around the burrows this year, with most of the nesting holes now occupied. We are assuming our visitors would quite like to continue watching this activity, and so have cut down the young reeds that were attempting to obscure the view of the nesting bank. Make sure to admire the work of the Work party (and of course admire the Sand Martins) on your next visit!
Both Black-headed gulls and Common Terns like to nest on bare ground. This means they often compete for space on shingle beaches and artificial nesting islands. The needs of both species must be balanced. Image Credit: Andy Hay, RSPB Images.
Speaking of admiration, did you know Common Terns have one of the longest migration journeys of any bird, with an average round trip of 35,000 kilometres every year! After such an incredible journey, it seems only right that nesting spaces are ready and waiting for them. This is why the Work Party started re-floating the tern rafts at Holme Fleet on Thursday. We have to carefully time when the rafts go out so the Black-headed Gulls don’t take up all the nesting spaces before the terns arrive. Luckily for us, our Wardens are eggs-perts (see what we did there?) in knowing when the best time is to put out these tern rafts. And Thursday was the start of it!
What’s On:
Damselflies and Dragonflies spend most of their lives as nymphs. Damselfly nymphs have a three-pronged tail (see above), whereas Dragonfly nymphs are stockier with two-pronged tails. Image Credit: iNaturalist.
Over the Bank Holiday weekend, over 50 children got to try out pond dipping. Don’t worry, this does not mean dipping children in ponds. Instead, children dip nets in the ponds and see what marvellous minibeasts they can find. The answer is a lot. Fish fry (young fish) filled the trays, along with damselfly nymphs, water mites HUGE water boatmen and many other creatures. Fancy trying out some pond dipping with your family? Well, you will be pleased to know that we are running more sessions THIS WEEKEND! No need to book in advance- just turn up and ask at the Welcome Desk.
Recent Sightings:
Image Credit: Graham Catley, British Trust for Ornithology
A Little Gull has been a big draw this week. It has been busy sleeping off its activities in the scape in front of the Saltholme Pools hide, giving visitors very good views. The visitors have also been able to compare it to the nearby Black-headed gulls; birds are usually not that kind when it comes to helping with identification, so we’re making the most of this opportunity. It would have been even better if we could mark the position of the Little Gull with a little buoy but hey ho, benefit of hindsight.
Grasshopper warblers can ‘throw’ their voice, meaning their location is often difficult to pinpoint. Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images
Another worthy mention this week is the Grasshopper Warbler. One has been singing its heart out on the path towards Saltholme Pools. As the name would suggest, its song sounds very like the churring of a grasshopper. So, listen out for this wonderful warbler on your next visit.
The caterpillars of the puss moth feed on poplars and willows. Image Credit: Iain Leach, Butterfly Conservation.
We will finish off this week’s blog with an invertebrate sighting- we just couldn’t gloss over the Puss Moth that was showing off by the Wildlife Watchpoint hide on Saturday. Named after the adult’s cat-like features, this moth is a beautiful snowy white. The caterpillars are also not to be sneezed at- did you know they can squirt formic acid at potential predators? RSPB Saltholme has plenty of interesting and unusual invertebrate species, including a wide range of moths. Want more information? Just ask a member of staff!
But for now, we will leave you with the latest video filmed by one of our hide guides- Ian Robinson. It’s a great summary of the activity on the reserve but, of course, nothing quite compares with visiting us in-person. We hope to see you soon!
References and Additional Reading
Butterfly Conservation (2023). Puss Moth [webpage]. Accessed through https://butterfly-conservation.org/moths/puss-moth [11/05/2023].
Immediate Media Company Limited (2023). 6 Common Tern facts you need to know [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/birds/facts-about-common-terns/ [last accessed 11/05/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Black-headed Gull [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/black-headed-gull/ [last accessed 11/05/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Common Tern [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/common-tern/ [last accessed 11/05/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Grasshopper Warbler [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/grasshopper-warbler/ [last accessed 11/05/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Little Gull [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/little-gull/ [last accessed 11/05/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Sand Martin [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/sand-martin/ [last accessed 11/05/2023].