Image Credit: Ian Francis, RSPB Images
Autumn is well and truly here; Saltholme has been a kaleidoscope of colours, species and sunshine this week. With so much to take in, you could be forgiven for feeling that it’s impossible to see everything in one visit. What a good thing we’re going to summarise everything for you in this blog! Read on for more…
News from the Estate:
You never know what you will find at Saltholme! This ‘species’ was probably created and displayed at one of our past ‘Yarn Bombing’ events- it’s been living in the pond since before covid! Image Credit: Matthew Scarborough.
The first wild and wonderful species sighting of the week was a knitted walrus- affectionately dubbed the ‘Saltholme Bog Monster’- that was found in the Walled Garden pond. The reason it was unearthed was because the work party were clearing the pond of any overly enthusiastic vegetation. As well as the opportunity to find hidden knitted treasures, clearing the middle of the pond gives non-knitted species the chance to hunt effectively. This is particularly true of dragonflies- these hunters need vegetation around the edges of ponds to rest, but prefer to hunt over open water. By keeping the middle of the pond clear but leaving vegetation around the edges, we’re making sure both these conditions are satisfied. It probably helps the ‘Bog Monsters’ too.
Species such as the Water Rail are seen from the Wildlife Watchpoint hide relatively frequently. Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images.
If you make a point to watch the wildlife at the Wildlife Watchpoint, you will now be able to point out the wildlife you are watching from the Wildlife Watchpoint more effectively. Why? Because the wardens and work party have made a point of clearing vegetation from in front of the Wildlife Watchpoint, allowing you to watch the wildlife more pointedly! So, make sure to check out their hard work on your next visit.
What’s On:
It’s not only adults that come here to discover Saltholme’s wildlife. Children make up a huge proportion of our annual visitor numbers. A huge proportion of this huge proportion visit us as part of a school trip, lead by our amazing Learning Team. This week, classes from two different schools have had the national curriculum brought to life through sessions including pond dipping, birdwatching, geography fieldwork, habitat studies and minibeast hunting. From the Visitor Centre, it's fantastic to hear the excited shrieks that accompany the children discovering nature and how it relates to them and their lives. What’s even better is the learning doesn’t stop with the session! Thanks to some handy leaflets given to the schoolchildren at the end of their session, many of the children return with their parents or carers (who get free entry for a visit with the leaflet) to enjoy Saltholme all over again. So, the number of children that attend as part of a school trip is only part of the story; the 1,816 children that have visited with their schools this financial year went home and told their parents or carers, friends and wider family. Those that would never dream of going to a nature reserve by themselves may join the next generation of nature-lovers. In fact, that’s already happening!
And to keep these children and families coming, having a diverse and accessible programme of events is also crucial. October half-term is a vital part of this and we certainly have plenty of activities to offer! You could get involved with:
The Saltholme Sorcerer is back and wants to make a spell to help UK wildlife. However, she’s lost all the ingredients! What may be inconvenient for her is very convenient for us, because it means YOU can have some fun finding the ingredients for her. Each ingredient relates to a special Saltholme species, so you can discover incredible facts about these animals as you complete the trail! Oh, and you get a wand to help you…just ask at the Welcome Desk!
Speaking of discovery, our Nature Quest packs (available to hire from the Welcome Desk) are the ideal way to explore our nature reserve. Each pack comes with all the equipment you need to complete the ‘quests’ set out in the booklet (included). And it’s not just for children- everyone in the group gets a role and the chance to get involved, so this is the perfect way to have some family bonding time. Just ask at the Welcome Desk to get started.
Ok, ok. We know that the weather during October half-term can very occasionally be slightly dodgy. We’re also aware that, despite the magnificence of our nature reserve, you may not always want to get out a snorkel or don a pair of waders to enjoy it when the weather is a little off. But don’t let the Great British Weather put you off visiting! This half-term, we are providing indoor nature-themed games so you can still appreciate the wonders of the natural world even if the natural world is throwing water at you.
Recent Sightings:
A male Kingfisher is often seen fishing from the Sand Martin nesting bank. However, before this week it has never sat above the ‘K’ column. The columns are labelled to help with surveying the Sand Martins in the summer. Image Credit: Andy Hay, RSPB Images.
The first and most important thing to mention this week is that the Kingfisher has learned to read. Ok, we are prepared to accept it might just be coincidental, but the staff and volunteers have been using willpower for months to persuade the male Kingfisher that uses the Sand Martin nesting bank as a fishing perch to use the column labelled ‘K’. Before this week, it was a case of ‘so close yet so far’- I, J and L have all been used, with ‘I’ being the preferred column. However, major celebrations arose this week when the K for Kingfisher column was used for the first time! Of course, it’s always lovely just to see a Kingfisher too…
Pink-footed Geese can be identified when flying by their ‘wink, wink’ call. Image Credit: Andy Hay, RSPB Images.
On Thursday, about 120 Pink-footed Geese landed on the wet grassland by Paddy’s Pool hide. We have been lucky enough to witness huge skeins of these geese flying over Saltholme in the last few weeks, but seeing one of these skeins land is something else!
The Twite is closely related to the Linnet, but has a shorter beak and tail. Image Credit: Les Bunyan, RSPB Images.
To round off the blog this week, we have to mention the Twite that landed literally right in front of the Saltholme Pools hide on Thursday afternoon. Twite have experienced dramatic population declines in recent years- 80% between 1990 and 2000 in the southern Pennines- and so seeing them is always special.
As you can see, Saltholme is full of special species, awesome events and critical conservation work. By visiting us, you contribute to all of this! Your support and enthusiasm ensures nature is protected tomorrow as well as today, so we hope to see you soon!
References and Additional Reading
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2024). Kingfisher [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/kingfisher [last accessed 25/10/2024].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2024). Pink-footed Goose [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/pink-footed-goose [last accessed 25/10/2024].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2024). Twite [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/twite [last accessed 25/10/2024].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2024). Twite Conservation- advice for Farmers [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/helping-nature/what-we-do/influence-government-and-business/farming/advice-for-farmers-helping-bird-species/twite-conservation-advice-for-farmers [last accessed 25/10/2024].