Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images
Another week, another blog! That’s right, there are more wonderful wildlife sightings to read about, more conservation work to explore and more events on the horizon. Read on to discover what has been happening at RSPB Saltholme this week…
News from the Estate:
If you read this blog regularly, you will have noticed by now that our Estates Team and Work Party are multi-talented, taking on a wide range of conservation and management tasks throughout the year. This week has been no exception; not letting the dismal Tuesday weather put them off, the team set to work sprucing up the hide interiors. Our wildlife hides have been swept, scrubbed and dusted to within an inch of their lives, ready to greet the next wave of visitors.
With fairer skies on Thursday, the team turned their attention to hedging whips. Hedging whips are young plants that are grown to a certain height (often under 1 metre) before being planted in existing hedgerows or being used to create new hedges. The work party set to work digging up these hedging whips in preparation for our Youth Ranger team to plant this Saturday.
Hedgerows are important for keeping livestock in (and out) of certain areas, but they also function as ‘wildlife corridors’. A wildlife corridor is something that connects fragmented habitats, allowing species to move between these areas. They are hugely important for giving wildlife access to food, shelter and breeding opportunities. So, these hedging whips are an important part of the future conservation work we have planned at Saltholme.
What’s On:
Speaking of conservation work, YOU can contribute to the monitoring and therefore maintenance of garden bird populations. How? By taking part in the largest wildlife survey in the world- the Big Garden Birdwatch. It’s very easy to get involved in this citizen science project- you don’t need to be an expert in bird identification, or even have a garden. Simply sign up here and we will provide you with easy-to-use identification guides and instructions. If you’re still unsure or would like a stress-free practice before the Big Garden Birdwatch commences (27-29 January), come along to Saltholme on 22 January. Staff and volunteers will be on-hand to talk you through the survey process, help you identify birds and tell you more about what the Big Garden Birdwatch is all about. We hope to see you there!
Recent Sightings:
Lapwing numbers have declined rapidly in recent years. Changes to farming practices are one of the pressures this species faces. Image Credit: Lockhart Horsburgh
It can be easy to forget that ‘common’ species are just as spectacular as the rarities we see at Saltholme. In fact, some of the wildlife you are guaranteed to witness on our reserve is not as common as you think. For example, did you know that the lapwing is a Red List species, meaning it has the highest possible level of conservation concern in the UK? It’s hard to imagine the dramatic population declines of this beautiful ground-nesting bird when you see them at Saltholme. This week, we have been treated to incredible lapwing murmurations over the Saltholme Pools hide this week- over 1000 of these birds (also known as ‘Peewits’) wheeling through the air is always a spectacle.
As well as the eponymous white markings, the white-fronted goose also has bold black bars on its belly. Image Credit: Andy Hay, RSPB Images
A white-fronted goose also entertained visitors at the Saltholme Pools hide this week. No, this is not a bird in a clean apron; this goose gets its name from its white facial markings. Interestingly, you can tell where an individual white-fronted goose has travelled from by looking at the colour of its bill- birds that breed in Siberia have pink bills, whereas Greenland birds have orange bills.
Image Credit: Garry Hird
It seems to all be happening at Saltholme Pools this time- a spoonbill dropped in to say ‘hi’ in the early stages of the week. It spent most of its time sleeping with its amazing bill tucked under a wing, but we knew it was there and that’s the main thing.
Did you know that roe deer change colour with the seasons? They are a reddish-brown in summer, and more grey in winter. Image Credit: Ben Hall, RSPB Images
And just in case you thought it was just birds we are interested in, we will also mention the beautiful roe deer that were seen in various areas of the reserve. This deer has been present in the UK since before the Mesolithic Era (6000 to 10000 BC) and as such are a critical component of UK ecosystems. There can be issues caused by the sheer number of deer in Britain (their natural predators were hunted to extinction hundreds of years ago), but they remain a beautiful animal and one that deserves its fair share of the limelight.
As usual, we do not have enough time to mention all the incredible species that have been seen on our reserve this week. Fancy a more detailed summary? Watch this video, filmed by Ian Robinson, to see what else has been present recently.
Well, that’s all we have time for this week. No great auks or dodos to mention, but we are very grateful for the amazing species that visit our site so often that we can get quite blasé about them. What will you see on your next visit?
References and Additional Reading
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Lapwing [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/lapwing/ [last accessed 12/01/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Spoonbill [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/spoonbill/ [last accessed 12/01/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). White-fronted Goose [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/white-fronted-goose/ [last accessed 12/01/2023].
The British Deer Society (2023). Roe Deer [webpage]. Accessed through https://bds.org.uk/information-advice/about-deer/deer-species/roe-deer/ [last accessed 12/01/2023].