Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images
You know what one of the many great things about a nature reserve is? No matter what the weather, what the time of year, what day it is or how many jobs you have to do, there is always something to see and enjoy. So, you might be struggling with where we are in the week (bank holidays do that to you) or where the sun has gone, but settle down and read on. We guarantee it will cheer you up!
News from the Estate:
Tern rafts mimic the natural nesting habitats of terns. By providing more nesting sites, we hope to boost the breeding success of these birds. Image Credit: Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.
As well as continuing their work creating basking spots for sun-loving insects, the estates team have been creating nesting spots for the incoming Common Terns. We use specially-designed tern rafts (pictured above) to provide these birds with the ‘shingle beaches’ on which they prefer to raise their young. The team have been hard at work prepping these man-made islands to launch later this month; by waiting until the terns have arrived and settled, we ensure other species such as the Black-headed gulls don’t take over all the available nesting spots before the terns finish their 2000+ mile migration!
In addition to helping birds find the ideal starter home, the work party have also been busy cutting vegetation around the stems of Japanese Knotweed. This plant is an invasive species, meaning it spreads rapidly and can thus out-compete smaller plants and shrubs. It can be very hard to control but, by removing vegetation from around its stems, the team will find it easier to apply herbicide to the roots of this plant without affecting other species in the area. Don’t worry, we will not be applying any herbicides during the nesting season- this is a winter task that we are simply preparing for!
What’s On:
If you are confused as to what day it is, join the club. With bank holidays coming out of our ears, May is shaping up to be a busy month! But bank holidays mean plenty of family fun to enjoy at Saltholme. We’re running Pond Dipping sessions over the coronation bank holiday (10am-3pm, ask at the Welcome Desk when you arrive) as well as giving you the opportunity to learn about ‘Royal Birds’. Want to hear more? Well, we’re not going to tell you any more…you’ll just have to visit our reserve, won’t you?
What we will tell you about is that we’re running a pilot Nature Tots session on 15 May. If you have pre-school children, click on the link above for the opportunity to discover what lurks beneath the surface of our ponds. This includes learning about how tadpoles turn into frogs! Not bad for the reduced pilot price of £4.50 (£3.70 for RSPB Members). Why not come along and give it a go?
Recent Sightings:
Arctic Terns are also known as ‘Sea Swallows’. They are known for their incredible migration journeys- they spend the summer in the UK, and then during our winter months can travel as far as Antarctica! Image Credit: Louise Greenhorn, RSPB Images.
With the Common Terns beginning to settle in, some Arctic Terns decided they wanted a share of the attention. Once of the ways to tell these two species apart is to look at the bill- Common Terns have a black spot at the tip of the bill, whereas Arctic Terns do not. Arctic Terns also tend to have longer tail streamers, but this is a less reliable identification tool. How very convenient then that the two species have been seen side-by-side on the Main Lake! It’s the perfect excuse to have a wonderful day out at Saltholme and see how many differences you can find between the two terns.
Grey Partridges are ground-nesting birds that are now a red-list species. Their numbers are declining mainly due to habitat loss. Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images
Now we may not have many pear trees on our reserve, but this week we did have partridges! Grey Partridges, to be exact. In fact, Grey Partridges are not usually seen anywhere near pear trees, but instead are found on farmland. On our reserve, they were seen from our Haverton Viewpoint.
Lesser Whitethroats are smaller than Whitethroats and have darker cheek feathers. Image Credit: Philip Croft, British Trust for Ornithology.
Having had Whitethroat on the reserve last week, Thursday and Friday brought Lesser Whitethroat to Saltholme. Another migratory species, the Lesser Whitethroat travels from East Africa to spend its summer in the UK. Quite impressive for something that weighs the equivalent of 12 paperclips!
Swifts are incredible fliers- they eat, sleep, bathe and even mate on the wing! Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images.
Next on the list is the world’s fastest bird in level flight- the Swift! As their name suggests, these birds can reach speeds of 69 miles per hour! The individuals seen on our reserve have just returned from Africa. They are here to make the most of the flying insects that many of our visitors (and staff) have been inadvertently chewing on for the past few weeks. What is even more incredible is that Swifts mate for life, and so are reunited with their partners here at Saltholme after a journey of more than 3000 miles! Nature is incredible.
As well as migratory new arrivals, there are plenty of eggs hatching at Saltholme! Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images
The blog would not be complete without mentioning the latest reserve arrivals. Visitors and staff have been treated to Canada Geese proudly showing off their seven goslings by the Visitor Centre feeders. If that wasn’t enough for you, you could also admire the mini Moorhens (technical term) from the bridge leading to our main entrance. More and more Lapwing chicks are also emerging at Saltholme Pools, and have been foraging for food right outside the Saltholme Pools hide! All these chicks are precocial (this is an actual technical term), meaning they are capable of movement and independent feeding almost immediately after hatching.
Still not enough of a round-up for you? No worries! One of our hide guides- Ian Robinson- has a video that shows off even more of Saltholme’s species. Why not watch it to whet your appetite ahead of your next visit?
References and Additional Reading
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Arctic Tern [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/arctic-tern/ [last accessed 05/05/2023].
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 04/05/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Canada Goose [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/canada-goose/ [last accessed 05/05/2023].
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 04/05/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Grey Partridge [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/grey-partridge/ [last accessed 05/05/2023].
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 05/05/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Lesser Whitethroat [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/lesser-whitethroat/ [last accessed 05/05/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Moorhen [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/moorhen/ [last accessed 05/05/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Swift [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/swift/ [last accessed 05/05/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Whitethroat [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/whitethroat/ [last accessed 05/05/2023].
The Royal Horticultural Society (2023). Japanese Knotweed [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rhs.org.uk/weeds/japanese-knotweed [last accessed 04/05/2023].