Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images
If you feel like this year is just floating away, you’re probably right. The rain has been nothing if not persistent this week, but we haven’t let that dampen our spirits. In fact, you could even say this week has gone swimmingly. Read on for more!
News from the Estate:
As everyone was getting soaked anyway, it made sense for our wonderful wardens to don waders and continue weeding the tern islands on the Main Lake. The purpose of this is twofold. Firstly, the Common Terns who breed here over the summer like to nest on bare ground. By weeding the islands now, at the time of the year when the weeds won’t immediately grow back, we are making sure the islands are ready and prepped for the re-tern (get it?) of these beautiful birds. Secondly, the weeded weeds are thrown into the lake. There, they rot down and provide a sludgy but nutritious food for water invertebrates. These creatures in turn feed the birds that spend their winter on our reserve.
What’s On:
Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images.
Because of the amount of water that has fallen from the sky, you probably know that it’s October half-term this week and families have been desperately trying to keep children entertained. Fortunately, Saltholme has been on-hand to provide fun in several forms, both on our reserve and elsewhere…
If you haven’t heard already, a wicked Wizard tried to steal all the Saltholme Sorcerer’s wands! Fortunately, the wildlife (of the knitted variety) of Saltholme was there to help the Sorcerer. They arranged themselves very neatly (using reusable cable ties and string) to various trail boards, fences and posts around the lake walk, so all the children had to do was count the number of each animal and do some very simple maths to find the code to the wand box. Safe to say, the Sorcerer has been very grateful for all your help so far! If you haven’t had a chance to try out this trail yet, you have until Sunday 5 November, so come along and give it a go!
When the weather is…inclement, it’s always good to know there are indoor activities available. This half-term, we launched our Storytelling Sessions! An interactive telling of a wildlife-themed story is followed by a craft activity. It lasts an hour and only costs £2.50 per child (adults get to tag along for free!), so why not visit us between now and the end of half-term for your chance to get involved?
The great thing about working in conservation (either paid or as a volunteer) is that you are surrounded by people that share your passion for nature and its protection. It is relatively common to walk into our Visitor Centre to find 90% of our staff huddled around an interesting-looking moth or unusual earwig. If there’s a rare bird sighting it’s out-and-out pandemonium.
But it’s very important that we don’t just keep this enthusiasm to ourselves. Nature is in trouble and collectively we need to help out. In part, this means raising the next generation to care for our wildlife. Even if wildlife isn’t your cup of tea, it’s still critical that you know how important it is to everyday life. So on Thursday a team from Saltholme headed over to Palace Green in Durham to run a stall at Celebrate Science. This 3-day event, run by Durham University, brings together all the forms of science so children and young people can ‘carry out amazing experiments, participate in astonishing hands-on activities and create their very own inventions!’.
We created a plant survey activity, in which children (and associated adults) could learn about how to count the gazillions (technical term) of flowers and why it’s important to do so. Nearly 1100 people walked through the marquee doors on Thursday alone, so think of what that means for the number of potential future conservationists!
Recent Sightings:
There are signs everywhere of winter winging its way towards us. Fortunately, these signs are not limited to wild winds and driving rain (although these are included). Here are some happier signs of the approaching season:
Waxwings are winter visitors to the UK. Some years, we get bumper numbers of Waxwings. These are called ‘irruptions’. Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images.
The Waxwings are back! Waxwings don’t breed in the UK, but visit us in the winter to feast on the abundance of berries that grow here. Today (Friday 3 November), 11 Waxwings were seen in our car park, before flying off to see what other berries they could find elsewhere on the reserve.
The Whooper Swans seen in the UK are mainly winter visitors from Iceland. Image Credit: Ben Hall, RSPB Images.
The next species on our list is the Whooper Swan. As well as many sightings of these huge birds flying over our reserve, some of then landed at Saltholme Pools to remind visitors of the approaching season of frosty mornings, cosy blankets and hot drinks.
In flight, the Pink-footed Goose can be identified by its call of ‘wink-wink’. Image Credit: Andy Hay, RSPB Images.
Speaking of flying over, the final species we will mention is the Pink-footed Goose. Huge skeins of these geese have been flying over Saltholme all week. As well as being a sign of the season, this is a real spectacle!
Fancy seeing our wildlife spectacles in-person (would that make our Visitor Centre a spectacle receptacle?) or simply want to explore our reserve? Come and visit us!
References and Additional Reading
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Common Tern [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/common-tern [last accessed 03/11/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Pink-footed Goose [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/pink-footed-goose [last accessed 03/11/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Waxwing [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/waxwing [last accessed 03/11/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Whooper Swan [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/whooper-swan [last accessed 03/11/2023].