Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images
Congratulations. You have made it to Friday. You might not know how you got here but don’t worry, just join the club. As well as all the usual sections, to mark Remembrance Day we will start this blog with some facts about poppies. Read on to find out more!
The Flower of Remembrance- the Poppy:
Image Credit: Colin Wilkinson, RSPB Images
The poppy is a powerful symbol of remembrance. After this flower inspired John McCrae’s poem ‘In Flanders Fields’, it became adopted as a way of remembering those who have died in conflict. Here are some other facts about this flower:
News from the Estate:
Whilst they like to hunt in open water, dragonflies also need access to vegetation at the edges of ponds to lay eggs and to rest. Image Credit: Tm Hughes, RSPB Images.
Our work party have once again launched themselves joyfully into our Dragonfly Ponds to clear emergent vegetation from the centre of the water bodies. This means dragonflies will (hopefully) launch themselves even more joyfully into these habitats in the coming spring and summer. This is because dragonflies like to hunt across open water and providing a greater number of these spaces should encourage more of these amazing predators to establish territories there.
In case splashing in (admittedly very deep) puddles didn’t sound like enough fun, the team also got to work cutting and clearing reeds from the main drive. This is important to (a) keep the driveway clear and stop cars joining the wildlife, and (b) discourage the wildlife from joining the cars on the driveway.
And last but certainly not least, the work party have also been busy sowing yellow rattle seeds. Yellow rattle feeds off nutrients in the roots of nearby grasses. This weakens the grasses, which would otherwise dominate the habitat, allowing a greater range of wildflowers to flourish.
Not bad for a week’s work!
What’s On:
The murmurations may be the main event, but there are plenty of other amazing spectacles to experience at our Soup and Starlings event. The soup is one of them, but the Birds of Prey aren’t bad either. Image Credit: Ben Hurst, RSPB Images.
Our Soup and Starlings events have proven- once again- to be a great success. Yesterday, we upped the ante and livestreamed the starling murmurations to our Facebook page! We believe that spectacles such as the starlings should be accessible to everyone; if there was one positive outcome from covid, it was the improvement in digital access. It seems silly to waste it!
Unfortunately for us, the starlings had other ideas and didn’t perform for the camera. But we did see three marsh harriers, a kestrel and a barn owl to make up for it.
Didn’t catch the livestream? Not to worry. If you’re quick, there are still some tickets available for the Soup and Starlings event on Thursday 24 November.
Recent Sightings:
The goldeneye first nested in Scotland in 1970. Image Credit: Ben Hall, RSPB Images.
Firstly, the only duck that comes with a theme tune: goldeneye have been seen on both the Main Lake and at Saltholme Pools this week. These ducks are known for their breeding habits; they nest in trees close to water. When the ducklings are ready to fledge, they hurl themselves out of the tree and into the water below, where they rapidly learn how to swim. We don’t have anything quite that dramatic happening to the goldeneye at Saltholme- the ducks here have probably migrated from northern Europe to spend the winter here.
Short-eared owls are often seen hunting during the day. Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images.
Another species that over-winters here is the short-eared owl. Its ear tufts may not be the most spectacular, but don’t let that put you off. The birds you see at Saltholme may have flown from Scandinavia, Iceland or Russia to be here!
Long-tailed tits are described as ‘gregarious’, meaning they tend to live in large groups. Image Credit: Matt Wilkinson, RSPB Images
We’ll finish off this week by mentioning a species that is an- often overlooked- sign of winter: the long-tailed tit. Yes, they may be present in the UK throughout the year. But this species is known for being particularly sociable in the colder months, even forming flocks with other species. At night, they huddle together on sheltered branches to stay warm.
Once again, we will finish this blog before we finish recounting the list of species seen at Saltholme this week. In this respect, we are very much a victim of our own success…there are simply too many species to mention! But if you do want a more complete picture of what you can see on the reserve, watch this video, filmed by Ian Robinson.
So, we will leave you in peace to enjoy the approaching weekend. Who knows, maybe part of your weekend will be visiting Saltholme? We hope to see you soon!
References and Additional Reading
British Broadcasting Corporation (2022). Eight Surprising Facts about the Poppy [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/25h1K3CRrfRNkHpnS23tQs7/eight-surprising-facts-about-the-poppy [last accessed 09/11/2022].
Gardens Illustrated (2022). Ten facts you probably didn’t know about Poppies [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.gardensillustrated.com/plants/ten-facts-you-probably-didnt-know-about-poppies/ [last accessed 09/11/2022].
Royal British Legion (2022). The Poppy [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/get-involved/remembrance/about-remembrance/the-poppy [last accessed 10/11/2022].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2022). Barn Owl [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/barn-owl/ [last accessed 11/11/2022].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2022). Goldeneye [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/goldeneye/ [last accessed 10/11/2022].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2022). Kestrel [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/kestrel/ [last accessed 11/11/2022].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2022). Long-tailed Tit [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/long-tailed-tit/ [last accessed 11/11/2022].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2022). Marsh Harrier [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/marsh-harrier/ [last accessed 11/11/2022].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2022). Short-eared Owl [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/short-eared-owl/ [last accessed 11/11/2022].
The Wildlife Trusts (2022). Common Poppy [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/wildflowers/common-poppy [last accessed 09/11/2022].
The Wildlife Trusts (2022). Long-tailed Tit [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/birds/tits-crests-and-warblers/long-tailed-tit [last accessed 11/11/2022].
The Wildlife Trusts (2022). Yellow Rattle [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/wildflowers/yellow-rattle [last accessed 10/11/2022].