Saltholme is the place to be!

Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images

The first week of the Easter holidays is nearly over, and the Easter weekend is upon us. And with the bank holidays promising to be very un-bank-holiday-ish in terms of how dry and sunny they will be, Saltholme has proved a popular location for families and birdwatchers alike. It is also the place to be if you're a bird returning from your winter haunts! Read on to discover what has been happening this week.

News from the Estate:

As usual, our estates team have been working hard to keep the reserve running smoothly. Our hides have had a spring clean (no pun intended) ready for the Easter weekend. And if that wasn’t enough, the overflow car park has also been cleared of cut vegetation and leaves, ready for (we hope) the hordes of visitors eager to learn more about wetland wildlife.

What’s On:

Image Credit: Jake Stephen, RSPB Images

With the Easter holidays in full swing, there is a lot going on at Saltholme. Lots of children have completed our Easter Activity Trail, and have learned lots about how to tell the difference between bird eggs. Trail sheets are available from the front desk for £1. They will be available throughout the Easter holidays.

And the fun doesn’t stop there- pond dipping returned to Saltholme today! This ever-popular activity is great for children (and adults) of all ages. With Nature Activity Leaders on-hand to help you identify what you catch, these half-hour sessions are both fun and informative. Book at the front desk on arrival (£2.80 for members, £3.50 for non-members).

You can also join in with our Easter Egg Hunt. Listen to a story, and then find one of the plastic eggs hidden around our Discovery Zone. Take this egg back to the visitor centre, to exchange for a chocolate egg (free-from options are available)!

Recent Sightings:

Saltholme is gearing up for summer, with birds returning from their winter haunts to make the most of the UK spring- and summertime!

Image Credit: Mike Langman, RSPB Images

Some of our Mediterranean Gulls were seen courting on Monday, and building what looked suspiciously like a nest! This is hugely exciting news, as these birds bred for the first time at Saltholme only last year; birds returning here to breed suggests Saltholme is becoming a favourite site for these birds.

Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images

And the sand martins are back! These birds will have returned from spending the winter on the continent of Africa. They dig burrows in sand banks to nest in, and so you will see them hanging around the purpose-built Sand Martin bank by our visitor centre. We have also seen house martins on the reserve this week. These birds don’t nest in sandy banks, but build their nests out of mud.

A water vole was spotted building a platform in the pond by our main entrance. Water voles are one of Britain’s most endangered mammals, so it’s lovely to see them thriving on our site.

Image Credit: Chris Gomersall, RSPB Images

And that is not all! In one morning, we have seen yellow wagtail, sedge warbler, reed warbler and a ring ouzel at various locations around the Saltholme reserve. Furthermore, a ruddy shelduck was seen by some lucky visitors on Wednesday at the Saltholme Pools hide.

Phew! That was a lot of species to mention in one blog post. But it was worth the effort to show you just how much incredible wildlife we have on-site. We hope to see you at Saltholme very soon to experience it for yourself!

References and Additional Reading

Beauty of Birds (2020). Ruddy Shelduck [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.beautyofbirds.com/ruddyshelduck.html [last accessed 14/04/2022].

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2022). House Martin [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/house-martin/ [last accessed 13/04/2022].

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2022). Mediterranean Gull [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/mediterranean-gull/ [last accessed 13/04/2022].

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2022). Reed Warbler [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/reed-warbler/ [last accessed 14/04/2022].

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2022). Ring Ouzel [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/ring-ouzel/ [last accessed 14/04/2022].

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2022). Sand Martin [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/sand-martin/ [last accessed 13/04/2022].

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2022). Sedge Warbler [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/sedge-warbler/ [last accessed 14/04/2022].

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2022). Yellow Wagtail [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/yellow-wagtail/ [last accessed 14/04/2022].

The Wildlife Trusts (2022). Sand Martin [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/birds/swallows-swift-martins-and-nightjar/sand-martin [last accessed 13/04/2022].

The Wildlife Trusts (2022). Water Vole [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/mammals/water-vole [last accessed 13/04/2022]