Image Credit: Lockhart Horsburgh
Fasten your seatbelts…the blog will be functioning a little differently this week! Instead of our usual round-up of reserve life, we thought we would tell you a little bit more about some of our Star Species. These species may not be mentioned regularly in the blog- they are the species that are always here, quietly being amazing. It’s only fair to shine the spotlight on them once in a while, so read on for more!
Lapwing:
The first Lapwing chicks of the year were spotted on the Wet Grassland (by the Saltholme Pools hide) earlier this week. Image Credit: Matthew Scarborough.
The Northern Lapwing- also known as a Peewit- is present year-round at Saltholme. With their stylish head crest and iridescent feathers, Lapwings are certainly stunning birds. But there is more to them than their looks! Seen as we work on a nature reserve, you may think we are about to discuss entomology, but we’re actually going to tell you about etymology…
Lapwing eat worms and insects, so are mainly a farmland and wetland species where these food sources are plentiful. Their populations have declined due to changes in farming practices reducing these food sources. Image Credit: Ian Francis, RSPB Images.
The Latin name for the Lapwing is Vanellus vanellus. ‘Vanellus’ means ‘little fan’ which refers to the distinctive flight pattern of the Lapwing. The British name is just as interesting. It is believed Lapwing comes from the Old English for ‘leap with a flicker in it’, referring to the movement of large flocks of Lapwing and how they appear to flicker between white and black as their wings flap. How cool is that?! You can watch these amazing murmurations of Lapwing (yes, it’s not just Starlings that form murmurations) during the winter months at Saltholme.
Little Egret:
Little Egrets can often be seen fishing in the ponds and lakes at RSPB Saltholme. Image Credit: Matt Wilkinson, RSPB Images.
Over the course of the year, you can see not one, not two but THREE egret species at Saltholme. The smallest is the Little Egret, the largest is the Great White Egret and the egret-of-middling-height is the Cattle Egret. All three are fantastic species to have at Saltholme, but the one we are going to discuss here is the Little Egret.
Little Egrets are now so common at Saltholme that you are pretty much guaranteed to see one whenever you visit. But the Little Egret only started breeding in the UK (in Dorset) in 1996. In the following 28 years (yes, the 90s really are that long ago), their range has expanded considerably and they are now well-established as a breeding bird in this country. This is incredible, considering 130 years ago it was feared they would be hunted to extinction.
Believe it or not, this used to be considered the height of fashion. How times have changed. Image Credit: National Audubon Society
The Society for the Protection of Birds (later the RSPB) was created- in 1889 by Emily Williamson- to combat the negative effects of the Plumage Trade. In the 19th century, it was the height of fashion for Ladies’ Hats to sport bird feathers or indeed whole birds! As a result, beautiful white plumes of the Little Egret were more valuable than gold- one ounce of Egret plumes could fetch £15 (about £900 in today’s money)! You can start to see how the Plumage Trade was decimating populations of Little Egrets and many other species.
Fortunately, the RSPB campaigned successfully for these birds to be protected. In 1921, the efforts of the RSPB and other organisations led to the Plumage Act being passed. This act banned the importation of feathers, and so saved many species- including the Little Egret- from extinction. So, next time you see a Little Egret and brush it off as a common sighting, just remember how lucky we are to have so many of them and how easily it could have been very different.
Sand Martin:
The Sand Martin is also known as the Bank Swallow, due to its nesting habits. Image Credit: Ben Hall, RSPB Images.
The Sand Martins returning to Saltholme is one of our signs of Spring. Granted, they arrive in late March, leaving plenty of time for more sleet, rain, wind and general lack of sunlight. But we consider it a sign of Spring anyway. Once Spring has well and truly arrived, we get so many Sand Martins nesting in our artificial nesting bank (just by the Main Lake) that it can be easy to overlook them. However, they have had quite an incredible journey to get here!
The Sand Martin population has crashed twice in the last 50 years due to droughts in Africa. This shows the complications of conservation when species migrate over large distances; conservation needs to be coordinated along every aspect of the migration route! Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images.
Sand Martins are the smallest European hirundines (the group that makes up Swallows and martin species). Every year, these birds migrate to sub-Saharan Africa to spend the winter in warmer climes. This means, every year, they have to make the journey back to the UK and mainland Europe to breed. For a bird that only weighs 14 grams, this is quite a trek. And that’s just the start of the story! When they arrive, they feed up on small insects that fly around ponds and other bodies of water. The Sand Martins then get to work on digging burrows in river banks or sandy cliffs. These burrows can be up to one metre long and are where the Sand Martins lay their 4-5 eggs. As these birds nest in colonies, it really is quite a spectacular spectacle. Make sure to check out our artificial nesting bank on your next visit to Saltholme!
Speaking of your next visit to Saltholme…we hope you’re planning one! We’ve just given you a taster of some of the species you are likely to see. Every species at Saltholme has a unique story and deserves a moment in the spotlight. We’ve only had time to shine the light on three species in this blog, but speak to our Hide Guides when you next visit and hear more about Saltholme’s species stories!
References and Additional Reading
Jack Watkins (2021). Egrets: The birds whose plumage was once more valuable than gold — and whose plight inspired the creation of the RSPB [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.countrylife.co.uk/nature/egrets-the-birds-that-inspired-the-creation-of-the-rspb-229490 [last accessed 17/04/2024].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2024). Cattle Egret [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/cattle-egret [last accessed 16/04/2024].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2024). Great White Egret [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/great-white-egret [last accessed 16/04/2024].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2024). Lapwing [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/lapwing [last accessed 16/04/2024].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2024). Little Egret [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/little-egret [last accessed 16/04/2024].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2024). Sand Martin [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/sand-martin [last accessed 17/04/2024].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2024). Starling [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/starling [last accessed 16/04/2024].
The Wildlife Trusts (2024). Lapwing [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/birds/wading-birds/lapwing [last accessed 16/04/2024].
The Wildlife Trusts (2024). Sand Martin [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/birds/swallows-swift-martins-and-nightjar/sand-martin [last accessed 17/04/2024].