Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images
We would be lying if we said the weather had been nice this week. Yes, we may be a wetland reserve, but we don’t reckon much to being this wet IN AUGUST. But we haven’t let the rain dampen our spirits, and the wildlife has still put on an incredible show for the summer holidays. So read on to hear all about this week at Saltholme…
News from the Estate:
The caterpillars of Cinnabar Moths love to feed on Ragwort! Image Credit: Bob Eade, Butterfly Conservation
The Estates Team deserve a medal for testing the limits of RSPB waterproofs this week (they found the limit and actually exceeded it on multiple occasions). Whatever the weather, they are out and about making sure the reserve is functioning well for the wetland ecosystems we support, and looking good for the visitors we welcome to our site.
This week, the team have been busy pulling Ragwort from our meadows. As with most things in conservation, there is a seasonality to tasks. Late July to early August is ragwort-pulling time. Why? Well, you don’t want to pull the ragwort too early because it is the food plant of many insect species, including the Cinnabar Moth. These insects in turn either pollinate wildflowers or provide food for birds such as the Cuckoo (more on Cuckoos later). But you don’t want to pull the ragwort too late either, because it is toxic to livestock and can cause serious problems if it is accidentally incorporated into a hay crop. But there is no need to worry as the team are on it!
As well as wrangling ragwort, the team have also been weaving willow to rebuild our willow maze. As the willow grows, we are weaving the branches to create walls and paths. Once completed, the refurbished maze will provide endless entertainment (well, hopefully not endless…we have made it so you can find your way out of the maze again) for visitors.
What’s On:
If you work or volunteer on a nature reserve, or have ever worked with children and/or animals, you will know that plans can very quickly fly out of the window (quite literally, in the case of birds). That’s where ingenuity comes in very handy. When rain stopped play for meadow sweeping (meadow too wet) and pond dipping (paths, boardwalks and ponds merged into one), we decided to create some indoor craft activities instead. So, for a nominal charge of £1 per child, you can visit Saltholme and model your favourite animal out of clay or paint it on a rock. You could take inspiration from what you see on your walk around our site or, if the rain persists, look out from our viewing gallery to see what you can find.
Of course, don’t let water falling from the sky put you off going outside either! Our Welly Splash is incredible at the moment and has extended to quite a lot of our footpaths, so put your wellies on and see how many puddles you can find (this includes adults, by the way). Or shelter in our bird hides and see what wildlife is visible (read on for our recent sightings) through the rain. Why not try the garden games that are just outside our Visitor Centre? Hopscotch is so much more fun in the rain, as is hook-a-duck!
See? This week is proof that stubborn optimism and a burst of inventive inclination are enough to defeat the weather’s plans to ruin the summer holidays. So visit Saltholme soon for an ensured summer of fun!
Recent Sightings:
Bitterns are part of the heron family; they are much stockier than the Grey Heron and are a mottled brown colour. Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images
If you think the birds had bittern off more than they could chew with displaying so well in the rain, think again! You may have guessed it, but we have had amazing views of Bittern this week from the Phil Stead and Wildlife Watchpoint hides as well as the Haverton Viewpoint. Who knows…maybe this is one of Saltholme’s first brood of Bitterns from last summer! Want to learn more? Read this article.
Female Sparrowhawks are larger than males, with brown backs and barring on the chest. Males have grey backs and orange barring on the chest. Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images.
The Wildlife Watchpoint was certainly the place to be this week. As well as the Bittern, this hide also offered amazing views of a hunting Sparrowhawk. Sparrowhawks are adapted for hunting in confined spaces such as woodland or indeed reedbeds. This is also a Bird of Prey that is commonly seen in suburban gardens.
Water Rails could be mistaken for Moorhens, but are smaller and have longer bills. Their tail is also much more upright. Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images.
Also at the Wildlife Watchpoint, carefully avoiding the Sparrowhawk, were some of our resident Water Rails. These birds love the dense reedbeds of Saltholme, spending most of their time hidden amongst the vegetation. When you do see them, it’s very often a brief view of their tail disappearing back into cover. But the views this week have been much more prolonged, with some Water Rails even posing in front of the hide windows!
Cuckoos migrate to Africa to avoid the UK winter. Adult Cuckoos tend to be some of the first birds to leave the UK as they lay their eggs in the nest of other birds and so do not need to stay to raise the chicks. Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images.
The final sighting from the Wildlife Watchpoint was the Cuckoo that was also seen at the Phil Stead hide and along the Dragonfly Path. We think this bird is a juvenile that has recently fledged from the nest of a Reed Warbler. Keep your eyes peeled on your next visit!
Around 170,000 pairs of Wheatear breed in the UK each year. Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images.
A Wheatear was seen from the Dragonfly Path (towards Saltholme Pools) this week. These birds tend to use Saltholme as a stopover point on their way to and from their breeding grounds, so the presence of this invidual is a sign of approaching autumn...
...but it's not quite autumn yet!
Grey Plover often spend the winter in the UK, with over 33,000 birds recorded every year. Image Credit: Observation.org.
And last but certainly not least is the Grey Plover that was seen in full summer plumage from the Paddy’s Pool hide. What’s so special about the summer plumage? Well, how often do you see a bird with gorgeous silver and black spotted upperparts, paired with striking black markings on the face, neck and belly? It really is a beautiful bird and one that we are very lucky to have on-site.
Well, that’s all we have time for this week; the summer holidays aren’t going to sort themselves so we shall have to leave you and go back to keeping Saltholme being awesome. Of course, you are more than welcome to come and experience Saltholme for yourself…why not visit in the next few weeks? We hope to see you soon!
References and Additional Reading
Butterfly Conservation (2023). Cinnabar Moth [webpage]. Accessed through https://butterfly-conservation.org/moths/cinnabar [last accessed 03/08/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Bittern [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/bittern/ [last accessed 03/08/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Cuckoo [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/cuckoo/ [last accessed 03/08/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Grey Plover [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/grey-plover/ [last accessed 03/08/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Reed Warbler [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/reed-warbler/ [last accessed 03/08/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Sparrowhawk [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/sparrowhawk/ [last accessed 03/08/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Water Rail [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/water-rail/ [last accessed 03/08/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Wheatear [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/wheatear/ [last accessed 04/08/2023].
The Wildlife Trusts (2023). Common Ragwort [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/wildflowers/common-ragwort [last accessed 03/08/2023].