Image Credit: Andy Hay, RSPB Images
What’s that strange yellow thing in the sky? It’s been warming everything up and has brought lots of lovely visitors to Saltholme. With the clouds and rain gone (for the time being, anyway), it has certainly been a busy week for our reserve. Want to hear what we have been up to? Read on!
News from the Estate:
Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images
With the sun shining, the Estates team have been out-and-about and very busy. They were out-and-about and very busy when it was pouring with rain, but it’s much the sunshine has made everything that little bit more pleasant. Here’s what they have been up to:
The Wetland Bird Survey- or WeBS- has been running since 1947. In this survey, non-breeding waterbirds are counted every month to gather data on population trends. Using this data, we can see how the numbers of each species have changed over time, and if their distribution (where they are in the country or the world) has also changed. This informs future conservation policies and can also help to identify or even predict causes of declines in certain bird species. As you can tell, these counts are very important, particularly in light of climate change and the effect this has on wildlife.
On Wednesday, our team of WeBS volunteers (yes, that means you could get involved too!) set about counting all the wetland birds that set foot on our site. We’re busy collating all the results as we speak, but safe to say this information will be put to good use in our conservation policies.
When it comes to protecting the environment and providing a home for nature, communication and collaboration are key. That is why we are always very happy to work with and learn from other conservation organisations. This week, apprentices from North York Moors National Park visited to help us clear vegetation in front of the Saltholme Pools hide. Not only does this mean visitors can see birds more clearly, but it also means we can enhance Saltholme Pools’ wildlife potential…
The vegetation that has been cleared from the front of the hide has not been taken away. Instead, it has been put in the Pools themselves. As the vegetation rots down it provides a nutritious food source for invertebrates that live in the water, which in turn are food for the wading birds that visit us in the autumn months.
You’ll have heard the expression ‘Make hay while the sun shines’? Well, the sun is shining and we are making hay. In order to make good hay, we need to remove ragwort from the fields about to be cut. This is because ragwort, although fantastic as a food plant for a range of insects, is poisonous to livestock. We leave the ragwort growing for as long as possible to encourage insects to breed here, but then remove this bright yellow plant from fields about to be cut for hay so that it doesn’t make cattle and horses ill.
The clue is in the name for this species…it’s a thistle that creeps. Creeping Thistle is the UK’s most common species of thistle because its roots ‘creep’ and therefore allow this plant to expand its distribution. Although an important food source for farmland birds, Creeping Thistle has started to dominate in areas around our Wildflower Walk and out-compete other wildflowers which are also important food sources for insects and birds. The Estates Team have started to remove some of the Creeping Thistle from this area to prevent this happening.
Ok. Let’s pause a moment and take a deep breath. Stand up and make yourself a cup of tea and/or coffee because that was a LOT of information. The next section will be shorter but just as informative…
What’s On:
This week has seen the triumphant return of the SALTHOLME SAFARI. What, you haven’t heard of it? No worries. You’ve got that cup of tea/coffee you made at the end of the last section so we’ve got plenty of time to tell you all about it…
As you all know, Saltholme is an incredible place. There is always something new to discover and wonderful wildlife to watch. In fact, there is so much to see and do that for some of the younger visitors it could be a bit overwhelming. That is why we created the Saltholme Safari- a guided tour of our Discovery Zone that introduces children and their families to our reserve through a series of ‘taster’ activities. In one hour, you can try your hand at identifying birds from their calls, hunting for minibeasts, creating amazing natural art, and using binoculars to find birds at our Wildlife Watchpoint hide. That means- for just £2.50 per child (£2 for RSPB members)- we are giving families the tools they need to explore nature for not just the rest of their visit, but for the rest of many other visits to our reserve and any other place where you can find nature (which is, basically, anywhere). Sounds good, doesn’t it? Why don’t you visit and give it a go?
Recent Sightings:
It’s just the visitors that have flocked to Saltholme over the last 7 days- the wildlife has been out in force too!
Egyptian geese escaped from captivity and now breed successfully in the wild. Around 1850 breeding pairs are recorded annually. Image Credit: Mike Langman, RSPB Images.
Firstly, an Egyptian Goose entertained visitors at both the Main Lake and Paddy’s Pool (not at the same time, obviously). Look out for the distinctive brown eye patches and the white wing patches.
The Greenshank is mainly a passage migrant to Saltholme, meaning they only stop here briefly to rest and refuel. They breed in northern Scotland (and further north too). Image Credit: Andy Hay, RSPB Images.
We are also starting to get reports of Greenshank. These wonderful waders use Saltholme as a stopover point before continuing their onward migration journey. As they eat worms, snails and fish, Saltholme is the ideal place to get a tasty snack (or several tasty snacks) to give you plenty of energy for flying long distances.
Image Credit: Mike Langman, RSPB Images.
And last but certainly not least is the Drake (male) Scaup seen at Dorman’s Pool on Friday morning. These ducks look quite similar to Tufted Ducks but have a dark green head with no ‘tuft’ on the back.
Well, that’s all we have time for today. But as usual this has just been a tiny proportion of the amazing things that have been seen at Saltholme this week. You know what, you should really come along and visit. Especially now that August has remembered what August should be like and let the sun shine again. So it’s probably best to finish with a simple ‘see you soon!’.
References and Additional Reading
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Egyptian Goose [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/egyptian-goose/ [last accessed 11/08/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Greenshank [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/greenshank/ [last accessed 11/08/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Scaup [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/scaup/ [last accessed 11/08/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Tufted Duck [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/tufted-duck/ [last accessed 11/08/2023].
The Wildlife Trusts (2023). Common Ragwort [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/wildflowers/common-ragwort [last accessed 11/08/2023].
The Wildlife Trusts (2023). Creeping Thistle [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/wildflowers/creeping-thistle [last accessed 11/08/2023].