Image Credit: Chris Gomersall, RSPB Images
And with that, April is somehow nearly over. It has been quite a week both in terms of sightings and everything else happening on the reserve. Are we going to tell you about it? Yes. Are we going to tell you now? No- you’ll have to read on for that! Enjoy.
News from the Estate:
We manage Saltholme for insects as well as birds. Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images
As ever, the estates team have been incredibly busy keeping the reserve in tip-top condition for a huge variety of species. A huge variety of species require a huge variety of habitats, and so the team have been working on maintaining the differences in vegetation levels at Saltholme. Here’s what they have been doing this week:
Some insects- like butterflies- need bare ground that absorbs sunlight. This is so they can warm up and have the energy to go about the important task of pollinating our plant species. We maintain basking areas by removing any vegetation that encroaches on them. So no, it’s not ‘weeding’, it’s ‘habitat management’.
In order to maintain a variety of animal species, we need a plethora of plants. For all it defies logic, to maintain this mix of vegetation you sometimes need to control certain species. For example, the team have been busy removing Sea Buckthorn [hyperlink] suckers from our Haverton Viewpoint. We are obviously not touching any trees or shrubs during nesting season, but removing the young plants before they get established prevents the Sea Buckthorn from shading out native wildflowers.
This is important for maintaining the variety of visitors. It is considered bad form to lose customers down potholes, and some of our potholes had been trying their best to become craters. The wonderful estates team have put a stop to that.
What’s On:
There are plenty of things to discover at Saltholme and our Nature Activity Leaders will be on-hand to help! Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images.
It may have come to your attention that there are rather a lot of Bank Holidays this May. This means there is going to be rather a lot of fun things to do at Saltholme. This weekend, we will be running Pond Dipping sessions (10am-3pm). This ever-popular activity will be available for £2 per child (£1.60 for RSPB Members) and gives children and their associated adults the opportunity to discover our amazing pondlife. We’ve found flatworms, dragonfly nymphs, damselfly nymphs and even sticklebacks! What will you find?
We’ve also got a new trail! We’re making the most of our royal connections and have created a ‘Royal Birds’ trail. So you can learn all about Kingfishers, King Eiders, Mute Swans and more as you walk around our reserve. For only £1.50 per trail sheet, this is a great way to keep the whole family entertained. Make sure to check it out on your next visit!
Recent Sightings:
Here it is- the section you’ve all been waiting for. And how the tables have terned. That’s right, it’s a tern-up for the books; heads are terning left, right and centre- you could even say they’ll soon be a common occurrence…THE COMMON TERNS ARE BACK!
Common Terns look very similar to Arctic Terns. Look at their beaks to tell them apart- the Common Tern has a black spot on the end of the beak whereas the Arctic Tern does not. Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images
It’s always a joy when the Common Terns re-tern to the Main Lake (ok, we’ll stop with the puns now; we’re just very excited). Four individuals were seen early on Thursday morning; hopefully more will soon follow!
The Common Sandpiper displays a behaviour known as ‘teetering’, meaning it bobs up and down as it feeds. Image Credit: Andy Hay, RSPB Images
Another ‘common’ occurrence this week has been the Common Sandpiper that was seen at both Saltholme Pools and Paddy’s Pool. Around 13,000 breeding pairs are seen in the UK each year, making the most of the country’s abundance of insects, worms and molluscs.
Cuckoos are another species that visits the UK in the warmer months. This is because they feed on a variety of insects that are most common in the summer. They are particularly fond of hairy caterpillars! Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images
In case that wasn’t enough excitement for one week, the first Cuckoo sighting of the year was recorded on our Wilderness Trail (and again later at Haverton Viewpoint). This red-list species is a brood parasite, meaning it doesn’t make its own nest but instead lays an egg in the nests of other birds such as Reed Warblers. Cuckoos also love to feed on hairy caterpillars, so their presences means both the caterpillars and warblers must also be present!
There are no prizes for guessing the defining feature of the Whitethroat. But did you know there is also a Lesser Whitethroat species? Image Credit: Richard Carlyon, RSPB Images
And now for the warblers. More and more are arriving at Saltholme every day. This includes Whitethroat. Individuals have been seen at both Dorman’s Pool and Saltholme Pools, so keep your eyes peeled!
The Garden Warbler looks very much like every other warbler and sounds very much like a blackcap. Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images
And last but certainly not least is the Garden Warbler that has been hanging around our Discovery Zone. Hiding deep in the hawthorn, this lovely little bird has proved quite a challenge to find! It does help us slightly by singing loudly and persistently from said hawthorn, so we can’t get too grumpy with it. So, if you fancy a challenge on your next visit, check out our Discovery Zone!
Well, that’s all we have time for this week. As you can see, there’s been a lot going on! We’ve not even begun to mention the chicks that are now running around the reserve. Fortunately, Ian Robinson-one of our Hide Guides- has been filming all the wildlife that we haven’t mentioned here. So, if you fancy watching a chick flick, follow this link. In the meantime, we hope to see you at Saltholme in the very near future!
References and Additional Reading
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Blackcap [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/blackcap/ [last accessed 28/04/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Common Sandpiper [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/common-sandpiper/ [last accessed 28/04/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Common Tern [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/common-tern/ [last accessed 28/04/2023].
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 28/04/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Garden Warbler [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/garden-warbler/ [last accessed 28/04/2023].
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 28/04/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Whitethroat [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/whitethroat/ [last accessed 28/04/2023].