Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images
Welcome back to the weekly blog! Yes, ok there wasn’t a blog post last week…but we did have a very good excuse. Actually, we had several very good excuses. That’s right, the twists and turns of life were particularly wriggly for our reserve last week and we intend to tell you about that (as well as giving you the usual round-up of weekly life). So sit down, buckle up and read on!
So, what did happen last week?
On a nature reserve, you have to expect the unexpected. Whether it’s weather, rare sightings, technical glitches or just the twists and turns of everyday life, reality has the habit of keeping us on our toes. Not knowing what the day will bring is one of the many joys of working in conservation. To show this, take a look at what happened last week…
Much of our wet grassland is grazed by cattle. As the cattle munch on local plants and churn up the ground with their hooves, they shake up the vegetation structure of the grassland and so create opportunities for new seeds and other species to move in. Their presence also attracts wildlife such as the Yellow Wagtail, which is a Red List species (meaning it has the highest level of conservation concern, due to small population sizes or rapid population declines). As long as grazing is done non-intensively and in the right place (and at the right time) there can be real benefits for wildlife. What isn’t particularly helpful is when certain members of the herd decide the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence. What is actually on the other side of the fence is the footpath to the Saltholme Pools hide. What this meant was, in the early stages of last week, members of our team were required to encourage one particular cow back onto the wet grassland whilst simultaneously stopping the rest of the herd joining it in mingling with the visitors. Fortunately they succeeded, meaning no cows, visitors, staff or egos were hurt and we could all go back to enjoying the rest of a relatively quiet week. Or so we thought…
If you have visited Saltholme, you will have noticed an electric fence running through the middle of our reserve. This is our anti-predator fence. Its job is to prevent predators such as Red Foxes from sneaking up on ground-nesting birds such as Lapwing and Avocet. A lack of ground-based predators also means these birds spread out more when nesting and so reduces the risk of birds trampling nests. Don’t worry, the foxes are allowed to eat whatever they want on the other side of the fence- predators are a critical part of the ecosystem, but when a species is experiencing severe population declines (such as in Lapwing), they need a little extra help with breeding success.
‘A little extra help’ is NOT what the invertebrates of Saltholme gave us. After the torrential rain on Monday last week, a slug sought refuge in one of the junction boxes connected to the anti-predator fence. Not only did this lead to one very fried slug, it also meant we lost all power to both the anti-predator fence and the automatic gate through said fence.
Yep, wildlife is brilliant when it remains off electrical equipment, but when it worms its way into a supposedly water-proof, tamper-proof, life-proof junction box it’s easy to feel a little resentful. ANYWAY, long story short, we managed to regain access to the Saltholme Pools hide by putting the gate on ‘manual’ mode and a very welcome electrician arrived on Tuesday (and Thursday) to remind the fence of its usual electrifying personality.
Just after (literally, just) the fence was back up and running on Thursday, the tills decided that they couldn’t possibly take any money. Yep, all three tills in the Visitor Centre decided to crash. After some very technical attempts to fix them (turn them off and on again; reboot them; cry) we managed to get them back up and running enough to take cash payments. But the card readers remained stubbornly blank. This led to a very busy afternoon for all staff and volunteers in the Visitor Centre. It also led to a busy day the day after…and the day after that. But by Sunday we had wrestled the card machines into submission. Technology…it’s great when it works isn’t it?
Well, that was a “brief” round-up of what would have been in the blog last week if there had been time to write one. Now onto this week!
News from the Estate:
Image Credit: RSPB Images
The Estates team have once again been hard at work keeping the reserve in tip-top condition. This week brought trimming and raking the vegetation around places like our Wildlife Watchpoint hide. This not only means visitors get better views of the amazing wildlife, but also means we encourage more species to the reserve. This is because, by varying the height of vegetation across our site, we provide habitat for a greater range of species.
What’s On:
Did you know this is the penultimate week of the summer holidays? It’s quite scary how quickly time flies when you’re having fun. Here’s what the fun has involved this week:
This ever-popular activity has returned for the summer, with children and associated adults catching all sorts of pondlife. This week alone, we found Water Measurers, Damselfly nymphs, Sticklebacks, and Whirligig Beetles. What will you find on your next visit?
Do you ever wonder what amazing creatures you could find at Saltholme if you just knew where to look? Have you ever thought of how to introduce the younger members of your group to UK wildlife? Our Saltholme Safari is the perfect opportunity to join us for a guided walk of our Discovery Zone; learn about bird calls, have a go at minibeast hunting and natural art, try out binoculars and much more! Just ask at the Welcome Desk when you arrive.
Recent Sightings:
In the wild, Otters can live for up to 10 years! Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images.
The first otterly brilliant sighting of the week was no fewer than FOUR Otters at Haverton on Wednesday. These elusive predators feed mainly on fish and are also very sensitive to pollution, meaning their presence is an excellent indication that our lakes and ponds are healthy.
The number of breeding bitterns in Europe is hard to estimate as this species is so secretive. Estimates range from 21 to 29,000 pairs! Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images.
Also at Haverton this week was one of our resident Bitterns. This beautiful- but barely seen- bird is another indication of the health and importance of our site as they need mature reedbeds to thrive. So keep your eyes peeled for these members of the heron family on your next visit!
Between 1995 and 2008, Whinchat numbers in the UK fell by more than 50%. Image Credit: Mike Langman, RSPB Images.
Last but certainly not least were the Whinchat sightings on Thursday. Whinchats are passage migrants, meaning they use Saltholme as a resting place on a much longer migration journey. These birds breed in upland areas in northern Britain but spend the winter in central and southern Africa, so come and see them while you can!
Well, that’s all we have time for this week. But as you can see, life at Saltholme is always busy and full of incredible wildlife sightings. You know, you should really come along and visit us to see what you can spot. Even if we have to deal with cows, slugs or tills, we guarantee you will still enjoy your time here!
References and Additional Reading
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Avocet [webpage]. Accessed through https://**LINK BOCKED**rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/avocet/ [last accessed 24/08/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Bittern [webpage]. Accessed through https://**LINK BOCKED**rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/bittern/ [last accessed 24/08/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Lapwing [webpage]. Accessed through https://**LINK BOCKED**rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/lapwing/ [last accessed 24/08/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Whinchat [webpage]. Accessed through https://**LINK BOCKED**rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/whinchat/ [last accessed 24/08/2023].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2023). Yellow Wagtail [webpage]. Accessed through https://**LINK BOCKED**rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/yellow-wagtail/ [last accessed 24/08/2023].
The Wildlife Trusts (2023). European Otter [webpage]. Accessed through https://**LINK BOCKED**wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/mammals/european-otter [last accessed 24/08/2023].
The Wildlife Trusts (2023). Red Fox [webpage]. Accessed through https://**LINK BOCKED**wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/mammals/red-fox [last accessed 24/08/2023].
The Wildlife Trusts (2023). Three-spined Stickleback [webpage]. Accessed through https://**LINK BOCKED**wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/freshwater-fish/three-spined-stickleback [last accessed 24/08/2023].
The Wildlife Trusts (2023). Water Measurer [webpage]. Accessed through https://**LINK BOCKED**wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/invertebrates/bugs/common-water-measurer [last accessed 24/08/2023].
The Wildlife Trusts (2023). Whirligig Beetle [webpage]. Accessed through https://**LINK BOCKED**wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/invertebrates/beetles/whirligig-beetle [last accessed 24/08/2023].
Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (2023). UK Dragonflies and Damselflies [webpage]. Accessed through https://**LINK BOCKED**wwt.org.uk/discover-wetlands/wetland-wildlife/meet-the-family/dragonflies-and-damselflies-found-in-uk-wetlands/ [last accessed 24/08/2023].