Image Credit: Ben Andrew
Another busy week at Saltholme! The birds might have been flying a little bit faster than they wanted to at points, but that hasn’t detracted from our reserve- read on to find out what we’ve been up to, and what has been seen on-site this week…
News from the Estate:
Well, it looked like the estates team might have been joining some of the birds in flight in the latter half of this week. Fortunately none of them did. In fact, they took the opportunity to perform some maintenance work around the Paddy’s Pool hide.
On Tuesday, our tern islands got some TLC before the start of spring. Terns like to nest on bare ground, and so it is important that we remove any vegetation that may have grown up on the islands over the winter. Keeping the islands maintained will help encourage the terns to keep using the site as a breeding colony!
What’s On:
Image Credit: Lydia Cave
We’ve been getting stuck into Mud Month at Saltholme. Throughout February, we have lots of mud- and welly-related activities to enjoy. Why not come along and spot our welly dogs, or have a go at welly draughts?
On top of this, next week is half term and so we will be running nestbox-building workshops throughout the week. This is a great way to help the wildlife in your local area, and is fun too! You can book tickets for this event here.
But the half-term fun doesn’t stop there. We have a one-off trail to complete! This trail is based around the importance of rain. So, whatever the weather, come along and give it a go!
Recent Sightings:
Image Credit: Mark Stokeld
The avocets are back! These wonderful waders became extinct in the UK in 1840, returning to these shores in 1947. This was due to conservation and protection efforts and this is why we adopted this bird as the RSPB logo. Avocets have bred at Saltholme in previous summers, so their return is very encouraging. Here’s hoping for another good year for them!
A great white egret has also been seen this week. These birds used to be rare winter visitors to the UK. They are now much more common, with some now even breeding in this country. This bird uses its sharp bill as a spear, catching fish and frogs from wetlands and ditches.
The spoonbill has been hanging around our Philstead and Saltholme Pools hides this week. The bizarrely-shaped bill after which it is named is packed full of sensors that can detect the movements of insects, fish and amphibians that hide in shallow water. This makes it much more difficult for these animals to escape a hungry spoonbill!
Image Credit: Ben Hall, RSPB Images
A peregrine falcon was seen on the wet grassland on Wednesday morning. We think it was trying to stay out of Storm Dudley!
Our hide guide volunteer Ian Robinson was treated to the site of ducks discovering water had become solid at the end of last week; he got some great footage of these birds too! Watch the video here.
In short, there has been lots to see and do at Saltholme this week. And it looks set to continue! Why not give us a visit?
References and Further Reading
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2022). Avocet [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/avocet/ [last accessed 17/02/2022].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2022). Great White Egret [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/great-white-egret/ [last accessed 17/02/2022].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2022). Peregrine Falcon [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/peregrine/ [last accessed 16/02/2022].
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2022). Spoonbill [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/spoonbill/ [last accessed 16/02/2022].
The Wildlife Trusts (2022). Great White Egret [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/birds/herons-egrets-and-spoonbill/great-white-egret [last accessed 17/02/2022].
The Wildlife Trusts (2022). Where to see Spoonbills [webpage]. Accessed through https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/where_to_see_a_spoonbill [last accessed 17/02/2022].
We'll be with you on Friday! Looking forward to it.
Our herring gulls are red listed birds. Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.