Hi,

In a week in which we witnessed the autumn leaves tumble down from the trees and a coating of frost on our window screens, there was also a distinct winter feel to our wildlife watching. Sighting of the week goes to a couple of Stonechats which frequented the Haverton end of the reserve.  This Robin-sized bird can be very showy and audible at times, especially when alarmed by a passing predator such as a weasel.

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A highlight for this month, most nights, is the starlings’ gathering at dusk. The starlings from all over Middlesbrough group together at Saltholme in the reed beds in safety from predators such as the Sparrowhawk, this doesn’t stop the predators from trying, but it reduces the chances of the starlings being predated.

Saltholme offers a chance to see starling roosts with thousands of birds creating amazing shapes…

In our continuing process of improving the reserve we have resumed our transplanting of reeds. Last year we moved some of our established reeds to the extreme North West corner of the reserve, an area that has no public access partly because it is just an isolated field with little current value. But we hope to establish a reedbed to augment the reeds around Haverton Hole - this is where the bittern is seen.

Today we…

Back Saltholme is a good place to see pintail just now. There have been several distant individuals during recent weeks, but there were 8 showing well this morning. The bittern continues to be seen from Haverton Viewpoint, but not often. Its very good at remaing hidden, so good in fact, it could be said that.........wait for it............... This bitterns got talent ! Sorry.

Hi,

In my last sightings blog I mentioned autumn spectacles at Satholme and I’m going to begin this weeks by talking about another, Starling murmurations. Saltholme is currently running a series of Soup and Starling events in order to give visitors the opportunity to witness this great British natural wonder. An estimated 10,000 Starlings are currently roosting in the reedbeds on site.  Given that this autumn’s…

Last spring saw the debut of our floating Tern rafts - artificial islands for the Common Terns to nest on. And they were used.

The rationale is that we put the islands out just after the Black-headed Gulls have nested but before the Terns have arrived. This way the gulls are less likely to predate the tern chicks.

Come this time of year we can remove the cockle shell and dismantle the rafts for storage so avoiding the…

Work continues on maintaining the islands. Today we were clearing the vegetation from the island on Back Saltholme, the island that is seen from the Saltholme Pools hide and Phil Corner screen.

We are concentrating on getting the Main Lake and Paddy's Pool islands in good condition for Common Terns whilst letting the Black-headed Gulls nest on the Back Saltholme island. Being less fussy the gulls do not require us to…

This morning me and Nathan were counting the sheep in the meadow, I was walking in the long grass when a hare darted out right in front of me, it was so quick, and when it stopped to see what I was doing I saw the sun glaring from behind the transporter and I could see it's frosty breath.

Just before the volunteers started todays work on the island weed clearing, a hide guide spotted the whooper swans and you might…

26 whooper swans (2 Juveniles) landed in Back Saltholme this morning.

Hi,

In a week dominated by westerly winds it is perhaps not too surprising that the number of newly arrived migrant birds on site was limited. However the slight lull in migration activity provided the perfect opportunity for visitors to sit back and simply enjoy the spectacles that an autumn visit to Saltholme can offer. One of the best spectacles at present is the sight and sound of over one thousand Golden Plover…

63 pink feet flew south over the reserve this morning.

This year the months have merged into each other without too much change, it’s been mild and currently autumn is taking hold. The signs of autumn are showing - the berries are ripening, the summer plants are dying off and the birds are arriving slowly.

This morning, walking towards the wildlife watch point hide I could see the hawthorn hedging full of berries and ripening up great, soon it will be ready for migrant…

It is good to have Adam back on the blogging team - and volunteering on the reserve doing lots of useful work; his recent sightings blogs are always inspiring. But if you think that only the experienced birders with the expensive binoculars see the birds then think again.

Just after 8 o'clock  this morning and I was unlocking the Phil Stead hide when I heard a knocking from one of the nest boxes in the trees. And…

Hi,

Migrant birds continued to trickle into the country during the week and Saltholme managed to get its fair share of the action with a particular highlight being a herd of 26 Whooper Swans (24^th). A single Swallow and Chiffchaff also sighted on the 24^th were most likely birds from northern Europe as the vast majority of British breeders departed a few weeks ago.

A large movement of Whooper Swans took place on the…

The current theme of the RSPB is "giving nature a home". And just how fantastic a home we have for nature here at Saltholme. At this time of year, once the breeding season is over, we do routine maintenance of the reserve. Unwanted scrub has to be cleared and vigorous thistles controlled. But for the first time when we have been doing this we have found these nests:-

The size of a tennis ball and in the coarse…

We are now well into October, but the dragonflies still abound! Numerous migrant hawker and common darter dragonflies have been regularly spotted on the paths and fences in front of the visitor center, where there is some shelter from the wind. Our influx of winter visitors are continuing to swell our numbers with golden plover numbers now over 100 and If you've never seen a water rail, ours have been showing very…

Monday 7th October Migrants stopping off at Saltholme to feed included 30 pink footed geese and 21 ruff. 5 pintail were at Saltholme West along with 60 golden plover. Raptors included 3 marsh harrier (one male and two females), a merlin, peregrine and a pair of kestrels.

This week the estate team are working on the edge of the dragonfly path - close to the Saltholme Pools hide, today we made a great stamp on vegetation removal. We need to manage this vegetation because at the moment the dragonflies are using it for a place to breed and the nymphs to grow into the adults; if there is no management of the reeds and grasses in the water, then eventually the pond reeds will be over filling…

The breeding season is well behind us and the birds are preparing for winter. They no longer need small, individual territories to provide for the young so have banded together into flocks and seek out good sources of food. At Saltholme we have rather more thistles than we would like but they do attract large charms of Goldfinches at this time of year - look for them along the Kestrel Trail by the Jubilee Mound, or at…

Many visitors have been fascinated by the large numbers of dragonflies during this warm autumn weather. In the hides, along the Dragonfly path and in the garden there are lots of Common Darter dragonflies. Our hide guide Lockhart captured this one at saltholme hide today - thanks.

Being red this one is male, the females are a pale brown.

Lockhart also sent me this shot of a Snipe showing how well they are camouflaged…

From time to time local and national employers let a group of their staff come and help us at Saltholme for a day. Today we had staff from the BSA office of the NHS in Newcastle - they look after pensions of former NHS staff.

The work party task was clearing brush from the Saltholme clay field. This had been planted before the RSPB took over management of the reserve but is not right for a wetland reserve - waders like…

Now that September has gone, and with it the Date with Nature where we manned the Greatham Creek hide to show visitors the seals, we have had the chance to do repairs to the boardwalk on the path from the car park.

Yesterday, with tools and waders, after closing the path - sorry for the inconvenience - we inspected and strengthened the structure.

 

Thanks to Ian for the photo of me, Brian and Ed.

We manage Cowpen Marsh…

The Mike Corner Viewing Screen is receiving the final touches. John and Mike's plan is taking shape as yesterday John, with Nathan's help, cut some holes, and more will follow - perhaps with a little artistic flourish.

John and Nathan cutting the holes, and the view from the other side.

Peter

This week i filmed the estate team working throughout the day, we were on the island that is visible from the Paddy's pool hide that has become overgrown with vegetation and our job was to remove it so next years breeding colony will have the best possible nesting sight. My video below explains more...

http://youtu.be/-othPwOk84k

- Josh McGowan

Today the estate team have been working alongside the shore of the Saltholme Pools hide, if you came down to the hide today you will have seen us all working infront of the hide -

  

This morning the difference was that the bank along the waters’ edge was like a small cliff due to erosion from weather and animals over the past couple of years, the small cliff like appearance meant the birds disappear out of view as they…