Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images

It may only be mid-February, but there are the first stirrings of spring at Saltholme. Trees are beginning to bud, the first of the breeding birds are beginning to arrive and some of the braver members of the team are walking around in T-shirts (inside and for brief periods, but we’re getting there!). Read on to find out more!

News from the Estate:

The work party started preparing…

Image Credit: Jim Stephenson

RSPB Saltholme is a Ramsar wetland site of international importance nestled in the Tees Valley. Our status as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Protection Area (SPA) stems from our wetland and wet grassland habitats, which are crucial for waders and wildfowl: in the winter months, migrant wading birds such as black-tailed godwit, ruff and green sandpiper rest in Saltholme…

Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images

It’s been another busy week at Saltholme. Honestly, it’s almost like we’re a large nature reserve and visitor attraction or something…

…You know the score- read on for more information on conservation work, events and recent sightings!

News from the Estate:

If you visited the reserve this week and listened very carefully, you may have heard the sound…

Image Credit: Norfolk Wildlife Trust (2023)

It’s the highlight of your week…it’s blog time again! We always seem to begin this blog by bemoaning the relentless march of time or commenting on the weather. So, we’re not going to mention the fact it’s February (already), chilly (again) and not raining (surprisingly). Well, not much anyway. Instead, let’s talk about all the amazing things that have been happening at Saltholme…

Saltholme moth report, 2022

2022 was a busy year for recording moths.  The light trap was out more than any other year, a total of 27 times and we also paid a little more attention to non-adults, spending a bit more time in the field searching for larvae, mines and pupae.  Such records have been a little neglected at Saltholme in the past, but can be important as they prove breeding which in some ways is of more significance…

Image Credit: John Bridges, RSPB Images

It’s 27 January, meaning we’re celebrating the 1-year anniversary of 27 January last year. Granted, a lot has happened in the past 364.25 days but we will focus on what has happened at RSPB Saltholme in the last 7 instead. There’s still a lot to cover, so buckle up and read on…

News from the Estate:

Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images

With the water on…

Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images

Congratulations, you are more than halfway through the longest month of the year. Here at Saltholme, we haven’t let the January blues get to us- how could we, when we have such a stunning reserve and such incredible wildlife to enjoy? Read on to learn more about what has been happening this week…

News from the Estate:

Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images

You’ll be pleased…

Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images

Another week, another blog! That’s right, there are more wonderful wildlife sightings to read about, more conservation work to explore and more events on the horizon. Read on to discover what has been happening at RSPB Saltholme this week…

News from the Estate:

If you read this blog regularly, you will have noticed by now that our Estates Team and Work Party are multi…

Image Credit: Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Slimbridge

It’s the first blog post of 2023! It will not follow the ‘New Year, New Me’ trend; expect the same level of bad jokes, shameless self-promotion and incredible wildlife as before. Read on for more!

News from the Estate:

For the first work party of the year, the willow around the welly splash got a manicure. The cut branches are being used to maintain…

What a year! 2022 has- nationally and internationally- been a rollercoaster ride. On a more local level, the year has brought new ventures, new species and new challenges to Saltholme. Read on to find out more!

New Ventures:

Image Credit: Jim Stephenson

As an RSPB reserve, we are constantly looking for ways to improve our land for wildlife and its conservation. We’ve started several projects this year, and seen older…

Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images

It’s 23 December. Retail workers are quaking in their boots, fridges are stuffed to bursting and Santa is polishing Rudolph’s nose ready for The Big Night. But life doesn’t stop at Saltholme just because the tinsel is out- read on for conservation news, reserve events and sightings highlights!

News from the Estate:

Hedgerows and scrub are very important for wildlife…

Image Credit: Andy Hay, RSPB Images

What a week! It may have been the teensiest bit nippy, but the winter sunlight and shining frost have added a sprinkling of Christmas magic over the reserve. Oh, you forgot it was nearly Christmas? Don’t worry, leave the to-do list for now and read on to discover what has been happening at Saltholme this week.

News from the Estate:

Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images

The estates…

Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images

With glittering, frosty mornings and stunning sunsets, Saltholme has been showing us its best side this week. The staff and volunteers have been making sure visitors can get the most out of this beautiful place; there have been lots of events, sightings and conservation work going on. Read on to find out more.

News from the Estate:

The water soldier you see in ponds is most likely…

Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images

This blog aims to give you an overview of reserve life. Condensing a week’s worth of news and sightings into a manageable chunk of paragraphs can be tricky, but it’s a challenge we’re willing to accept. If you’re in even more of a hurry this week, here is a summary of the summary:

We’ve seen birds. We’ve conserved birds. We love birds.

If you would…

Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images

Congratulations. You have made it to Friday. You might not know how you got here but don’t worry, just join the club. As well as all the usual sections, to mark Remembrance Day we will start this blog with some facts about poppies. Read on to find out more!

The Flower of Remembrance- the Poppy:

Image Credit: Colin Wilkinson, RSPB Images

The poppy is a powerful symbol of remembrance…

Image Credit: RSPB Images

The old rhyme may tell us to remember ‘gunpower treason and plot’ today, but you should also remember our wildlife when you’re lighting bonfires and setting off fireworks! In fact, we see no reason why gunpower treason OR wildlife should ever be forgot(ten)!

There are some simple things you can do to make sure your Bonfire Night celebrations have a minimal effect on animals…

Image Credit: Les Bunyan, RSPB Images

We have reached October half-term. We might not be entirely sure how we got here so quickly, but the autumnal colours are incredible and Saltholme has been a hive of activity over the past week (in terms of both people and wildlife). So read on for more information!

News from the Estate:

Sand martins can be seen at Saltholme in Spring and Summer. Image Credit: Ben Hall, RSPB Ima…

Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images

After this week, we’re officially closer to the end of October than we are to the beginning. It’s a good job there have been lots of wildlife sightings and other things happening to keep us distracted from how fast 2022 is disappearing. Read on to find out more!

News from the Estate:

Autumn may be advancing whether we like it or not, but that means there are lots of migrating…

Image Credit: eBird

The sun has (mostly) shone on Saltholme this week, both literally and metaphorically. We’ve had plenty of wildlife preparing for the colder weather and soaking up the autumn sunshine. Read on to find out more…

News from the Estate:

The Wildlife Watchpoint hide is a family-friendly space from which you can watch our birds and other wildlife. The one-way mirror glass gives you excellent…

Image Credit: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images

We’ve had enough bird sightings for an Alfred Hitchcock film this week. Fortunately for us and our visitors, our wildlife is much less threatening and is actually quite pleased to pose gently for cameras.

Of course, there have also been plenty of other things happening at Saltholme this week; read on to find out more!

News from the Estate:

Keep your eyes peeled for the water…

If you have been to Saltholme, you may have noticed that we provide a range of workshops for school visits. The RSPB’s Schools on Reserves (SoR) programme offers teachers the opportunity to bring their classes onto our wonderful reserves and spend the day with our expert teaching staff and volunteers, allowing children to get up close and hands-on (to an extent) with nature and wildlife.

But a visit to Saltholme…

Image Credit: Verity Hill, RSPB Images

It is now officially autumn. No, we can’t believe it either. But hey, that means the first of the winter migrant species are beginning to arrive at Saltholme. Read on to find out more!

News from the Estate:

If you have walked around our Discovery Zone this week, you might have noticed that you can see more of it. This is because our wonderful estates team have spent a large…

We are deeply saddened to hear of the death of our Patron, The Queen, and offer our heartfelt condolences to the Royal Family. As a mark of respect and mourning, this blog was not published as planned last week. 

The summer holidays are over, and with their end an eerie silence has descended over Saltholme. Good job we’ve got all our wonderful wildlife to fill the void with birdsong. That’s right, it’s been another busy…

Image Credit: Mark Stokeld

Just in case August passed for you as quickly as it did for us, we would like to remind you that it is now September. This means the summer holidays are drawing to a close. But that doesn’t equate to life slowing down at Saltholme! Read on to find out more.

News from the Estate:

It’s a Bank Holiday week, which means there has been a fair amount of rain. As a result, the vegetation around…

Image Credit: Caroline Walker

The life of a nature reserve is always busy. This week at Saltholme has been no exception. So read on to uncover what conservation work we have done, what events we have run, and what species we have spotted over the last seven days…

News from the Estate:

With the Cowpen Marsh project ticking along nicely (see last week’s blog for more details), the estates team have been doing…