A Binoculars and Telescopes Weekend will be held on the 28 & 29 July, 10 am to 4 pm each day. This is your opportunity to get some hands on advice about binoculars or telescopes and have a chance to try them outdoors. Free admission to this event.
Unfortunately the Digital Wildlife Photography Workshop this coming Saturday, 21 July, is fully booked. The next one will be held on 9 September, 11 am to 4 pm, and is likely to be the last one for 2012.
We have guided walks on Monday and Friday evenings and Wednesday mornings. Mondays and Fridays are our Deer Watch family guided walks and begin at 7:30 pm and end around 9:30 pm. Bring the family to look for our red deer and other summer wildlife. Our shop will be open from 7pm. The cost for RSPB members is: £2 for adults, £1 for children and £4 for a family. For non-members the cost is: £5 for adults, £2 for children and £10 for a family. Our Wednesday guided walks begin at 10:30 am and end at 12:30 pm. The theme in July is marsh harriers and there certainly are plenty about at the moment. We had 7 marsh harriers originally and so far 6 youngsters have fledged and there may be more yet to leave their nests. This guided walk costs £5 for adults or £2.50 for members. There's no need to book for any of our guided walks, just turn up.
Don't forget our Red Deer Date with Nature is running through the summer, every afternoon from Wednesday to Sunday until 2 September. Bring the family along to discover our red deer. See the hinds and their gorgeous calves and look out for the magnificent stags with their huge antlers. Normal admission prices apply.
If you haven't already, please take a moment to vote for RSPB Saltholme in their bid to secure future funding for their imprtant work in connecting people with nature.
The Lifelong Learning at Saltholme project began three years ago with the aim of saving industrialised Teesside’s nature. Through activities and events the project connects people with the wildlife on their doorstep, ensuring that nature matters to everyone. Funding from the National Lottery has helped the project provide education and experiences that schoolchildren and visitors never forget. We want that to continue.
You can help them get through the final stage by voting at : www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/project/lifelong-learning-saltholme
We are having a bit of trouble with the live feed to the reed warbler nest today, but never fear, we have a fantastic alternative to show you. The live webcam is now showing footage that we recorded earlier this week using our trailcam, a motion sensitive camera that picks up on movements in the reedbed, even in the dark! Have a look at what the red deer thought of it, by clicking on the 'Live webcam' option on the menu on our homepage.
Very exciting developments are going on at Leighton Moss thanks to our Heritage Lottery Funding grant. The latest of these developments is that we now have several trail cameras installed around the reserve capable of beaming images back to both our cafe and also to our website. The eagle eyed among you will notice that on the Leighton Moss website homepage, there is an extra item in the options menu on the left hand side of the screen that says 'live webcam'. Have a look! It is currrently streaming images of one of our reed warbler nests out in the reedbed near Tim Jackson hide!
This is the second brood for this pair of reed warblers who are likely to have had their first brood some time in May. The amazing bit of engineering that goes into their stunning nests takes them around 4 days to build the structure, and 3 days to line it with hair, feathers and other soft material. Both the male and the female will incubate the eggs, of which they will have 3-5. They incubate them for 9-12 days before hatching. Both parents will feed the young. The young fledge the nest at 10-13 days but continue to be fed by their parents for around 10-14 days before they become independent.
Reed warblers are a summer migrant that fly here from Central Africa in order to breed. There are around 100, 000 pairs breeding in the UK, but becasue they favour dense reedbed, they can be pretty difficult to spot. Their noisy song however, can be heard ringing out around the reserve through the summer months. They feed mainly on insects such as aphids, beetles, flies and also spiders.
Reed warbler in its amazing nest. Copyright our warden David Mower.
Moth Breakfast event this Sunday, 15 July, 8 - 10 am
Now I know you don't fancy moths in your cornflakes...
This event aims to show you the fascinating world of moths with experts from the Lancaster Moth Group. Booking and payment in advance is essential for this event. The breakfast will be between 8 am and 10 am depending on how many people attend and therefore how many sittings will be required.
The cost is £8 (£7 for RSPB members) including the cooked breakfast.