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Our work here
10 November 2008
What makes Saltholme so special? There's so much, it's hard to know where to start.
What about the wide variety of special places that already attract a spectacular variety of wonderful wildlife? But we're not finished yet... we're still working hard to make it even better for birds, insects and lots of other wildlife.
Just have a look at this lot...
Rustling in the reedbed
We're currently transplanting reeds from our existing reedbed to create two new areas that we hope will be just right for lots of different creatures which think reedbeds are the bees-knees when it comes to desirable living.
The grass is grazed by our resident cattle, so, in spring, it's just right for the lapwings to nest
In time, when the plants are established and spread, the work we're doing today will double our reedbed area.
As well as benefiting birds such as water rails, reed buntings and reed warblers, which are already here, this will also tempt other species to nest on site. We're hoping that marsh harriers and bearded tits, which at the moment only visit us for a short time during the winter months, will want to raise new families here.
The grass is grazed by our resident cattle, so, in spring, it's just right for the lapwings to nest. Watching displaying lapwings tumbling through the air is an unforgettable site, we can tell you.
Green, green grass
We're looking after wet grassland areas of the reserve both as part of the larger Tees and Hartlepool Foreshore and Wetlands Site of Special Scientific Interest, and for the Teesmouth and Cleveland Special Protection Area.
This is for the benefit of the nationally important numbers of wintering wildfowl and waders including golden plovers, lapwings and wigeons, which graze the grass or peck at creepy-crawlies here.
The management of the wet grassland is also important for other breeding birds, such as lapwings, redshanks and snipe. From spring through to autumn, the grass is grazed, then it's mown so it's just right for the lapwings when they come to start breeding.
Cockleshell islands
Saltholme is home to a large colony of breeding common terns, which arrive each spring to nest on the cockleshell-covered islands in our open pools. The islands provide the ideal nesting site for these birds, as they are away from predatory mammals and accidental trampling. Each winter we start the DIY when vegetation is removed and the surface is repaired so the islands are in tip-top condition for the next season.
Open pools and 'scrapes'
We control water levels in the shallow open water pools and 'scrapes' to create muddy edges and bare areas for the large numbers of wading birds which stop off at the site during migration. The mud around the pool edges and scrapes is bursting with an array of insects which the birds can skim from the surface, or use their beaks to probe deeper into the mud for worms. It's perfect for a bit of rest and refuelling mid-migration!