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Recent sightings

  • 20 February 2012

    Bob the Jack Snipe

    Jack Snipe are usually very hard to see but this chap put on an excellent show in front of Saltholme Pools Hide...

    (Please visit the site to view this video)

    Posted by Toby Collett

  • 17 February 2012

    Smew arrival

     

    Hi,

    A female smew has become the latest visitor to Saltholme this winter.  This little duck will have made the short hop across the North Sea to avoid the freezing temperatures that occurred on the continent recently.

    The smew has been commuting between Saltholme and a nearby site called Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park.  Whilst at Saltholme, she tends to be seen in front of Paddy’s pool hide.

    If you hear someone refer to the female Smew as a ‘redhead’ you’ll soon click onto why. Take a look at the photograph below captured by Ian.

    Cheers,

    Adam

     

    Posted by Adam Jones

  • 16 February 2012

    Sawbills at Saltholme

    Hi,

    Recently a female smew and goosander have turned up at Saltholme. If you take a close look at their beaks you will soon see why these two ducks are called as sawbills. They have a row of what look like spiky teeth spread along the beak. These “teeth” help them to get a good grasp of their favourite food, fish.

    The female goosander gave great views yesterday (15 February) whilst having a sleep on one of the islands in front of the visitor centre windows.

    The photograph below, taken at Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park (just up the road from Saltholme) by Ian, shows a female Goosander putting its sawbill into good use. If you manage to capture our goosander on camera and would like to share your photographs we’d love to see them on our community page.

    Cheers,

    Adam

    Posted by Adam Jones

  • 15 February 2012

    Brown hare skirmish

    Hi everyone,

    March is getting nearer and the brown hares are starting to get a bit unhinged.  Rhian captured this video of two brown hares boxing this Saturday at Saltholme.  We'll be doing more hare watching over the coming weeks and months as their behaviour gets even 'madder', so keep your eyes peeled for details.

    (Please visit the site to view this video)

    Bye for now,

    Ben.

    Posted by Ben Calvert

  • 14 February 2012

    Fruity fox

    This fox was taking full advantage of the bananas put out for the ducks.

    The cold weather meant it could walk out on the ice to find this snack.

    Then after a hard days scavenging, it had a stretch and a yawn right in front of everyone watching from Wildlife Watchpoint!

    See you soon,

    Rhian

    Posted by Rhian Davies

  • 10 February 2012

    Three is a magic number

    Hi,

    At least it has been at Saltholme this week with sightings of three bitterns and three water rails.  The bitterns are best looked for at the Haverton viewpoint and it was this Thursday that our hide guides reported three water rail at the wildlife watchpoint. It looks like now is a better time than any if you want to catch up with one of these normally elusive species.

       

    The two photographs above were taken by George on a visit to Saltholme this week.

    Cheers,

    Adam

    Posted by Adam Jones

  • 9 February 2012

    Saltholme on ice

    3rd February 

    Another cold but bright day, with all the water bodies frozen. We met in the wildlife watchpoint to discuss the day's guiding.  We only had three guides available, one of whom was a trainee so we split the duties up as best we could, with John going off to look for the long-eared owl and me going via Paddy’s hide down to the Saltholme pools hide.  We were treated to a fly past by the marsh harriers before we left – I think one was the juvenile female that has been resident for a while whilst the other an adult (male) which came down from Rainton Meadows.

    There were few birds on view from Paddy’s and Saltholme hide proved much the same. The water was frozen so I assume a lot of birds were seeking out areas where the sun had warmed the ground so that they more easily find something to eat.  Two hares were seen on the field by the side of the hide and a party of 10 dunlin on the far side of Back Saltholme.

    We headed back to the Centre for lunch.  In the afternoon we had another look for the long-eared owl but to no avail so we made our way back via Haverton Hole to the wildlife watchpoint.  At the Haverton viewpoint we were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of one of the bitterns as it appeared, flew 50 metres and disappeared once more. The wildlife watchpoint gave views of the water rail once more as well as teal and gadwall looking splendid in the winter sunshine.

    Cheers for now 

    Mark

    Posted by klipdok2

  • 8 February 2012

    Cracking crocuses

    In the garden it looks like spring has almost sprung.

    Posted by Rhian Davies

  • 5 February 2012

    It's snowing

    Hi,

    Just when it was feeling like spring the snow has come, but the signs of spring are evident in our wildlife garden as these photos, taken on Saturday afternoon show. The snowdrops and iris (I. reticulata) are very cheerful but also feed early flying insects in mild spells. They will give more of a show over the next few weeks. Plant the iris in late summer but snowdrops are best divided just as the flowers fade.

    But it is not just the flowers. Our resident robin follows me round when I work in the garden, and David posted a wonderful photo of the robin on the blog recently - thanks.  It also made it on to the BBC Look North weather forcast!  Robins are not the only red breasted birds as we saw when we were digging on the reserve, not far from the car park, last Thursday. A lot of soil was turned over (by a digger, thankfully), and all the time a pair of stonechats were busy looking for food unconcerned by the noise, the male with his black head, white collar and orange chest. Keith, the digger driver, stopped digging to ask about them.  They like wide open spaces rather than the confines of a garden but at Saltholme currently they are seen around the car park.

    It is not too late to put up nest boxes - for robins and other garden birds - and we have a good variety in our shop. And there is still lots of time left to plant trees and shrubs when there is no frost, perhaps something with berries to feed the birds?

    And finaly it is still winter as this photo shows.  Taken from the garden gate it gives little indication of the gems that are flowering under the trees and in the gravel of the rock garden.

    Bye,

    Peter

    Posted by Peter Langham

Your sightings

Grid ref: NZ5023 (+2km)

Ring-necked Duck
22 Feb 2012
Smew
22 Feb 2012
Bittern
22 Feb 2012
Jack Snipe
22 Feb 2012
Water Rail
21 Feb 2012
Bean Goose (Tundra) (4)
21 Feb 2012
Slavonian Grebe (1)
21 Feb 2012
Tree Sparrow (6)
20 Feb 2012
Black-necked Grebe (3)
19 Feb 2012
Whimbrel (1)
18 Feb 2012
Wigeon
21 Feb 2012
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  • Lat/lng: 54.600995,-1.217496
  • Postcode: TS2 1TU
  • Grid reference: NZ506231
  • Nearest town: Middlesbrough
  • County: Cleveland
  • Country: England

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