[Boy Wonder]

Hello BirdForumers,

Not sure if this is a starter or not but thought I'd get a thread up and running for the Reserve. Hopefully it'll be used for us to get news out but also for any visitor comments and photographs or general banter and chit chat. I doubt it'll do too well with just my input so your involvement would be much appreciated.

[IanF]

We can see how it goes though the reserve sightings so far have mostly been added to the Durham Birding thread.

[Boy Wonder]

Thank you for picking this up and ensuring there's at least one post to go with mine Ian :) I usually post information on the Durham website but was really trying to streamline it a little. If anyone's looking for anouncements for events or notices of changes to opening/closing or (hopefully) rarity updates, anything like that then they can come stright here instead of sifting through the Durham thread. Well that's the theory anyway.

[rokermartin]

I was talkng to a member of the RSPB staff last week at Saltholm and he said there had been 196 bird species recorded last year on the reserve.There were certainly some cracking birds seen Glaucous-winged Gull, Whiskered Terns,Purple Herons,Spoonbills,GW Egrets,Buff-breasted Sandpiper,Spotted Crake,Black Terns,Citrine Wagtail,Blue-winged teal,Hooded Mergenser,Pectoral Sandpipers.I hope this year is just as good.

[Boy Wonder]

Thanks Martin, that figure's a little higher than our records show but the quality was there as well as a great breeding season. Although we can't attract the rarities we will be creating more habitat for our summer wading birds which will hopefully draw in passage waders and some niceties too. The quality of the species you mention reflect well on the visitors who come to the reserve and we look forward to more eyes finding more birds this year. It's our 1st birthday tomorrow so if anyone's in the area please pop in :)

[IanF]

Smew red head on the west pond again today. Right in the middle!

[Boy Wonder]

Just a little nudge towards Big Garden Birdwatch this weekend. If you can't get to the Reserve here is the link for details to the RSPB's main site for information http://www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch/ Hopefully if you're in the area and can pop in we'll be on hand to have a chat about the event and birds and feeding in general. If you want any practise, on the Saturday we'll be brushing up on identifying garden birds and their behaviour, both with telescopes set up and with live images on the screen downstairs. Sunday is when we'll be doing the actual watch itself so please feel free to join in if you're at the Reserve.

[Ray_S]

Like the idea of a seperate thread, a bit more focused,

Taken on a few recent visits of the past week or so

[Boy Wonder]

Thank you very much for your support and input Ray, and also some cracking images :) 4 Bean Geese have just dropped in to the Wet Grassland and showing well from Paddy's Pool Hide.

[adswildlife]

thought i would throw a few of my jan shots onto here for u toby

[Ray_S]

A very fleeting visit this morning, fairly cold and on&off rain/snow/sleet, though not heavy enough to be a problem. Most areas were pretty quiet, 30+ reed bunting moving around the Wildlife Watch Hide Hawthorns, 2 strange coloured geese on the left walking towards the saltholme hide, and a duck I couldnt ID, a bit distant for a good photo but I've included it anyway. Lots of Teal, Lapwing, etc. on main lake. A fly-by of 2 Cormorant heading east, a third one sat on a stump on the main lake.

[mattwhite]

Ray - I saw a duck very similar to this at Low Barns on Sunday. It had me stumped as well.

Could it be a juvenile Goldeneye?

Matt

[rokermartin]

Originally Posted by mattwhite

Ray - I saw a duck very similar to this at Low Barns on Sunday. It had me stumped as well.

Could it be a juvenile Goldeneye?

Matt

The duck is a female Goldeneye.

[mattwhite]

Thanks RokerMartin.

[Boy Wonder]

For any of you who are regular users of either Twitter or Facebook we have set up a feed and fan page to help us distribute news and events. These are in the very early stages so not as comprehensive as they'll be in the summer but we hope you guys can help with content, support and input from the outset. Anyone know if I'm allowed to post the links on here?

[rokermartin]

Saw a female Merlin and a redhead Smew on the reserve this afternoon.

[Boy Wonder]

Thank you Martin. Managed to relocate the Merlin on Sunday. Was yours a small male? No sign of the Smew unfortunately but we have had a few Red-breasted Mergansers in quite close to Saltholme Pools Hide and a Pale-bellied Brent Goose in with the Canadas for the two days.

[Boy Wonder]

A European White-fronted Goose turned up yesterday, a great addition to our geese list for the year.

Tundra and Taiga Bean Goose
Pink-footed Goose
European White-fronted Goose
Greylag Goose
Canada Goose
Barnacle Goose
Pale and Dark-bellied Brent

[Boy Wonder]

Taken about an hour ago in front of Saltholme Pools Hide.

[IanF]

RSPB Saltholme - pm - Pink-footed Goose x1, Hooded Merganser x1, Pintail x2, Goldeneye x4, Glaucous Gull x1, Little Egret 5-6, Great Crested Grebe x5, Little Grebe x2.

Only Saltholme Hide visited today.

[adswildlife]

nice hooded shots ian! no 2 is a cracker :)

[Boy Wonder]

Our first migrants of the year yesterday afternoon with a Wheatear up at Haverton and 2 Sand Martins over Allotment Pool.

[mattwhite]

Does Saltholme get many Avocets? If yes do they hang around for long?

[rokermartin]

Yes Avocets are now annual at Saltholm but they dont usually stay for long.I think there were 2 seen yesterday.Best places to see them is Greatham Creek and Greenabella Marsh 16 were seen yesterday

[Boy Wonder]

Our first Sand Martins have been seen in and around the artificial bank in front of the Visitor Centre which is great news as they didn't find it till halfway through the summer last year. We've put a little recording and comments sheet on the migration wall with a plan of the holes. If anyone wants to help us monitor their activity while they're watching them please feel free to fill in the form.