Saltholme 27th September 2009

I had a meeting followed by an overnight stay in the North East this weekend. Saturday travelling to Newcastle, doing the meeting then travelling down to Tees Side to a Premier Inn. This was chosen carefully by the wife (and me) to be near to Saltholme, between Stockton and Hartlepool, and I guess it’s one of the RSPB’s new flagship reserves. They certainly go out of their way to welcome people and the whole operation seems to focus around the visitor centre. If I were new to birding or more importantly a child, then I would be deeply appreciative of the lengths to which RSPB have gone to make this a welcoming educational experience. The facilities are very good, with a large retail outlet to suit most birdwatching tastes and needs and excellent indoor viewing, teaching, catering and family support services

.

We arrived early (the reserve opens at 10am). The wife went off to do her thing (walking rather than watching – she’s interested but not fanatically so) and I started the tour of the hides. I found the first one – actually called an observation point, but all the hides are modelled like this – see photo. The landscape is also the view from this hide. Large, spacious, chairs and stools for various heights of watcher and tripod, and excellent inclusivity features. I would take some getting used to the chairs.

From this hide I spotted greenshank, redshank, gadwall, coots, moorhens, little grebe, crows, and three grey partridges at the back in the grass. I pointed this out to another obvious enthusiast and he was over the moon. It seems the partridges were a first for him at the reserve and he is one of the recorders. We had quite a chat as we walked round the reserve together.

We missed the Paddy’s Pool hide basically because Paddy’s Pool was devoid of birds. But the Saltholme Hide, overlooking some really good pools, was ace. Trouble was, it was so crowded that I couldn’t really do much.

Did see the following: approx 150 lapwing in a flock that stayed together. No shortage of waders, including 200 golden plovers; two ruff; spotted redshank; widgeon; pintail; tufted duck; 4 little egrets (not very common that far north, it seemed); several mute swans; cormorant; several gadwall; 30-50 greylags with three or four pink footed geese among them; Canada geese; mallard; 3 snipe; buzzard. Plus all the usual suspects. There were reports of a buff breasted sandpiper but I didn’t see it.

Overall, my feelings about Saltholme? Could be great fun were there not so many people. A bit of a paradox this, because the whole idea is that people should be watching. If I find myself back there I hope it is perhaps midweek, inclement weather and perhaps later in the year. But the RSPB have done a good job, I think.