First time at RSPB Saltholme!

Today we took our first visit to RSPB Saltholme!

When we got to the reserve we realised that we came a little to early, we got there at 9:15am when the reserve opened at 10:00am but near the car park there was a hide looking over a little lake which was probably for people who came a bit early, so we went in that for around about 45mins. At the end of the lake there was 3 little egrets, 2 of them was looking for food and the other one was asleep also near the front of the hide there was about 10 black tailed godwit and next to them was a couple of snipe which kept going in and out of the reeds. After that it was about time for the reserve to open so we went out of the hide and went into the visitor centre.

Black tailed godwit

When we got in the visitor centre, we got news that there was a Temmincks Stint on the reserve and a Spoonbill so this man who worked for the reserve showed us were they were because we didn't have a clue. They were both on the same lake, on the way lots of reed and sedge warblers singing up at the top of the reeds which was nice to watch. When we reached the hide, there was no sign of the Spoonbill but right at the back of the lake was 4 more little egrets, Then we were then told that the Stint had moved down the lake to a scrape in the middle of the lake which was only viewable from the road outside Saltholme, so then we walked back to the car to get to the scrape were it was sighted. At the side of the road there was a few lay byes so we pulled into one of them, when we got to the bit were it was sighted there was lots of men with scopes and they said they could see it and they allowed us to take a look through the scopes because the Stint was very distant and when we looked it was there! We were very happy when we saw it! On the scrape with the Stint there was a Ruff, Dunlin and a Ringed plover.

After all that we decided to have a walk round the reserve, on the way we went in a few hides one had some feeders in it and they had Juvenile Blue tits feeding on them and when we walked out of that hide a whitethroat was in the reeds along with a few Goldfinches and Sedge warblers.

Sedge warbler

 

When we were walking down the path to get to one last hide we saw something on the path in front of us, it was a skylark, this little guy allowed us to get really close to him which was a great experience.

Skylark

 

  In the last hide lots of Common terns were nesting on banks on the lake along with some black headed gulls, It was amazing to watch the Terns catch fish, have a bath in the lake and mob other terns who had caught fish earlier.

Common Terns

After a very fantastic days birding we decided to go home.