by Martin Blick - Sept 19
Originally, part of Saltholme Marsh, Dormans Pool was named by birdwatchers in the 1960’s and has been an integral part of North Tees Marshes ever since. It is currently “looked after” by the RSPB Saltholme Team and the grid reference at the centre is NZ232514.
The pool is rectangular, just to the East of RSPB Saltholme reserve and is bordered to the North and South by industry’s access roads, to the East by a high slag embankment and to the West by an abandoned railway line and a line of trees.
Access is via the road along the Southern edge (Huntsman Drive) to a small car park in the South Western corner (NZ512227), which has a 400 metre path leading to the Jeff Youngs hide. Vehicular access can be gained from the South Eastern corner via a slag track to an elevated parking area midway along the Eastern edge (NZ517229).
In the 1960’s and 1970’s, Dormans Pool was essentially a seasonally flooded field but since then, phragmites has slowly spread over about 50% of the area. This is attractive to good numbers of breeding Reed Warblers and Water Rails, and to Bittern and Bearded Tits in some winters. The other half is mostly shallow water in winter and spring, but this dries up to some degree every summer, creating varying areas of mud and very shallow water.
As a marsh, it attracts numbers of waders, geese and ducks, as well as Marsh Harriers from April to October, Cetti’s Warblers bred here in 2010, Cleveland’s first Pallid Harrier was here for four days in 2011 and the only Glaucous-winged Gull was on the ice here in January 2009.
Other interesting and unusual birds seen here include Red-backed Shrike, Wryneck, Hobby, White-rumped, Pectoral and Semi-palmated Sandpipers, Wilson’s and Red-necked Phalaropes, Great White Egret, Green-winged Teal, Red-breasted Goose, Ring-billed Gull, Long-tailed Skua, Spotted Crake and Citrine Wagtail.