Saltholme RSPB Reserve.

[HenHarrierHall]

Hello

Does anyone know any information about this new RSPB reserve that will be finalised in a few months time ?

Thankyou

[IanF]

There was a piece in the newspapar last week saying the opening has been put back to 2009! However I've heard mention of some sort of partial opening later in the year - maybe November?

RSPB have a blog - RSPB Saltholme blog - where updates are added periodically.

The main RSPB Saltholme page hasn't been updated since July 2007 - so ignore the dates mentioned.

Here's how the new hides/buildings looked yesterday. A way to go yet!

[dean smith]

im sure everyone knows by now but in the hartlepool mail a few days ago it said it opens on the 21st of january 2009


dean 

[IanF]

im sure everyone knows by now but in the hartlepool mail a few days ago it said it opens on the 21st of january 2009


dean 

Great news 

Despite the delays it's earlier than I expected. I see the Saltholme blog has just been updated as well.

[IanF]

DBC had an outing to visit the new reserve this morning. I didn't count heads but I'd say there were around 20 present braving the high winds and low temperatures.

A bit of a shaky start to the day. We met up for a 9:30 start though most were there well before. 30 minutes later we were still stood around in the car park and no RSPB staff. Fortunately I remembered where they're based off site. To be fair they thought it was a 10:30 start and did arrive within 10 minutes after that. No wonder the reserve is so far behind schedule 

The new visitor centre is still very much a building site. The exterior looks just about complete but I think they'll be struggling to keep to the revised opening date of 21st January 2009. The official opening is 5th March.

Access paths and cycleways to the rest of the site have yet to be finished as well. Likewise the new hides which are little more than shells. Paddy's Hole hide with it's metal roof was very noisy in the high winds.

Not too many birds around today either - likely due to the weather conditions. I noted - Northern Pintail, Mute Swan, Teal, Wigeon, Pintail, Coot, Moorhen, Mallard, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Curlew, Kestrel, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Little Grebe, Cormorant. I think someone noted a distant Whooper Swan - but through the binos I wouldn't like to say for sure. Apparently a few days ago a female Ruddy Duck with three chicks was in front of the hide at Paddy's Hole. A few Goldfinch and Linnet were by the car park/visitor centre and Shoveler on the pool behind the fire station.

On the bright side bird wise we're not missing much in the mean time. Greater numbers of birds and a greater variety of species and closer views can be had from the existing viewing points along the A178.

I'd hoped to feel a little more upbeat about the new reserve by now but I'm more than a little disappointed by what I saw today.