This topics is part New Years resolution merged with a 'why on earth haven't we done this sooner' realisation. We already have our own sub-index but that's for us to tell you guys stuff, so hopefully this is a place where you can ask tell us stuff and we can respond. It might take off, it might not, but it's always worth trying. So if you want to tell us you love us or hate, ask questions about the reserve's history or development (can't guarantee answers to everything but we'll do our best) or have ideas on events then please feel free to share them on here.
Happy New Year and look forward to seeing you on the reserve soon
T
Hi Toby,
now the light nights are here again will the RSPB be considering letting birders onto the reserve tracks after the reserve closes so that the 9-5 workers can access the reserve during the week? I know it has been discussed previously and it was suggested this may be the case in the future but I have not heard anything about it recently.
I know everyone will appreciate the effort you put in to open the reserve when something rare is present (ie last night) but it would also be nice to be able to get in on normal evenings rather than just at the weekends when the crowds are present.
Hi Jamie,
I have printed out some more of the causeway access forms so will happily re-issue those in return for your old ones.
As far as I know, we are happy for any birders to come onto the reserve after hours as long as the following criteria are met....
1. There must be a designated key holder pairing. For health and safety reasons we can't allow just one person to have a key to lock and unlock the main gate and Saltholme Pools Hide.
2. Access will be from 6pm and to Saltholme Pools Hide only. Park in the lower car park bay (after remembering to close the front entrance gate behind you) and access the hide along the path to Saltholme Hide via the service track that runs round the back of the playground.
3. The key holder pairing(s) will be given access to the RSPB Saltholme announcements page where they will post the date and time they will be on site to open the hide. This needs to be done at least a day in advance so we can let Sembcorp know when they are doing their security checks.
4. When the key holders are on site, the front gate will remain closed, but not locked. This will prevent passers by from popping in and by keeping the news on the TBC page, it means access will be exclusively to club members.
5. There is a signing in and out book in the Hide, please fill this in with the key holders details and all visitors and bird sightings.
6. It will be the key holders responsibility to ensure all visitors are off site and the car park is empty. The two keyholders will be the last off site. It may be best to state and end time as well as an opening time when you let members know the hide will be open.
7. While we are only opening Saltholme Hide, Bottom Tank and Fire Station Field will also be viewable. Please make sure these areas are checked before the key holders leave.
8. If a rare/scarce bird is found that can only be seen on the reserve, please make sure I am the first point of contact so we can organise suitable staffing and access. More information here >> http://www.teesmouthbc.com/forumtbc/index.php?topic=2875.0
Hope that makes sense. Please feel free to comment back on here, send me an e-mail or give me a call if you want any more information.
Toby
Hi Toby,
thanks for the info. I was thinking of maybe something less complex like leaving the pedestrian gate unlocked and a gate near the garden so you could walk in off the road and round the pools without needing to access the car park, hides etc much like Leighton Moss
Unfortunately Jamie that would pose too much of a security risk. We would have no idea who's coming or going so if any damage was done/any accidents happened we wouldn't know about it or how it was done and also Sembcorp wouldn't be able to keep track of who should or shouldn't be there. Luckily for Leighton and some of the other more rural reserves they don't have the naughty neighbours we do and can offer that all hours service. Unfortunately for us it does pose a big risk that we can't afford to take. Hope you understand.
I have noticed a lot of sightings early mornings at Saltholme at listed on the centre notice board. This obviously means that staff members are present to see this wildlife, yet the reserve remains closed.
Is it not possible to open the hides early, even if it meant keeping the visitor centre closed till 10?
Hi Davie, A lot of the early sightings we've posted recently have been seen while we're doing surveys and we just want everyone to knwo what's about and what to look for. Reserve staff are on site from 8 (or earlier if surveying/during lambing season) to open up the reserve, do our morning safety checks, feed the sheep, fill the bird feeders, check livestock, update the sightings boards, get kit ready for work party, and make sure the hides are spic and span. 70% of the reserve can be seen from publicly accessible areas outside of our opening hours anyway. The reasons for leaving the reserve open late that I mentioned below are the same as not opening the reserve up early.
There have been calls for us to open late several times and during the Hartlepool tall ships event we stayed open for 4 nights over a weekend till 8pm. In those 12 extra hours we only had a total of 100 extra people coming on to the reserve. Both Dave Nelson and Peter Simcock opened up Saltholme Pools Hide early over several weeks two years ago and there were few if any takers (Dave or Peter may be able to explain more) so we have tried to accomodate wishes for early and late closing but they haven't been very well recieved. The points I've posted below in terms of late opening could also be applied to early openings. If this is something you'd be interested in doing with a friend Davie, get in touch and we can see if it could work.
Thanks Toby.
I wonder if some of the early mornings did not prove as popular you had hoped due to a lack of marketing as I, for one, did not know about Dave and Peter opening the Pools hide early two years ago.
On another subject, Saltholme began creating a Kingfisher area near the visitor centre, but this seems to have been scrapped. Is this project ongoing as I would love to see Saltholme attract this stunning species in greater numbers?
Following Toby's posting from last week.
It's amazing how time fly's, it's three years since we tried early opening at Saltholme. Peter Simcock tried a couple of times with no visitors then Bob Crawford and myself tried on eight days. These dates were posted on the RSPB section of the forum, if you look at page 2 they are still there. At least a week's notice was given for these dates and sometime several dates were given and although 400 to 600 people read the postings only one person turned up and only on one date. We are all volunteers and already give many hours at the reserve and as no one was turning up for these days we could see no advantage to extending our working day and abandoned the idea.
Dave Nelson
Are the tern rafts that were on Cowpen going to be replaced before the terns return? They were still used despite been scruffy and they were nice to watch from the car so it seems a real shame for the terns and the birders if they are not put back in the next few days
Hi Jamie,
The rafts were in very poor condition and there were concerns that they may break up being hazardous to anything nesting on them as well as the wider habitat. As apart of the National Grid works these are being replaced with brand new ones. Tees Valley Wildlife Trust are constructing them as we speak and they are scheduled to be in place for this years breeding season. We will also be getting some on the reserve and if succesful will look to get more over the coming years.
Thats great news Toby.
Last nights the new rafts were still not in place and the Terns are returning. Any news on when they will be back? Perhaps it would have been better if they had been make and ready to put in place before the old rafts were removed.
Plans were to get them in by this week or next so still on target. Problem with the last ones were they were a bad weather day away from breaking up. They literally disintergrated when they were removed. Leaving them there was a risk not only for the terns but any other species, especially those that nest early like Coot, Moorhen and Canada Goose, that chose to use them. If something had nested on them then we woudln't have been able to remove them meaning we would have had to move them further along the creek and therefore further from a suitable viewing point in the triangle. The combination of late reply from National Grid and workload of the TVWT meant that this was the earliest window available to order, manufacture and install the rafts.
We have just put a raft of our own in front of the Visitor Centre with another coming next week so be good to see how productive they are.
Plenty of terns fishing on Cowpen today but no rafts yet.
We're chasing TVWT as best we can Jamie. Unfortunately the original supplier of the materials had gone out of business so that delayed us by a week and I was hoping to go out to over see the installation today but got a call this morning and one of their team members is unavailable so they couldn't make it. We've been told they'll be done by the end of next week. We are pressing as best we can and I'm sure TVWT are doing their best to as they are aware of the time scale and need to get the rafts in asap.
The Terns certainly seem to be appreciating the recently installed rafts.
Maybe late arriving but not too late for them to be used.
Great to see the rafts back. Watching over the weekend it seemed like the one nearest the bank had the fewest terns on and the one furthest away had the most on
The Tees Ringing Group will keep tabs on nests and productivity so we'll review their location at the end of the season. The rafts aren't fixed in place so can be moved and will be if not effective. Just want them to get sitting now rather than micro manage. We've also replaced the single raft in Holme Fleet and again if that doesn't work our we will look to relocate that too.
Must say I think ringing of adult birds when they're feeding young (e.g. Stonechat at Greenabella) can't be right. IMHO