Teesmouth Bird Club

The carpark is now open again.

I have just been informed that as from today the lower car park at Dorman`s pool will be out of action. It has plant on site involved in drilling a pipeline under the railway line. The works will take two weeks, after which the car park will be fully reinstated. Sorry for this late information but we were not aware of the start date until now.

Dave Nelson

Ideally it would be good to have all of the Saltholme reserve available for access all of the time. The reason that parts of the reserve are not open 24/7 is simply a reflection of the fact that we are on Teesside and that there are some valuable assets that I am eager to ensure remain intact.
I perfectly understand the frustrations, Saltholme is a great place and before RSPB arrived there was only at best unofficial access to some parts.
It is worth remembering that it is only part of the reserve that has restricted access. You can go to Dorman`s pool any time and if you are a key holder can get into the hide (TBC manage the key holder system). You can also go up to Greatham Creek and walk the length of Saltern Wetlands. The area at Haverton view point, the Allotment pool and the scrub area is also open all the time.
By special arrangement with TBC, we installed the Phil Stead hide and this is available from 8am every morning except Christmas Day (we actually get that day off). All those other Bank Holidays when most folk are out having a good time; we are here working ... and also having a good time by the way!
In the New Year we are offering an Early Birder ticket as an experiment that will allow RSPB members early access from 8am to those areas of the reserve that we close down. You can find out the details of the Early Birder tickets from the Saltholme visitor centre reception.
I hope that everyone can appreciate the reason why all of the reserve is not open access and take full advantage of those areas that are.
Thanks
Dave Braithwaite
Senior Site Manager

Please be aware.
To prevent disturbance to SPA breeding and wintering birds, and to prevent any health and safety issues along this dangerous route, the path north from Dorman's hide will be closed in the near future.
Dave Nelson

Over the next few weeks, there will be quite a lot of survey work going on across Cowpen Marsh.
This is being undertaken by Natural England and the Environment Agency. The timing of this work has been to coincide with the post-breeding season / pre-wintering season and when the marsh is at its driest.
This work is all in connection with flood prevention works that may be taking place next year.

Dave Braithwaite,
Site Manager RSPB Saltholme

As you will all know access to Dorman's Pool is via Huntsman?s Drive which is a private road. The Bird Club has had an access agreement for many years and our old signs said your membership card was your access permit. When RSPB took over Dorman`s Pool this arrangement was kept in place by their kind permission.

There is a 30 miles per hour speed limit on this road. If you have been up to the top car park you will have seen the speed camera sign which gives your speed and a smiley face if you are under 30mph. We have been told that the road owners intend to install more speed cameras which will take pictures of speeding vehicles and their number plates. Clearly abusing the speed limit could therefore lead to a ban, just as it applies to the employees from the industrial sites along the road.

Because of security concerns, they also intend to do random weekend checks on vehicles using this road. You may therefore be asked to pull over and explain what you are doing. Please be courteous if this happens and have your TBC or RSPB membership card with you or access will, quite rightly, be refused.

Following the finding of the Squacco Heron at the Wildlife Watchpoint on Thursday, RSPB kept the reserve open until 7pm that night so that people could have access to see the bird and opened the Wildlife Watchpoint again early on Friday morning.
As TBC/RSPB Liaison Office I have been informed that the member of RSPB staff that was at the entrance of the carpark on Friday, to let people know that this was so, was verbally abused by an alleged bird club member who did not let the lady explain what was going on and although he did apologise after his outburst, this sort of thing is totally unacceptable and this person should feel ashamed at his attitude.
If the RSPB have someone on duty at this point it is for a very good reason and they should be listened to first.

Dave Braithwaite of the RSPB has had a site meeting with several members of our committee and between us we agreed on this structure. I am in regular contact with Dave on all matters regarding the bird club. We think that the design we have chosen will not be unsightly and will give the opportunity to view Dorman's Pool from a different angle. When we have some drawings done I will give more details.

The club is intending to erect a steel tower viewing platform/hide at Dorman?s Pool as a memorial to Ted Parker. We have a photograph of a similar structure that we have used for our design, a contractor has given us a price and a specification with some sketches. The next step is to apply for planning permission and for this we will need some drawings, this is where we need the help.
Has anyone got access to CAD or a drawing board and can do the drawings for us. If you feel you can help please contact me on davenelson.tbc@gmail.com

Hi Paul
Have a look at these sites, the first can arrange day tips for birding the other is free book on Algarve Birdwatching sites with maps and info. They also have a guide to trails.

www.algarve-birdwatching.com/

pt.meravista.com/sites/default/files/basic_page_pdf/algarve_birdwatching_guide_2012.pdf

Dave

It has been reported to me that people have been entering RSPB Saltholme before 10 am can I just remind people that the reserve does not open until 10 am and that you must go to the visitor centre. The only access we have prior to this is the Phil Stead Hide which is open from about 8.30 and by individual licence, to the track from the triangle to view back saltholme out of hours. Haverton scrub is another matter which I will not go into here.

Dave Nelson

Just an update. I was talking to Dave Braithwaite at RSPB yesterday and he has received an anonymous letter from a concerned birdwatcher who says the wildfowlers were last year using grain to entice the birds for shooting on Cowpen Marsh and that this year cartridges have been found indicating the use of lead shot which is illegal around wetlands (non-lead based shot must be used).

Dave will be talking to the wildfowler groups about this  but said that it would help enormously if people with information about the conduct of wildfowlers would (in confidence) identify themselves so that Dave can make contact to be sure of all of the facts before presenting these to the wildfowler groups.

Hi Jamie. My original posting does not imply anything, it was posted to let people know what had happened and to ask for help in spotting such acts. This is the only place that I can reach a wide audience, not only TBC Members read this site.
Neither RSPB nor myself think of TBC Members as vandals, just this one person, whoever they are.
Yes I am a contact between the club and RSPB and if you would e'mail me with the things you asked them I will take them up and get back to you. Any member can do this through me.

I have just returned from holiday to be told by RSPB that someone has been out in front of our Jeff Youngs hide at Dorman's Pool and painted the fence posts in bright garish colours. This can not be tolerated, it is at least vandalism and could be classed as criminal damage.
Dorman's Pool is owned and run by RSPB as part of the Saltholme Reserve and no one has the right to just go on and do as they like. If you see anyone doing such things please contact me or the RSPB so that any necessary action can be taken.
If someone just thought that it would be a good idea as reference points then this should have been forwarded as an idea to myself or some other committee member to be brought up with the RSPB and not just done.
I can be contacted on davenelson.tbc@gmail.com

I updated my imac to Safari 7.1 on Thursday and got this result. I have let Jamie know and he is trying to find a work round. I have now put Google Chrome on my mac and this works fine.
Dave Nelson