The RSPB Community

Recent sightings 20 May

Joan Childs — Mon, 20 May 2013 09:05:06 GMT

A marsh harrier was seen at Rye Meads yesterday (Sunday 19 May). The kingfishers are feeding their young and very visible from the Kingfisher Hide.

Joan

Final call for photographers . . .

Joan Childs — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:25:24 GMT

There are only three places left on Tom's photographic workshop on Saturday 15 June so book now on 01992 708383 to secure your place.

The workshop runs 10 am to 3 pm and is perfect if you want to learn or improve your photographic skills.

Cost £30 for members and £40 for non-members, or join on the day for the cheaper price.

See baby birds up close

Joan Childs — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:19:54 GMT

Join us on our nestbox watch where the Rye Meads Ringers will be checking and ringing the baby birds in nestboxes on site. A great chance to see baby birds up close. Fantastic for families.

Saturday 1 June, 1 - 3 pm

£4 for members, £6 for non-members (adults and children), or join on the day to take advantage of the reduced price.

Places are limited and booking fast, so please call 01992 708383 to secure your place.

Book on our fantastic holiday club!

Joan Childs — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:13:40 GMT

The Wacky Wildlife Adventures is running 10 am to 4 pm in the half term week, Tuesday - Thursday, 28 - 30 May.

Places are limited so please call 01992 708383, or e-mail becky.shenton@rspb.org.uk to book. You need to be 6 to 12 years old to join us for holiday fun!

Costs £17 for WEx members, or £25 for non-members (you can join on the day to take advantage of the reduced price).

Tuesday 28 May - Woodcraft Creations - become an archer - make your very own bow and have a go at target practice! Get to grips with using simple tools to make natural creations.

Wednesday 29 May - CSI Rye Meads - become a Creature Signs Investigator! Inspect clues animals leave behind in their tracks, trails and poo! Crack nature codes and create your own animal tracks craft to take home.

Thursday 30 May - Marvellous Mammals - explore the world of mammals - learn how to stalk like a fox, try to fly like a bat and make a puppet of your favourite mammal to take home.

Our kingfishers have hatched!

Joan Childs — Thu, 16 May 2013 08:54:31 GMT

Our kingfisher pair, nesting in the bank visible from the Kingfisher Hide, is now feeding young, despite the best efforts of a second intruder pair to put them off. Now is a great time to come and watch them going in and out of the nest bank, and visits will increase over the next two weeks until the young fledge as their appetites grow.

Joan

Photographic workshop

Joan Childs — Tue, 07 May 2013 10:15:07 GMT

Come and photograph the wildlife that makes Rye Meads its home under the expert tuition of Tom Mason.

Only three places remain for Tom Mason's photographic workshop on Saturday 15 June, 10 am to 3 pm.

£30 for members, £40 for members (or join on the day for the discounted price).

Book now to avoid disappointment.

A reminder of events coming up . . .

Joan Childs — Tue, 07 May 2013 10:10:21 GMT

Our monthly Wildlife Explorers' Club meets on Saturday 18 May between 11 am and 1 pm. We'll be doing 'Everything Eggy'. Numbers are limited so please book a place by calling 01992 708383. Suitable for 6 to 11 year olds. First timers welcome.

There's a Wildlife Watch on Saturday 25 May - volunteers will be in a hide to help you spot and identify wildlife. Great for families and to increase your wildlife knowledge and skills. It's free and you don't have to book - just turn up between 2 and 4 pm.

Our holiday club for kids, the Wacky Wildlife Adventures, is meeting Tuesday to Thursday 28 - 30 May, to banish holiday boredom. Please book on the number above.

Don't forget that our Nestbox Watch has moved to 1 June because of the lateness of the season. Great experience for families to see nestlings up close. Please book on the above number.

It's baby time at Rye Meads!

Joan Childs — Fri, 03 May 2013 09:03:55 GMT

We have our first three mallard ducklings and six goslings!

Joan

Fun stuff for kids!

Joan Childs — Fri, 03 May 2013 09:00:51 GMT

Banish boredom in the half term at our Playscheme!

Tuesday to Thursday, 28 - 30 May, 10 am to 4 pm

The Wacky Wildlife Adventures is our fun holiday club for children aged 6 to 12. Something different every day!

Costs £17 for WEx members or £25 for non members per day. Booking essential.

Please call the reserve on 01992 708383.

We also have a WEx group in May.

Saturday 18 May, 11 am to 1 pm

Everything eggy! As it's spring we'll be finding out about birds' eggs and doing some eggs-periments. Can we transport eggs without breaking them? Can we get an egg in a bottle? Can we make eggs bounce?

Suitable for children 6 - 11. £3 for WEx members, £5 for non-members. First timers welcome! Please book on the above number.

The first swifts!

Joan Childs — Wed, 01 May 2013 08:30:48 GMT

We spotted the first swifts of the year at Rye Meads on 30 April - about a dozen were wheeling high above the visitor centre.

In a sudden rush of activity, we now have most of our migrants back: cuckoo, sedge warbler, blackcap, whitethroat, lesser whitethroat, chiffchaff, willow warbler, swallow, common terns, sand martin, house martin, reed warbler, hobby, little ringed plover.

We still haven't seen or heard turtle dove, garden warbler or grasshopper warbler, so let us know if you do!

Joan

Kingfisher update - 1 May

Joan Childs — Wed, 01 May 2013 08:26:39 GMT

Our kingfisher pair is now incubating eggs, due to hatch approximately 10-12 May.

Yesterday, an interloper pair was messing about at the nest bank! The resident pair was busy chasing them off! One of the males has a chunk of wing feathers missing presumably from where they have been fighting. Hopefully the interlopers will move to the alternative bank outside the Gadwall Hide!

Joan

Early opening on Sunday 5 May

Joan Childs — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:16:22 GMT

The reserve will be open from 7.30 am on Sunday 5 May.

Come and make the most of the day!

Joan

Nestbox Watch

Joan Childs — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 08:42:34 GMT

On 1 June our Ringing Group will be ringing the birds in the nestboxes on site. You can come and watch! A fantastic opportunity to see birds close up, and great for families.

Please call 01992 708383 to book a place. This event runs 1 pm to 3 pm.

£4 for members, £6 for non-members, or join on the day to take advantage of the reduced charge.

Please note that this event has been rescheduled from 18 May due to the late season.

Dawn chorus event

Joan Childs — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 08:34:43 GMT

Celebrate International Dawn Chorus day at Rye Meads!

Sunday 5 May, 5 am to 7 am.

The reserve will be resonant with the songs of spring migrants as well as resident birds. Learn to identify their calls and then enjoy a hot drink and croissant in the visitor centre afterwards (included in the price).

£4 for members, £6 for non-members (you can join on the day for the reduced price), booking essential. Please call 01992 708383 to reserve a place.

Our tern rafts are out!

Joan Childs — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:34:26 GMT

All we need is some terns now! We have had a few flying over, but it will probably be a while before they stick around.

We are experimenting with some new style, bigger rafts to see if the terns prefer them.

Joan

Are you a teacher?

Joan Childs — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:03:06 GMT

Did you know that Rye Meads runs a programme of curriculum linked, Quality Badge assessed courses for schools? More than 3,000 children each year benefit from our education programmes here at Rye Meads. Each year we are fully booked, so if you fancy bringing your school here, give us a call soon so that we cater for your needs and book you a day.

Please phone 01992 708383 and ask to speak to our Education Officer.

Events coming up in April and the beginning of May . . .

Joan Childs — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 13:27:13 GMT

Saturday 27 April WILDLIFE WATCH

Volunteers will be in a hide to help you spot and identify birds that make their home at Rye Meads. Hopefully there will be plenty of newly arrived migrants around. 2 – 4 pm. No need to book and it’s free!

More Wildlife Watches in May on 11th (10 am to noon), 12th (10 am to noon) and 25th (2 – 4 pm)

5 May DAWN CHORUS

Calling all early birds! Come to our dawn chorus walk at 5 am (until 7 am). It’s International Dawn Chorus Day so people across the globe will be listening to the early morning birdsong. Identify some migrants by sight and song, and then enjoy croissant and hot drinks in the visitor centre afterwards. £4 for members, £6 for non-members. Breakfast included in the price. Booking essential – please call 01992 708383.

Spring and sunshine!

Joan Childs — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:36:10 GMT

Chiffchaffs and blackcaps have arrived back at Rye Meads, along with swallows and martins. One common tern has flown over so hopefully they will be arriving to breed shortly. A whitethroat has been heard just offsite, and Cetti's are calling like crazy! Kingfishers have been mating since the 6th so should be laying, but have not yet started to incubate, so are very active around the nest though and showing well. A barn owl was found dead in the snow so it looks like the bad weather has put paid to them breeding on site this year. Our first hobby was spotted yesterday. We have also seen a polecat on site.

Please post a blog if you spot other migrants!

Thanks

Joan

Lots of wildlife springing into action today

Joan Childs — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 10:53:42 GMT

The sun is shining at Rye Meads today. There is a still a bittern in the Ashby Reedbed, and a marsh harrier was seen at close of play last night. A female stonechat is in the car park area. Maybe it's even warm enough for a butterfly or two? It all seems to be happening so why not pay us a visit?

Joan

The kingfishers are back!

Joan Childs — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 10:47:32 GMT

We have a very active kingfisher pair prospecting at the artificial nestbank opposite the Kingfisher Hide. Last year, kingfishers had three broods of young here, so it's looking as if it might be another good season for them.

For an up-close view of these stunning birds which make Rye Meads their home, pop to the reserve for a look. Binoculars are availabe for hire for £1.50.

Lots of other wildlife to see on the reserve too!

Joan

Joan Childs, Site Manager

Events coming up

Joan Childs — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 10:02:16 GMT

We have a Wildlife Watch on 31 March at 10 am to 12 noon - just turn up no need to book! Volunteers will be in a hide helping you to spot wildlife.

We also have early opening, from 7.30 am, on Easter Day. Again, just turn up from 7.30 am onwards.

Don't forget to book for our Easter Holiday Playscheme which is running 2-4 and 9-11 April. The holiday club is suitable for 6-12 year olds and runs 10 am to 4 pm each day. Please e-mail becky.shenton@rspb.org.uk for a booking pack.

Cheers

Joan

Improve your skills . . .

Joan Childs — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 09:15:14 GMT

Need help spotting and identifying wildlife? Improve your skills with expert help from our lovely volunteers who will be in a hide on Saturday 23 March between 2 and 4 pm. It’s free and you can just turn up any time between these times – no need to book.

Joan

'Cafe Lite' comes to Rye Meads

Joan Childs — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 11:20:52 GMT

We now have a small cafe at Rye Meads - a few tables and chairs, plus a selection of biscuits, crisps, flapjacks and drinks.

Thank you to all our visitors who have filled in questionnaires about your day on the reserve. A cafe was your number one request . . . and here it is!

Joan

Kingfisher pair active!

Joan Childs — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 15:07:44 GMT

A pair of kingfishers are very active at the Kingfisher bank.

Also, little egret on the wet meadow and a great crested grebe from the Tern Hide.

Joan

We are open as usual again!

Joan Childs — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 09:40:59 GMT

I'm pleased to be able to let you know that the contractors have left the site and all our trails and hides are open as usual. You now have full access to the reserve again. And the sun is shining! Hope you visit us soon!

Joan

Joan Childs, Site Manager