Trip reports

Bird Walk at Rye Meads RSPB Reserve on Saturday 14 October 2006

Sunday, 22 October 2006

Eleven people attended the walk at this reserve which has been upgraded in recent years and now has a Centre with many facilities. It was a bright day with very little breeze and everyone enjoyed a leisurely stroll around this wetland reserve. Otters have been reintroduced to this area and are occasionally seen but unfortunately this shy mammal did not reveal itself to us. As regards the birds, the summer migrants had departed but a total of over thirty species was seen. The highlight was a Kingfisher, the bird the reserve is noted for, with a specially constructed sandy bank with holes for breeding purposes.

There are a total of ten hides and we visited several of them, seeing a good mixture of waterbirds including a number of Gadwall, Teal, Shoveler, Little Grebe and Snipe, and also an obliging Great Spotted Woodpecker in a dead tree. Large feeding flocks of tits, including Long-tailed Tits, were seen flitting around in the trees. Good numbers of dragonflies and several butterflies were also enjoying the warm autumn sunshine.