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Rye Meads |
Recent sightingsMonday, 16 November 2009Here are some of the recent wildlife highlights from the reserve: A peregrine has been seen a few times over the last week, sitting on the pylon near the visitor centre. Make sure you look at the pylons you never know what might be resting there! Draper Hide - the wildfowl are coming in: teal, shoveler, gadwall, mallard, and tufted duck have all been seen really well. There have been great sightings of kingfisher, snipe, green sandpiper, reed bunting and cettis warbler. Moorhen and Kingfisher Hides - kingfisher, snipe, shoveler, teal, gadwall, mallard, grey wagtail, song thrust and cettis warbler. Gadwall and Tern Hides - kingfisher, snipe, lesser black backed gull, greater black backed gull, herring gull, black headed gull, and golden eye. Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust Wet Meadow - meadow pipit and little egret. The four water buffalo have been joined by some cattle: one long horn and five belted galloway.
Sunday, 25 October 2009We've found a rare plant! The sulphur cinquefoil (potentilla recta) is a very rare casual perennial of waste ground. Its a lovely plant, the 'sulphur' in the name refers to the yellow colour of the petals. The sulphur cinquefoil can grow between 30-70 cm. It's near the Moorhen hide. Saturday, 24 October 2009The kingfisher has been seen really well over the last couple of weeks - we've been getting great views from the Moorhen and Draper Hides. A peregrine has been seen on the pylons by the visitor centre over the last couple of day, so remember to look at them when you visit. From the Draper hide green sandpiper, common sandpiper, snipe, kingfisher, teal and shoveler have all been seen really well. A buzzard flew over on 16 October, and a garganey was spotted on the 18 October. Two pintails and a yellow legged gull were seen on the 3 October at the lagoon (Tern and Gadwall) hides. Some of our winter visitors are starting to come in - redwings were first spotted on the reserve on 16 October.
Saturday, 3 October 2009Unusually, two pintails were spotted on one of our lagoons (one that can be seen from the Tern Hide) on Saturday.
Thursday, 24 September 2009Draper Hide
Moorhen Hide
Gadwall Hide
Kingfisher Hide
Around the Centre and Trail
Wednesday, 2 September 2009August Sightings 20090 Draper Hide
Ashby and Moorhen Hides
Gadwall and Tern Hides
Kingfisher Hide
Trails
Visitor center
Butterflies
Other wildlife
Tuesday, 25 August 2009A female ruff was spotted from the Draper hide last Thursday (20 August). Good views have been seen every day since. The kingfishers didn't fledge over the weekend as we predicted, but we think at least one fledged yesterday afternoon (Tuesday 24 August). We are still getting great views of the garganey from the Draper Hide.
Friday, 21 August 2009Kingfisher Update
We think the young are due to fledge this weekend (Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 August)!
Recently there have been a few garganey seen from the Draper Hide, along with up to 9 green sandpiper, and snipe.
Friday, 31 July 2009The kingfisher chicks have hatched! Over the weekend/ beginning of this week the kingfisher chick hatched - the adult birds were seen removing egg shells and taking in fish. This is a great time to see kingfishers, as the adult birds are very active trying to feed their hungry young on small fish and large aquatic insects. We’ll get amazing views while they are feeding the young, which they will do for about 25 days – so this is the perfect opportunity to visit!
Tuesday, 28 July 2009Excitingly, a rare species of moth has been seen at Rye Meads. The raspberry clearwing moth has only been in the UK for a short time - and we had 9 at once (we think this is the first time more than one has been seen!) The kingfishers are still around, and on eggs. They have been seen doing change overs, when you come and visit please let us know if you saw them and what they were doing. The turtledoves are still being seen around the visitor centre. Keep your eyes to the sky, and the pylons, as peregrine, hobby (on the 18 July), kestrel and sparrowhawk have all been seen recently.
There are lots of other fantastic wildlife that can be seen at the moment, including:
Tuesday, 14 July 2009We think the kingfishers are on eggs! Woohoo! The pair have been displaying typical behaviour, swapping over from sitting on the eggs. What a perfect time to come and glimpse a view of these fantastic birds! Keep checking on here for kingfisher updates - when the adults are feeding young is a great time to see them. Did you know you can keep up to date with the reserve by joining the Rye Meads facebook group!
Monday, 6 July 2009Kingfisher update: The kingfishers are showing really well! Now is a great time to come and see them - they have started excavating a nest hole in the bank and mating, and the male is catching fish for the female. It's looking good for them breeding on the reserve this year. We're hoping that they settle down, lay eggs and bring up their young with us. This is a fantastic opportunity to see these stunning birds up close. They are hanging around on posts outside the hide parading their gorgeous colours. Come and see if you can tell the male from the female - the female has a red beak and the male has a black beak. Rye Meads has a specially constructed artificial sand bank for them to use for breeding, just in front of one of the hides, offering visitors fantastic views of these stunning birds – if you would like to see one of the UK’s most beautiful birds now is the time!
Other birds have been showing well too, as well as the usual suspects here at the reserve, the following have been seen really well: two turtle dove (since the 2 July), up to 14 green sandpiper, ringed plover, little ringed plover (4 July), greenshank (3 July), and three little egret (2 July).
Butterflies and dragonflies: Brown hawker, common blue damselfly, blue tailed damselfly, banded demoiselle, comma, red admiral, small tortoiseshell, painted lady, meadow brown, small white, and ringlet.
Friday, 3 July 2009Here are some of the sightings from June: Visitor Centre/ Grounds
Draper Hide
Tern and Gadwall Hides
Ashby and Moorhen Hides
Trails
Tuesday, 30 June 2009We have a pair of kingfishers! Early in the season we had a pair, but the female left. But now - we have a male and a female together! They are currently exploring and excavating the bank, mating, taking fish in and out of the bank... If you wanted to see the kingfishers, now would be a good time to come. Keep your fingers crossed, they might breed! Better late than never!
Tuesday, 30 June 2009A wood sandpiper was seen really well from the Draper hide on Satuday 27, Sunday 28 and Monday 29 June. Fantastic! 5 green sandpipers, lapwing, little ringed plovers and lots of wildfowl have been the highlights from the Draper hide recently.
Sunday, 21 June 2009Visitor Centre and Grounds - greenfinch, chaffinch, goldfinch, blackbird, song thrush, starling, robin, great tit, blue tit, dunnock, white throat, sedge warbler, collard dove, turtle dove (first spotted on 1 June, its been seen quite regularly since), red kite, (11 June), hobby, swift, swallow (4 June) and pheasant. Draper hide - gadwall, mallard, tufted duck, pochard, shoveler, shelduck, Egyptian geese, mute swan, grey heron, coot, moorhen, little grebe, common tern, lesser black backed gull, black headed gull, reed warbler, sedge warbler, reed bunting, cuckoo, hobby, kingfisher, lapwing, little ringed plover, redshank, and green sandpiper (first seen on 20 June). Lagoon hides (Tern and Gadwall hides) - mallard, gadwall, pochard, tufted duck, coot, moorhen, common tern, black headed gull, lesser black backed gull, mute swan, little grebe, great crested grebe, sparrowhawk, sedge warbler, reed warbler, and cettis warbler. Ashby and Moorhen hides - reed warbler, sedge warbler, tufted duck, mallard, gadwall, mute swan, little grebe, and chiffchaff. Kingfisher hide - kingfisher, wren, sedge warbler, reed warbler, blue tit, great tit, coot, tufted duck, mallard, gadwall, and kestrel. The kestrels are breeding in the top nestbox, that is attached to the pylon. At the moment you can see the three young looking out from the box, and the adult can be seen as they bring food back to the young. Trail - wren, dunnock, blue tit, great tit, long tailed tit, bullfinch, blackbird, song thrush, chiffchaff, blackcap, white throat, reed warbler, sedge warbler, cettis warbler, willow warbler, garden warbler, reed bunting, cuckoo, kestrel, grass snake, and fox.
Monday, 25 May 2009The kingfisher are still being seen regularly! They are providing great views, but we are not sure what stage they are at breeding... are they on eggs yet? We're not sure! Please tell us if you see the kingfishers and what they were doing.
The kestrels are nesting - we've had great views of one of the adults sitting in the box. The turtle dove has been seen a few times over the last few days, mainly around the feeding station. The common terns are back, and some are beginning to nest - you can watch the terns at home, have a look at the webcams on the RSPB website.
Wednesday, 6 May 2009Since 16 April a pair of kingfishers have been seen around the Kingfisher bank. When they started investigating, the pair seemed to favour a large hole in the bottom row on the right hand side. On the 28 April the male was seen feeding the female a fish (a classic courtship sign), and investigating the bank.
On the 4 May the pair were showing very well around the nest bank, and they seem to have settled in a hole in the middle of the bottom row. When you come to see the kingfishers, please let us know where they were and what they were doing! While sitting in the Kingfisher Hide don't forget to look at the nest boxes on the pylon - the kestrels are using them again!
Monday, 4 May 2009Two turtle doves were spotted at the feeding station (at the Visitor Centre)
Friday, 1 May 2009Here are some of the highlights from April: Visitor Centre - reed bunting, greenfinch, chaffinch, great tit, blue tit, dunnock, blackbird, pheasant, chiffchaff, blackcap, kestrel, buzzard, red kite, osprey (seen flying over on 18 April), swallow (17 April) and a female wheatear on 17 April. Lapwing Hide - sedge warbler, reed warbler, mallard, gadwall, lapwing, and a marsh harrier. Draper Hide - teal, pochard, tufted duck, mallard, gadwall, shoveler, shelduck (up to five birds), two oystercatcher, two little ringed plovers, snipe, two redshank, lapwing, sedge warbler, reed warbler, willow warbler, and cettis warbler. Tern and Gadwall Hide - tufted duck, gadwall, mallard, pochard, teal, shoveler, Egyptian goose (23-30 April), great crested grebe, little grebe, cormorant, black headed gull, lesser black backed gulls, swift, sand martin, sedge warbler, cettis warbler, two grey wagtail, and the first of the common terns arrived on 18 April. Trails - bullfinch, sedge warbler, reed warbler, willow warbler, cettis warbler, garden warbler (heard on 18 April), chiffchaff, blackcap, white throat (17 April), lesser whitethroat (18 April), siskin, house sparrow, jay, green woodpecker, great spotted woodpecker, and cuckoo (11 April). Butterflies - small tortoiseshell, holly blue, common blue, large white, small white, brimstone, speckled wood, peacock, comma and orange tip.
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Male orange-tip butterfly - Graham Catley
Male kingfisher on branch - Graham Catley
Bird illustrations by Mike Langman (RSPB)