Events at Rye Meads
Discover exciting events all year at Rye Meads. Join us for one of our guided walks including the Wednesday Wander!
Days out
Rye Meads
HoddesdonClosed | Opens 9:00 amSee opening timesWelcome to Rye Meads, a wetland reserve that's home to Common Terns, Kingfishers, Water Voles, waterfowl and so much more. Visit for a watch, a ramble, a family-friendly day out or just to enjoy being in nature.
About
This delightful wetland reserve beside the River Lee is a firm favourite with walkers, birdwatchers, families, photographers and schools thanks to its many trails and hides.
Head out on our trails around swaying reedbeds, open water and shallow pools, known as scrapes. Artificial sandbanks are a good place to spot Kingfishers, while specially built rafts are where the Common Terns choose to nest in summer. Snipe, Green Sandpipers, Shovelers, Gadwalls and Tufted Ducks take over during the winter months.
At a glance
Closed and locked outside of opening hours.
3 Blue Badge spaces Blue Badge spaces 33 yards from the visitor centre. Parking and pedestrian access is all on one level. Tarmac surfacing.
Drop off in coach bay outside the visitor centre when not in use. No height restrictions. Bike racks.
Our toilets are open during opening hours, to the rear of the visitor centre. Surface lino and tiles in the toilets.
Baby changing facilities are located in the toilets, at the rear of the visitor centre.
Check access suitability for events and activities.
Check access suitability for events and activities. Staff are trained in disability awareness.
Mobility scooter - available for hire, free of charge, bookable in advance. Manual push wheelchair for hire, free of charge, bookable in advance.
Our toilets are open during opening hours, to the rear of the visitor centre. Surface lino and tiles in the toilets.
Barbecue
Barbecue
Sorry, dogs are not permitted on the nature reserve (except assistance dogs), due to the sensitive wildlife and habitats here.
Disturbing wildlife does more than simply causing it to move away; it uses up their energy, decreasing their chance of survival regardless of season. Thank you for protecting the special wildlife by not exercising your dog here.
Assistance dogs are welcome on all parts of the reserve.
Sorry, there is no cycling or scooters allowed anywhere on the reserve.
See what’s here
Plan your visit
This is a great location to spot Kingfishers
The vibrant azure and copper feathers of the Kingfisher make them one of the UK’s most colourful and instantly recognisable birds. But blink and you’ll miss them – they dart along rivers and streams at high speeds. RSPB nature reserves and our care-taking teams provide safe wetland havens for these special birds and their fishy prey.
Recent sightings at Rye Meads
Check out which species we've seen at Rye Meads this week (24 August - 30 August).
Kingfisher sightings
Kingfishers have been seen at the Kingfisher hub and have had 3 broods, successfully raising at least 7 chicks.
First brood
March – First fish pass on 8 March and first report of mating on 20 March.
April – First swap over seen on 10 April. Chicks hatched on 30 April.
May – First chick fledged on 25 May with 2 juveniles seen together so we believe there were 2 fledglings. Adults started fish passing and mating straight away.
Second brood
1 June - 7 June - Sightings have been very hit and miss all week. We think they may be nesting again but we can't be sure as there hasn't been a definite sighting of them changing over.
8 June - 21 June - The sightings have remained very sporadic. They have been seen flying into the nest hole but they have also been flying off in different directions. We are hoping they're nesting but they could still be clearing out the new nest hole.
22 June - 28 June - Report of Kingfishers going into the nest hole with a fish on Tuesday 23 June and Saturday 27 June, so we think the second brood may have hatched.
28 June - 5 July - Kingfisher sightings have increased a lot with sightings every day of them taking fish in to the chicks.
6 July - 12 July - Sightings have remained very regular with sightings every day. We are expecting the chicks to fledge at some point around 17 July.
13 July - 19 July - The Kingfishers have fledged!! Three fledged on Thursday 16 July and left quite quickly as they haven't been seen since. We also think the adults may already be on a third brood as there was a swapover seen on Friday 17 July. This means that sightings have dropped again with only one or two sightings a day.
20 July - 26 July - Sightings are still low with a couple of sightings a day.
27 July - 2 August - The third brood of Kingfishers have hatched on Friday 31 July!! The male and female have been seen regularly flying into the nest hole with fish and have also been seen fishing at the Draper hide.
3 August - 9 August - The male and female are being seen very regularly at the Kingfisher hub. They are also being seen fishing at the Draper hide.
10 August - 23 August - Sightings remained regular with the male and female taking fish in. It started to slow down on Friday 21 August with fewer sightings throughout the day. Then on Saturday 22 August in the morning one of the chicks fledged and another one was seen on Sunday 23 August! That brings the total of chicks fledged to, at least, 7.
24 August - 30 August - We weren't sure if the Kingfishers were going to try for a fourth brood or not, but it looks like they haven't. They are still being seen but the sightings are much more scattered around the reserve (mainly at the Draper hide) and they aren't sticking around as much as they were.
Other sightings
- A Garganey dropped in on Friday 28 August at the Tern hide and was still here on Saturday 29 August.
- Lots of sightings of Snipe at the Draper hide.
- There was a Great White Egret at the Draper hide on 25 August.
- Regular sightings of Common Sandpiper at the Draper hide with one being seen almost every day of the week.
- A Common Tern has been seen a couple of times this week, once on 26 August and another on 27 August. Both at the Draper hide.
- There’s been a couple of sightings of a Great Crested Grebe at the Tern hide.
- The Green Sandpiper are still at the Draper hide.
- A Green Woodpecker was seen just past the 5 bar gate past the Draper hide.
Contact Rye Meads
rye.meads@rspb.org.uk Rye Meads, Rye Road, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, SG12 8JS 01992 708383