Hi Everyone,

Bryony here... the Visitor Experience Manager at RSPB Rye Meads. It’s been a little while since we shared with you some sightings so with August here we though now would be a good time to let you know what was spotted around the reserve in July.

We’ve had a good array of warblers making themselves known out on the reserve with White Throat, Lesser White Throat, Chiff Chaff, Black Cap, Garden, Reed and…

Its a great time of year to look out for insects, from butterflies to bugs, beetles and bees. So when you visit the reserve don't forget to check out the vegetation next to the trail, there are many insects lurking with in. A clump of bramble flowers area a great source of nectar, so often full of bees of many species. Why not have a got at identifying them?
Please share any insect pictures you get on your visit with…

We are checking in to reports that Rye Road is going to be closed at the bridge over the new river for 5 days, if you are thinking of visiting Sunday or Monday please be aware. Thanks

Our visitor centre, shop, café, toilets and hides remain closed. Some of our trails and car park are now open Sunday-Wednesday, but please be mindful that it has limited capacity. We urge our visitors to please stay local to your nearest reserves and greenspaces.  Anyone choosing to visit should observe all current government advice around social distancing and hygiene.

A focus on Kestrels at Rye Meads

Rye Meads has had many years of success with kestrel nest boxes, with pylons proving to be popular, if sometimes a bit problematical, locations. Traditionally used is the box at the kingfisher hide, with National Grid workers adding another box as the initial one became dilapidated. So, two boxes can now be seen in this location and bizarrely Tawny Owl decided to nest there in 2017 and…

Despite some very slight changes in lockdown restrictions, the reserve remains closed to the public for now. Our priority is to ensure that we only re-open when we have everything in place to keep our members, visitors, volunteers and employees safe.

We must also make sure that the wildlife that calls our site home is ready to receive attention after a couple of months completely on its own. With reports of rare species…

Although Rye Meads is closed at the moment, we want to bring the site in to your homes.  I was fortunate to visit the reserve recently to carry out some essential work and I was struck by the smell of the hawthorn in blossom as I approached the visitor centre and bonus, a lesser white throat singing in the car park.  With an abundance of warbler song and butterflies to accompany me as I carried out some checks it was a…

Today would have been one of our regular Rye Meadlings sessions on the reserve. So we thought we would share some of the activities we might have been running for you to try with your little ones in your own home or garden.

Here are some Easter themed activities for you and your children to try out over the next few days. Please bear in mind the latest Government restrictions and do not travel to access outdoor spaces…

Following the latest government advice we have made the difficult decision to close our visitor centre to visitors by 19 March. This is to prioritise the health and welfare of our staff, volunteers and visitors.

These are difficult and unsettling times for all of us but we hope that nature can provide a welcome respite in whichever form and wherever you may encounter it. We want to do everything we can to help people…

The Kingfisher Viewing Hub is progressing nicely and work has started today on the relaying of the path. Everything is on track for the opening on 26 March 2020. When the Kingfisher Viewing Hub will be open to the public from 1pm.

The team from Gilleard Bros Ltd have installed the floor, windows and doors since the last update and are well into completing the internal lining. It looks great.

The team from BW Services…

The Kingfisher Viewing Hub is looking GREAT! The @Gilleardbrosltd  are doing a cracking job in trying conditions this week. Thanks for all the hard work.

An exciting part of the project…. despite the best efforts of the wet weather, which has made transporting equipment and hide panels to site challenging, the hub itself is taking shape. 

 So far, the concrete foundations, metal structure and the start of walls are in! The rest of the walls and roof should be completed this week. Next week doors and windows will be delivered and installed, and the internals kitted…

We have now cleared all the obstructions from the trails and the reserve is open. Thank you

Unfortunately we have had a couple of casualties from storm Dennis that are obstructing the path, so we will not be opening today Sunday 16 February. We aim to be open by midday Monday but please check our social media for updates

Lovely treat today as members of the Rye Meads Ringing Group were able to re-trap a female stonechat on the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust meadow.

She was ringed in the autumn and aged as a 2019 bird, so it looks like this young female has spent the winter on the meadow.

As an update to our posting earlier this month  on the Kingfisher Viewing Hub development we wanted to let you know that

• contractors have now completed their works extending the pool in front of the hide, removed clogging vegetation from the ditches and created some new water vole habitat
• Contractors have now completed all the work that can be done until the hide is constructed
• Our volunteer work parties have installed…

It has been a real treat for the last few years to be able to watch the kestrels roosting and breeding in the nest box on the pylon in the car park. The youngsters fledging this summer was especially entertaining as they took their first flight, sitting on cars, or in hedges as they explored.

During the week we have erected 2 new kestrel nesting boxes around the visitor centre. The first is located on the roof of the…

Happy New Year!

We thought we’d kick 2020 off by giving you an update on the progress of the Kingfisher Viewing Hub.

Here is what we’ve been up to in the last few months…

Our fantastic team of Habitat Management volunteers completed their work clearing vegetation to allow access for contractors and creation of Water Vole habitat. Windows, benches and artwork were removed from the old hide.

Mike Langman…