Hello All
Wasn't yesterday a beautiful day, we were so lucky as it was our Easter Fun Day. A great day was had by staff, volunteers and visitors alike. It was lovely to see so many of you come along and join us for the day taking part in all the activites we had laid on and as an added bonus we had a Whimbrel join us for the day!!!!!! Sorry there has been no up date for a while i have been away, but there has still been plenty of activity on site which i have summarsised below with the help of Toby.
Toby from the Rye Meads Ringing Group (RMRG) sent me this up date on the 13th April. Garganey are still present desperately evading photographers in cut reed area on Lee Marsh at 1300 Sunday. Reed Warbler singing on Lee Marsh, Sunday - easiest heard from pond-dipping pool at end of 2/3 track. Grasshopper Warbler still reeling in corner of HMWT meadow, best heard from Otter Hide or bench between pylon and Warbler hide. Whitethroat male in South on Saturday and Sunday, so keep listening for one on your patch. Also Marsh Harrier, 2 Peregrine and Cuckoo on Saturday and Red Kite on Sunday - keep listening and looking up!. Ringing Group caught 11 Blackcap on Saturday. About 7 Sedge warblers and Willow Warbler at Mound singing on both days. Butterflies unremarkable but 10 Orange Tip and 3 Green Veined White on Sunday.
The Kingfishers hatched on Saturday 19th April, so activity will gradualy increase as the chicks get larger and demand more fish, before fledging around tuesday 13 May. Also recorded were 2 Black tailed godwit on 14 April, Hobby on 17 April, and Cuckoo on 19 April.
Our Easter Monday Funday meant there were lots of pairs of eyes observing and our main twitch came in the form of a Whimbrel, very unusal for us, in fact most of our passage sightings are fly overs, which was showing very well from the Draper hide for most of the day with a brief explore of the area (recorded at Amwell) around mid mornig. Also recorded from the car park area were Hobby, Common Tern and Swallow fly overs. Other sighitings on the resserve included the continued presence of the pair of garganey which can be a bit hard to pick up in amongst the fresh growth of reeds on the Lee marsh, 2 little ringed plover, 2 shelduck, little egret and cettis warbler. Butteflies included orange tip, green veined white, large white, small tortoishell, peacock, brimstone, and comma.
Whimbrel (not at Rye Meads) by Steve Knell
Today i have had cuckoo calling on the reserve, lesser white throat (from bushes just passed draper hide), and swallow all reserve firsts for me this year, also wilow warbler, black cap, jay, sedge warbler. Unfortunatly despite plenty of looking today the whimbrel seems to have moved on, they tend to favour migrating at night.
Reported sightings from yesterday and today:- little grebe, cormorant, grey heron, little egret, mute swan, canada goose, shelduck, mallard, gadwall, tufted duck, pochard, buzzard, kestrel, sparrowhawk, hobby, pheasant, morhen, coot, little ringed plover, lapwing, whimbrel, black headed gull, herring gull, lesser black back gull, common tern, stock dove, wood pigeon, kingfisher, sand martin, swallow, pied wagtail, wren, dunnock, robin, wheatear (on the meadow), song thrush, black bird, black cap,willow warbler, chiff chaff, lesser white throat, cettis warbler, sedge warbler, great tit, blue tit, long tailed tit, magpie, jay, crow, chaffinch, green finch, gold finch, reed bunting.
So there is still plenty of spring migration activity happening and the reserve is looking particularly lovely at the moment with all the fresh greens and hawthorn in blossom, so please come by and have a look round.
Thanks
vicky