Hello All
Well we have some great news!! A pair of Black-necked grebe has bred successfully at Rye Meads.
The pair arrived on site on Monday 26 May and were soon getting down to constructing a nest very close to the Gadwall hide. As the birds are Schedule 1 and susceptible to egg collectors we had to put some measures in place to protect these beautiful birds. So we made the decision to close the Gadwall Hide and mounted a watch on the nest recording all activity that occurred. We were rewarded with 3 eggs being laid and after a nail biting 3 week incubation period the first egg hatched today!
We are so pleased to be able to offer you the opportunity to views these great birds. We are re-opening the Gadwall hide from Thursday 19 June. However, in order to prevent disturbance to these birds while they continue to incubate the remaining eggs and make use of the nest we will be placing restrictions on viewing from the hide. The hide will only be open when there is a staff member or volunteer available to be on duty in the hide. Please ensure you follow any instructions they give you or you will be asked to leave. The windows are to remain closed, noise is to be kept to a minimum and if busy, restrictions will be placed on the amount of time you are able to stay in the hide, if queues are forming please keep noise to a minimum and be patient. Access restrictions may change taking in to account the best interests of the birds and we will keep you up to date via the blog. We would also greatly appreciate any donations for the use of this hide to aid us in continuing our work at Rye Meads.
We are sorry for any inconvenience caused while the hide has been closed but it is essential that we do everything possible to protect these birds.
Thank you for your patience, please come along and have a look at these great birds.
Vicky