As promised, here's the latest on our resident kingfishers and their breeding endeavours this year!
On Wednesday 29th July (a week ago tomorrow) a second nest of kingfishers were seen leaving their hole in the bank first thing! Three individuals were counted in total and that could've been it.. or there may have been others that fledged before 9 am when the reserve was shut. Kingfisher fledglings here often choose to leave early in the morning and perhaps they like it when it's nice and quiet with no one around. Anyway, they were spotted numerous times in the following days and delighted visitors by posing for a few photos!
But no time to rest for our busy pair and they have been checking out a new nest hole again already, indicating we may be treated to a third brood again! This means there could be one final chance this season to view all the activity down at the hide in case you've managed to miss it so far! We'll keep an eye on it and share the news as we get it.. but for now I'd like to post a few snaps of last week's juveniles taken by some of our regular kingfisher watchers.
Simon Hurwitz - pictures 1 and 2
Ray Kilham - pictures 3 and 4
AND COMING UP:
WEDNESDAYS - If you're aged between 6 and 12 and love nature (or are bored during the summer holidays!) Wild Wednesdays are for you! We currently have spaces for next week (12th August) and the theme is Dangerous, deadly predators! Predators are closer than you think at Rye Meads, and we will be going out to find them! There is a creature in the pond that has a large drinking straw as part of it's body.. this is used to inject a substance into their prey which turns insides to jelly and lets them be sucked out to eat! We will be going to dip to find it! We will then be focusing on birds of prey and the weapons they carry to hunt and eat their smaller prey, before coming indoors to dissect owl pellets and see which creatures they have been eating! There will also be fun, games and a chance to make something to take home. Information here and booking is essential: http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/seenature/events/details.aspx?id=tcm:9-402944.
THURSDAYS - Join us out in the willow tunnel for story time at 3 pm! Suggested donation of £1.
AND DON'T FORGET - This Sunday, we will be opening up at 6.30 am as a special one-off. This is open to all and doesn't cost extra, but gives you a chance to experience the reserve before the day really starts and see what happens early in the morning! If we are lucky with the weather there should be great light for photography and should be plenty of activity as the reserve wakes up!
Thanks and see you soon.