Main image: Flock of Lapwing (c) Ben Andrew (RSPB-Images.com)
Has Wild Isles inspired you to get out and see a Starling murmuration or other nature spectacle for yourself? Nature spectacles can be found in both rural and urban settings. Urban nature experiences are closer than you think, and at the RSPB, we are committed to making reserves as welcoming and easy to access as possible. Everyone belongs in nature and we need everyone to help us protect it if we are going to protect our Wild Isles. Find out how you can start your nature journey with us at RSPB Rye Meads.
An oasis in the middle of an urban landscape, RSPB Rye Meads in Hertfordshire is 26 hectares of protected wetlands that sit on the bank of the River Lee. Tucked away between a housing and industrial estate in Hoddesdon, the site is a five-minute walk from Rye House train station with direct lines in and out of London.
For those who choose to visit, it provides easy access to nature and an opportunity to see many species close up. This unassuming nature reserve is made up of a combination of open water, shallow pools and gently swaying reedbeds that attract a vast array of wildlife all year round.
During winter large flocks of up to 450 Lapwing can be seen and heard – making their famous ‘pee-wit’ sound as they fly across and land in the reserve. A good mixture of wildfowl are found on open water including Gadwall, Shoveler, Pochard, Teal and Little Grebe. If you are very lucky, the elusive Bittern may be seen creeping its way through the reedbeds.
RSPB Rye Meads (c) Ann Favell/RSPBSpringtime brings warmer weather which in turn brings Orange Tip, Brimstone and Peacock butterflies a plenty. Birds really start giving their singing voices some welly as breeding season ramps up, and Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Cetti’s Warbler and Wren compete for the noisiest bird on the reserve.
In summer Common Tern can be seen nesting on floating Tern Rafts in the lagoon and Kingfisher can be seen coming and going from active nests in specially constructed sand banks. Screams of Swifts fly across the reserve, mouths wide open trying to catch tiny insects to feed on (a group of Swifts being called a ‘scream’ due to the scream like noise they can make when flying together in large numbers). Countless species of Dragonfly, Damselfly and Butterfly flit about the wetlands looking for food and chasing their mate.
Flocks of Finches and Buntings, mixed in with some Starlings, will fly in during the autumn months before coming in to roost in the reedbeds.
RSPB Rye Meads is as much about the people who visit and volunteer there, as it is about the wildlife. Three main trails through the site called the Moorhen Trail, Kingfisher Trail and Otter Trail vary in length so there is a trail to suit everyone when exploring the site and spotting wildlife. A new sensory trail is due to launch this year.
A team of volunteers contribute some of their spare time to help RSPB Rye Meads work well for wildlife. From helping to greet visitors upon arrival, to lending a hand to managing wildlife habitat, volunteers are a key part of the site’s success.
A series of fun family friendly events run throughout the year including guided walks, pond dipping, adventure trails for children and evening roost watches. Buying binoculars to see birds close up can be costly, so the reserve provides binocular hire for those who do not have them.
RSPB Rye Meads is an education hub, where school groups can visit and learn about wetlands. Special outdoor classroom areas offer the opportunity to get hands-on with wildlife and pond dipping sessions lead by a Learning Officer, helps them investigate the ‘creatures of the deep’ that are found in the depths of the outdoor classroom pond. Cue great fun for all!
The site takes accessibility seriously and wants everyone who visits to be able to connect with nature on site. Plenty of information is available to those with accessibility issues and a variety of ramps, handrails, path surfaces, and facilities including disabled parking and toilets are available to assist as well as a motorised buggy that can be booked and a wheelchair.
It’s also a photographer's paradise due to its many opportunities to take stunning up close images of birds. Kingfisher can be regularly seen and special VIP out of hours access sessions can be booked for extra keen photographers to take photos of these brightly coloured birds. If you’re lucky Grey Wagtails may greet you in the car park where they can sometimes been seen catching flies for their supper - causing many a photographer to scramble for their camera upon arrival, charismatic Common Terns present and pose well on breeding platforms on the lagoon, and even Peregrine Falcons use nearby electricity pylons as hunting perches to help give them a birds eye view of the site whilst focusing in on their prey – the site team will put out a telescope for visitors to watch the Peregrines whenever they are seen.
Peregrine Falcon (c) Katie Nethercoat (RSPB-Images.com)But don’t just believe what we’ve got to say about it and how fab it is for getting up close and personal with urban wildlife; we think Marion, one of our volunteers, sums it up perfectly:
“I loved Rye Meads the first time I visited. Since then, a super new visitor centre with toilets and picnic tables has been built and everyone is really friendly. It’s a great place for all the family; it’s a lovely place to have a walk and enjoy wildlife, great for everyone – I enjoyed so much I began volunteering!’
Connecting to nature has benefits for both physical and mental wellbeing and even if you don’t live near to an RSPB Reserve, there are plenty of ways to connect to the Nature on your Doorstep. There are some great ideas on our Connect With Nature webpage.
If you live in an urban setting and whether you have a garden or not, there are lots of things you can do to help wildlife. Here are 10 easy ways to help nature on your doorstep.
Want to find out more about RSPB Rye Meads? Visit our RSPB Rye Meads web page to find out more. If you are local and interested in volunteering at the reserve, please go to our RSPB Volunteering web page and input Rye Meads into the search box, selecting the address that pops up to view current opportunities at the site.