There will be wildlife watches from a hide on both Saturday and Sunday between 10 am and noon - just turn up for help spotting and identifying Rye Meads wildlife, and for a chance to ask questions about the reserve.

There are also still four places left on our WEx Club on Saturday morning when we'll be running activities with an 'Autumn Magic' feel. Booking is essential please by phoning 01992 708383 as places are limited…

With a talk by photographer and naturalist Tom Mason at Rye Meads nature reserve on Saturday 23 November 2013. The talk will be 5.30 pm to 7 pm and cost £3 for RSPB members and £6 for non-members.

If you were at the Bird Fair this year, you may have seen Tom give a talk there with the Urban Birder David Lindo.

Please call 01992 708383 to book your place.

This October half-term will be filled with fun games, wildlife activities and crafts including extra special activities to help give nature a home.

Tuesday 29th October - Batty about Bats!
Find out about these amazing creatures with batty crafts and games, make a batty decorations plus learn how to build a bat box.

Wednesday 30th October - Autumn Art Attack
Discover how to make charcoal pencils on a campfire, have a go…

Just to let you know that we're doing some vital cutting in front of the Draper Hide today so although you're welcome to go in the hide and watch our volunteers hard at work, there won't be any wildlife to see out of that hide today. The cutting should be done by the end of the day. The rest of the reserve will remain unaffected.

Thanks

Joan

If you're popping over to Rye Meads, why not help Turtle doves by buying a raffle ticket to win a turtle dove painting by local artist Steve Kershaw. This fabulous framed water colour painting could be yours. Just ask at reception for details of the raffle.

If you like Steve's work why not come to our Art Exhibition In November (9th-17th) where Steve and another local artist, Alan Harris, will be displaying and selling…

Rye Meads will be taking part in the nationwide Visible Migration watch on

Sunday 13th October from 7.15 am until 10.30 am

We are going to be counting migrating birds: larks, pipits, thrushes and finches should be moving now.

If you would like or help or learn more come along.

We will be watching from the car park - big sky - so no walking involved. The visitor centre will be open so the drinks machine and toilets…

An amazing 117 snipe on the reserve today, plus a male pintail just coming out of eclipse.

The weather's lovely - come and see our fantastic autumn wildlife this weekend!

Bored of your kids in the holidays? Need some 'me' time?

Palm them off on us for three days over the October half term!

When - Tue to Thu, 29th to 31st October, 10 am to 4 pm

Where - at the lovely RSPB Rye Meads Nature Reserve on Rye Road between Hoddesdon and Stanstead Abbotts in Hertfordshire

What - fun, games and activities with a wildlife theme

Who - children aged 6 to 12

How much - £18 for WEx members…

Hello

A beautiful day to walk round the reserve and enjoy the autumn sunshine.

Loads of dragonflies are on the wing again today along with a few butterflies including a lovely fresh red admiral and a couple of large white. The dragonflies are mainly common darters and hawkers but they were showing off well and the common darters were particularly obliging allowing me to get close enough to take some great snaps with the…

Our wildlife watch volunteers spent a couple of hours this afternoon showing people birds and wildlife from the Tern Hide today. Some of the highlights included about 40 snipe, a hunting peregrine, a female sparrowhawk passing through, one green sandpiper, five wigeon, one pintail and lots of other ducks, plus a grey wagtail. There were also lots of dragonflies about.

Joan

Hello

Well its another lovely sunny autumn day and i have just returned from a wonder round the reserve (maybe  i should have made that sound a bit more like work).  It seems to be a wigeon day today with 1 from the draper hide, 15 from gadwall hide and 11 from tern hide, pretty good for us.  Other counts included 306 coot, 96 shoveler, 146 teal, 157 gadwall and 64 lapwing. Snipe numbers are a bit down from the heddy peaks…

Our lovely volunteers will be available in one of our hides to show you the wildlife that makes its home at Rye Meads on Saturday 28 September between 2 and 4 pm. There's no need to book, just turn up any time between 2 and 4 to take advantage of their skills and knowledge. There's no charge - it's free!

Just ask at reception when you arrive to find out which hide they'll be in - it all depends on what…

Hello once again. 

It is well worth coming down to Rye Meads in the next few days to see the Snipe on Lagoon 1. Over the weekend there were 75! earlier in the week numbers were being reported in the 50's and 60's and today i have counted 92!!!!!!.  There is not much vegetation on the islands so the snipe are very visible and quite active while i was watching them this afternoon. As the count increased i was hoping…

Amazingly, there are 75 snipe currently visible on Lagoon 1, from the Gadwall Hide.

Wow!

Joan

Hello again

As the volunteers were meeting up in the compound next to the visitor centre and gathering tools for the work party yesterday i was distracted by a large moth flying past fortunatly it landed on the fence and i was able to get a picture and identify it.

This lovely moth is a red underwing. I have read up on them in my trusty Waring, Townsend and Lewington and found that it does not often come to light traps…

Hello All

Despite a bit of rain this morning there has still been plenty going on at Rye Meads.

The HMWT have bought their 4 Konick horses (The Konick horse originates from Poland and are an old breed which can be seen in some of their markings ie dun coat and dorsal stripe.) back to the meadow where they have joined the 11 adult and 3 baby water buffalo. The konicks have been spending some time grazing a meadow near…

Saturday 7 September, 8 am to 10 pm.

Get up close and personal to the birds that make Rye Meads their home with our lovely bird ringers at the reserve. See birds in the hand and find out about their strategies for getting through the winter (for example going on holiday down south - hmmm, much to recommend it!). Our breeding warlbers will be resplendent in fresh plumage and in migratory condition.

Please call 01992 708383…

The kingfishers have been going in and out of the hole in the bank today, but not very frequently and nobody has seen them take a fish in. We're not sure what's going on today - they should be feeding their third brood - we'll update you as soon as we know more.

On sunday evening, here is the final sightings list for the weekend by reserve guide Andy Hawksworth.

TRAILS

Great tit, Blue tit, Long-tailed tit, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Robin, Wren, Wood pigeon, Collared dove, Stock dove, Blackcap, Whitethroat, House martin, Magpie, Jay, Chiffchaff, Reed warbler, Sedge warbler, Carrion crow, Starling, Pheasant

LAGOONS

Kingfisher, Heron, Little egret, Cormorant, Mallard…

Hello

As many of you know there are 11 Water Buffalo grazing the flood meadow on the HMWT part of the reserve. Well there is now  a new edition with a baby born over the weekend.  Fortunatly a large part of the meadow was cut last friday allowing good views of the calf when the herd is grazing that area.  The calf seems very happy suckling from mum, following the herd and the occasional bounce around. Cute!

        amongst the…

Rye Meads are having a table top sale! There will be all sorts of bits and pieces for sale - toys, games, music, wildlife ornaments, badges, books etc.. and all proceeds will go to the reserve and the RSPB. The stall will be in the visitor centre all weekend (7th and 8th September) from 10am - 5pm so please bring your friends and pop down to support us and browse for a bargain!

We would also like to ask for your help…

Bird sightings this bank holiday included: little egret, green sandpiper, house martin, lesser black-backed gull, teal, heron, greenshank, great spotted woodpecker, kestrel, sparrowhawk, common tern and kingfisher. The kingfisher family were very elusive this weekend but were sighted a couple of times yesterday- once in the morning and once again in the evening. As their chicks grow, hopefully we should see them out and…

Hello

One of our visitors very kindly sent these pictures to us of a juvenile cuckoo sitting next to the Kingfisher hide earlier in august and i thought i would share them with you.

Thanks to John Sears for letting us share these photos with you.

You can share your pictures of Rye Meads by uploading them to www.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/ryemeads/m/ryemeads-mediagallery

thanks

Vicky

Hello

Just thought i would give you a quick update on the moths caught last night. A total of 35 species including 7 brimstone, 7 straw dot, 14 flame shoulder, buff ermine, small china mark, 22 agriphila geniculea, pale pominent, large yellow underwing, 12 Mother of pearl, chilo pharagmitella and 4 spectacle.  There was also the apperance of a few more autumnal moths with Rosy rustic and square spot rustic.

Chequered…

Hello

Well today is all about the warblers.  As i stepped out on to the reserve with no binoculars (as i was heading out to meet up with the work party) it was a warbler morning. Before i had even reached the Draper hide there was black cap, a couple of white throat, garden warbler, couple of chiff chaff and a mixture of blue and great tits moving through the bushes beside the path. Every where you turned there was  another…