Ever looked up to the skies and wondered what's up there? Now you can find out!
The Loughton Astronomical Society will be setting up telescopes at Rye Meads, with additional indoor displays and presentations, on Sunday 20 January, 5.30 pm - 8 pm. No need to book – just turn up.
It promises to be a great event - families welcome.
The event is free, but there is a £2 car parking charge if you are not an RSPB…
Wildlife Explorers Club – make a nestbox and fat cake!
Saturday 19 January, 11 am - 1 pm
Create a wildlife haven in your garden by making nestboxes and fat cake
The Wildlife Explorers Club for 6 – 11 year olds is all about exploring nature while having fun! Adults dropping off children are welcome to explore the reserve while the club is on. Booking is required. First timers and old hands all welcome.
£3…
Winter Wildlife Watch
Sunday 13 January, 10 am - 12 noon
Experienced volunteers will be in one of the hides to point out wildlife and answer your questions. Free for everyone, no need to book!
Big Garden Birdwatch – get ready!
12/13 January weekend
There are all sorts of things for you to do to help you prepare for the weekend including a trail, help with bird identification, and bird feeder making. No…
Start your New Year bird list at Rye Meads!
We’re open for business as usual today – come and start your New Year’s bird list with us!
Joan
Happy Christmas to all our Bloggers from the Rye Meads team of staff and volunteers.
We’re open every day except Christmas Day and Boxing Day, so come and walk off your mince pies on the reserve!
We have a Wildlife Watch on Saturday 29 December, 2 – 4 pm. Join our friendly Hide Guides to learn about birds, wildlife and the reserve. No need to book – just come along! It’s FREE!
Joan Childs…
A bittern seen on the wet meadow at 3.10 pm today.
Joan Childs, Site Manager
Well, fame anyway!
Star Rye Meads volunteer Daphne wrote an article for the RSPB's regional volunteering newsletter Involve which has just been published and circulated. If you volunteer for the RSPB in the Eastern England Region then you should be receiving your copy shortly. Look out for Daphne's article all about volunteering at Rye Meads in the centre spread.
Daphne is one of our great volunteers who works…
We have a limited number of tit nestboxes for sale at Rye Meads for the bargain price of £7.50. Treat yourself and your garden friends this Christmas, or give a gift that will help wildlife and give hours of enjoyment to friends or family. If you put a box up now it will be ready for use in the breeding season.
Come to the reserve and pick yours!
We’re open every day except Christmas Day and Boxing Day, 10 am to dusk (4 pm). Wrap up warm for a lovely winter walk, and then grab yourself a hot drink in the visitor centre – you can sit in our warm coffee rooms and watch the birds at our feeding station! Our Christmas decorations are up now too, so it looks nice and festive!
We have a few volunteer slots to fill on reception in the Rye Meads visitor centre. You don’t need to be an expert on birds, just have a friendly, outgoing personality to be able to give our visitors a warm welcome, and help them support the work of the RSPB. Interested? E-mail me on joan.childs@rspb.org.uk to find out more.
Joan Childs, Rye Meads Site Manager
A waxwing flew over Rye Meads today (Saturday 8 December).
Other bird news - one green sandpiper from the Tern Hide, one shelduck also from the Tern Hide, 24 teal displaying outside the Draper.
And the sun is shining this afternoon!
Our Wildlife Explorers club meets on the reserve 11 am to 1 pm on Saturday 15 December for our winter celebration party. You don’t have to be a WEx member, just aged 6 to 11.
Please call 01992 708383 to book your place.
£3 for WEx members, £4.50 for non-members (or join on the day for the reduced price).
Come to our fabulous Wildlife Watch!
Sunday 9 December 10 am to 12 noon
Join our friendly guides in a hide to learn about birds, wildlife and the reserve. No need to book – just come along! And it’s free!
RSPB or Wildlife Explorer’s Club membership! Give a gift that helps wildlife, saves money (get free entry to RSPB reserves as well as discounts on events on reserves) and has fabulous magazines plopping onto your doormat through the year. It’s only £17 to join a young person up, £27 for all the children at one address, and it’s educational as well as fun.
You can sort a gift membership…
Sunday 2 December 10 am to 12 noon
How to identify ducks! Join our lovely volunteer Andy Hawksworth for help identifying ducks in their winter plumage. Suitable for beginners and families. Booking required as numbers are limited.
£2 for RSPB/WEx members, £4 for non-members (or join on the day for the reduced fee).
Book onto one of our limited exclusive tours where you will be personally guided around the reserve for your own tailor-made conducted tour. An ideal birthday gift experience. Walk round the reserve at your pace learning from your very own friendly and experienced expert guide. Contact me on joan.childs@rspb.org.uk for further details and for our competitive rates.
Can you spare a minimum of a half day every fortnight to enter data on our Education database?
Full training given—you just need basic computer skills
For further information please contact Caroline
Caroline.gellor@rspb.org.uk
Fancy having your birthday party on the reserve? We can host your birthday celebration, whatever your age! With an indoor function room and outside facilities such as pond-dipping platforms, minibeast areas, hides and trails, we can entertain the birthday boy or girl and all their guests with a range of activities led by our brilliant field teachers. Please e-mail Caroline Gellor, our Education Officer (caroline.gellor…
As winter draws in I start to think about sitting by the fire with a glass of wine, my dogs curled up beside me. But, it’s a great time to dress up warm and take a wintery walk! Kids love to put on their wellies and go puddle jumping, and look for icicles and frosty leaves. There’s lots of winter wildlife around too – big flocks of ducks on lakes and reservoirs, starlings wheeling around the sky before they go to roost…
Need help spotting and identifying wildlife?
Got questions about the reserve you would like answered?
Our lovely volunteers will be in a hide on Saturday 24 November between 2 – 4 pm to help.
No need to book – just turn up any time and it’s free! Great for families.
130 lapwings, 1 redpoll, redwings, 10 snipe, 1 green sandpiper, 1 buzzard, 1 grey wagtail, 1 green woodpecker, water vole, Cetti's warbler, water rail.
If you haven’t been feeding the birds through the summer, now’s the time to top up your feeders and make sure there’s water available for the birds. Digging a pond is a great way to keep warm and it’s one of the best things you can do in your garden for wildlife. Think about making places for hedgehogs to hibernate, and leave some of the season’s plants standing and some piles of leaves because these places are havens…
The Ringers caught three bearded tits in the reedbeds that can be seen from the Draper Hide today.
One male and two females. Fabulous little birds!
Joan Chlids, Site Manager
123 lapwing, 1 green sandpiper, 3 snipe and redwing.
Joan Childs, site manager
We have a new winter range of pin badges in at the reserve, including redwing, fieldfare, mistletoe, siskin, reindeer and holly. Bob in and pick them up!