Hi everyone!

You'll have to excuse me for the on-going stargazing blogs, but I like to keep you upto date! Still got great views of Jupiter, Venus is a little trickier to see now, the Andromeda galaxy (it's about 2.5 million light-years from Earth!), the Pollux stars and more!

Not only are we stargazing... but we're watching wildlife too!

The barn owls were seen flying past, and a fox came to join us…

Ooh the telescopes are unpacked and I've already seen venus and jupiter (and it's 4 moons)  I can even see the rings around jupiter!

If you want to come along you are very welcome!

Pop over any time between 5.30-8pm!

Join the Loughton Astronomical Society!

Hello everyone,

How are you? Have you all been enjoying this weekend? It's been a nice weekend, you should get out and enjoy nature!

So... there has been some nice sightings this week!

Do you remember I told you about a barn owl that was spotted last weekend? It was very exciting as it was going in the box that was built for barn owls. Well, in the week we saw two!

They have only been seen twice to date, so…

Morning everyone,

I just wanted to remind you all that tonight we have a special, never before at Rye Meads event!

Pop over to the reserve at anytime between 5.30 and 8 pm tonight and enjoy some stargazing for yourself! Join the Loughton Astronomical Society as they bring telescopes and their expertise.

There’s a whole world of incredible wonders above your head… Isn’t it time you looked up?

Me again!

Blimey it's all go!

This morning a visitor saw a bittern flying over the reserve, from the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust side towards the RSPB side! These rare birds are still about on the reserve so keep your eyes pealed!

 Bittern picture by Peter Hewitt, this bittern was seen a couple of years ago from the Kingfisher Hide!

Quick bittern fact-file

• Bitterns are a similar size to a heron
• They…

Morning all!
How are you today?

I am very excited to tell you that we saw a barn owl yesterday!
Woohoo! We don't get them here very often!

Visitors saw the bird sitting on and going into the owl box at the Draper hide (if you are sitting in the hide, it's the box on the left)! The Rye Meads Ringing Group saw the bird too flying up and down the east bank of the Draper!

 This is very exciting for us as this is…

Hi everyone,

I don't know if you have noticed but the weather is slightly... odd!

I saw butterflies this week... and the watervoles have been around! There are berries still on the trees and a lot of the wildlife I would expect to be around hasn't arrived yet. Is this a sign of global warming? What signs of spring have you seen around?

Talking of watervoles... they usually spend winter underground (keeping…

Morning everyone,

I hope that you are well.

I just wanted to let you know what has been going on behind the scenes at the reserve, management wise!
Here at Rye Meads we have a great team of volunteers that go outside and keep the reserve looking great - we call these our management team. All the work that is completed on the reserve is planned and organised in accordance to our 5 year management plan. Vicky (the Assistant…

Good morning!

How are you?

What a lovely day it is today! It was a stunning morning today, the reserve looked lovely covered with frost. The sun is shining so why not come out for a nice wander?

During the week we had some lovely views of ducks (there are lots of teal about), lapwing, green sandpiper, grey wagtail, 10 redpoll (in a tree near the visitor centre), watervole, buzzard and peregrine flying…

Afternoon all!

How are you?

It's been so mild at the moment! It really does feel like spring!
There was a watervole out showing well over the weekend! They are meant to be underground at this time of year!

There's been 46 lapwing over at the Tern hide, as well as 3 snipe, 1 green sandpiper, grey and pied wagtail and lots of duck! There was 123 teal at the Tern hide alone! Blimey!

We've had some reportings…

Hi everyone!

How are you today?

I just thought I would let you know what has been seen about so far this month.

Visitor centre grounds
Chaffinch, greenfinch, goldfinch, long tailed tit, great tit, blue tit, robin, blackbird, wren, dunnock, magpie, green woodpecker and great spotted woodpecker.

Draper hide
Shoveler, teal, gadwall, mallard, tufted duck, mute swan, little grebe, green woodpecker,…

Happy New Year everyone!

I know I'm a little late with the best wishes, but I've had a couple of days off!
So how have you all been? Recovered from the Christmas break?

So before we start looking forward to 2012 I wanted to spend a couple of minutes thinking about some of the 'best bits' from the reserve last year!

So in no particular order (and admittedly these are the best bits that I like, so feel…

Afternoon everyone!

How are you?

Have you recovered from the too much food, too much drink, too much telly, too much chocolate (and all the other too much's...)?

The reserve is open as usual 10 am-5pm (or dusk if earlier, which is about 4pm at the moment) so you can get out and about and enjoy a nice stoll!

Have you had yoru fill of chocolate yet?
Well, you’ve probably had your fill of chocolate over the last…

I am delighted to announce the re-launch of the newsletter for you, the Eye On Rye.

Peter Warne is the new editor/ author so a HUGE thank you to you Peter!

Hard copies will be available from the reserve in the new year, but you - my lovely bloggerers - get to see it first!

So here we go...
Download it now! If you click on the blue headline of this blog (so you're opening the blog post - it will be just this that you…

Do you spend the next week eating the left over food from Christmas?

Why not give your garden friends some dinner too (a great  way to step up and help nature)! But be careful - not everything is suitable for the birds!

 Ray Kennedy (rspb-images.com)

Try Christmas scraps like Christmas cake crumbs, mince pie pastry crumbs and biscuit crumbs. Other suitable foods for birds include mild grated cheese, cooked or uncooked…

Morning everyone!

I hope you are well.

Did you enjoy your Christmas Day and Boxing Day?

The reserve is open as usual so you can get out of the house and enjoy a nice stroll!

This morning Keith (Leads Volunteer) and myself went for a little wander and I thought I would let you know what we've seen:

Draper hide - shoveler, teal, gadwall, tufted duck, coot, moorhen, mute swan, black headed gull, magpie, crow…

Merry Christmas to you all!

Fab picture by Mark Hamblin (rspb-images.com)

Have a wonderful Christmas and all the best for the New Year!

Don't forget we are closed today and tomorrow (Boxing Day), but do some over from Tuesday onwards (even New Years eve and day) (from 10 am until dusk) come say hi!

Afternoon everyone.

How are you? It's nearly Christmas! Woohoo (not that I'm excited).

The birds of the day (so far) are redwing and fieldfare!
I've said in the past couple of blogs that the five bar gate just past the Draper hide is a greta place to stop and watch for bullfinches... well do stop and look as theres usually quite alot! Today we've seen redwing and fieldfare!

Fieldfares are great birds…

Morning,

I thought I would do a quick blog to let you know the opening times over the Christmas period.

(It's not a Rye Meads kingfisher, but it's it a stunning shot?)

Morning you lovely bloggerers!

How are you today?

I just wanted to tell you all that you are lovely! It's thanks to you, the visitors to Rye Meads, that we can keep Rye Meads special!

You are awesome! Thank you!

Merry Christmas to you all!

Look what Mgzr160 brought us for Christmas:
 Just got to find some where to keep this fab kingfisher!

I don't know if you all know, but we have a Wildlife Explorers Club here at the reserve for kids - to get them interested in nature. Wildlife Explorers is the junior section of the RSPB and we have a monthly club to look at all different type of wildlife.

We have lots of different themes - in 2011 we learned and explored all about shelter building, pond dipping (and all the awesome creatures that live there), the…

Afternoon,

Just a quick blog to tell you what we've seen over the weekend and today.

We've seen alot of wildfowl - teal, shelduck, shoveler, gadwall, mallard, pochard and tufted duck, as well as mute swan and Canada goose. We have seen (and heard) water rail, snipe and green sandpiper. Bullfinches are still showing off by the gate just past the Draper hide. The bittern was seen yesterday flying over, heading…

Welcome to the next installment of the murals in the hides! Today this is all about the lovely mural in the Gadwall Hide!

We get alot of comments about the murals (who painted them etc), and a while ago I came across the original information about the murals, so I thought I would start a little series as we do get alot of comments about the artists etc, so I thought I would share what I found with you (please keep in…

Afternoon everyone!

I hope that you are well.

What have you all been upto today? It's been quite quiet so far today, I think everyone is doing some Christmas shopping (if you are stuck for presents for those hard to buy for people - have you considered RSPB membership, but remember to come to Rye Meads to get it, or have you seen the RSPB's good natured gifts? You can create a habitat for bumblebees, sponsor…

Andy is a volunteer here at Rye Meads, and he has written us a little piece about becoming a volunteer:

Becoming a volunteer at Rye Meads
There’s something about people visiting a nature reserve. 
People smile and talk to you! Help you, even.
In towns and cities it’s different; people with their eyes down to the ground not noticing what’s around them.
Visiting nature reserves like Rye Meads you are with…