Sightings over the past few weeks have included Stonechat and Whinchat out on the meadow.

From Draper there have been sightings of  Jack Snipe, Snipe, Green Sandpiper and Wigeon.

Photo: Snipe by Keith Bedford

Waterfowl numbers have been building up nicely with 120 Teal seen and good numbers of Gadwall and Shoveller.

Photo: Gadwall by Keith Bedford

Visitors have has nice views of Goldcrests on the trail up to Draper…

We currently have a wood sandpiper visible from the Draper hide.

We have opened the Draper hide for visiting but there are some restrictions on use: please follow social distancing and wear face covering, maximum capacity 3 people or 1 family group, maximum stay 45 min. 

The wood sandpiper is regularly joined by green sandpiper (up to 6) and snipe (up to 6), we also had a common sandpiper last week, so being able to spot…

Come to Rye Meads with the family to try out some of the RSPB’s wild challenge activities.

Have your phone ready and look out for the QR codes on signs around the reserve. 

You can find links to activities such as bird watching, matching natures colours, being a nature detective – finding out what animals are about and looking at tress, leaves and seeds.

It’s free and could be the start of a whole outdoor…

Hi Everyone,

Bryony here... the Visitor Experience Manager at RSPB Rye Meads. It’s been a little while since we shared with you some sightings so with August here we though now would be a good time to let you know what was spotted around the reserve in July.

We’ve had a good array of warblers making themselves known out on the reserve with White Throat, Lesser White Throat, Chiff Chaff, Black Cap, Garden, Reed and…

Its a great time of year to look out for insects, from butterflies to bugs, beetles and bees. So when you visit the reserve don't forget to check out the vegetation next to the trail, there are many insects lurking with in. A clump of bramble flowers area a great source of nectar, so often full of bees of many species. Why not have a got at identifying them?
Please share any insect pictures you get on your visit with…

We are checking in to reports that Rye Road is going to be closed at the bridge over the new river for 5 days, if you are thinking of visiting Sunday or Monday please be aware. Thanks

Our visitor centre, shop, café, toilets and hides remain closed. Some of our trails and car park are now open Sunday-Wednesday, but please be mindful that it has limited capacity. We urge our visitors to please stay local to your nearest reserves and greenspaces.  Anyone choosing to visit should observe all current government advice around social distancing and hygiene.

A focus on Kestrels at Rye Meads

Rye Meads has had many years of success with kestrel nest boxes, with pylons proving to be popular, if sometimes a bit problematical, locations. Traditionally used is the box at the kingfisher hide, with National Grid workers adding another box as the initial one became dilapidated. So, two boxes can now be seen in this location and bizarrely Tawny Owl decided to nest there in 2017 and…

Despite some very slight changes in lockdown restrictions, the reserve remains closed to the public for now. Our priority is to ensure that we only re-open when we have everything in place to keep our members, visitors, volunteers and employees safe.

We must also make sure that the wildlife that calls our site home is ready to receive attention after a couple of months completely on its own. With reports of rare species…

Although Rye Meads is closed at the moment, we want to bring the site in to your homes.  I was fortunate to visit the reserve recently to carry out some essential work and I was struck by the smell of the hawthorn in blossom as I approached the visitor centre and bonus, a lesser white throat singing in the car park.  With an abundance of warbler song and butterflies to accompany me as I carried out some checks it was a…

Today would have been one of our regular Rye Meadlings sessions on the reserve. So we thought we would share some of the activities we might have been running for you to try with your little ones in your own home or garden.

Here are some Easter themed activities for you and your children to try out over the next few days. Please bear in mind the latest Government restrictions and do not travel to access outdoor spaces…

Following the latest government advice we have made the difficult decision to close our visitor centre to visitors by 19 March. This is to prioritise the health and welfare of our staff, volunteers and visitors.

These are difficult and unsettling times for all of us but we hope that nature can provide a welcome respite in whichever form and wherever you may encounter it. We want to do everything we can to help people…

The Kingfisher Viewing Hub is progressing nicely and work has started today on the relaying of the path. Everything is on track for the opening on 26 March 2020. When the Kingfisher Viewing Hub will be open to the public from 1pm.

The team from Gilleard Bros Ltd have installed the floor, windows and doors since the last update and are well into completing the internal lining. It looks great.

The team from BW Services…

The Kingfisher Viewing Hub is looking GREAT! The @Gilleardbrosltd  are doing a cracking job in trying conditions this week. Thanks for all the hard work.

An exciting part of the project…. despite the best efforts of the wet weather, which has made transporting equipment and hide panels to site challenging, the hub itself is taking shape. 

 So far, the concrete foundations, metal structure and the start of walls are in! The rest of the walls and roof should be completed this week. Next week doors and windows will be delivered and installed, and the internals kitted…

We have now cleared all the obstructions from the trails and the reserve is open. Thank you

Unfortunately we have had a couple of casualties from storm Dennis that are obstructing the path, so we will not be opening today Sunday 16 February. We aim to be open by midday Monday but please check our social media for updates

Lovely treat today as members of the Rye Meads Ringing Group were able to re-trap a female stonechat on the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust meadow.

She was ringed in the autumn and aged as a 2019 bird, so it looks like this young female has spent the winter on the meadow.