SS15 wildlife watching: Trip away from SS15 - RSPB Rye Meads, Hertfordshire

Thursday 27 October 2022

Trip away from SS15 - RSPB Rye Meads, Hertfordshire

On 14^th April 2022, I visited RSPB Rye Meads in Hertfordshire, my first since April 2014 …. see here.

It is a site that is relatively easy for me to visit by public transport: bus to Billericay, train to London Liverpool Street followed by another train to Rye House and then a short walk to the reserve entrance.

An Abellio Greater Anglia ticket sale which offered me a day return from Billericay to Rye House for a mere £10 prompted another visit today.

Rye Meads is a 58.5 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) located in Rye House near Hoddesdon in Hertfordshire. It is one of series of wetlands and reservoirs situated along the River Lea to the north east of London. It is part of the Lea Valley RAMSAR site (a group of internationally important wetland sites) and a Special Protection Area (SPA).

Rye Meads is divided into several areas. North of Rye Road is the Rye Meads nature reserve: the western half of this nature reserve, next to the River Lea in the Lee Valley Regional Park, is managed by the RSPB and the eastern half is managed by the Hertfordshire and Middlesex Wildlife Trust. It also includes a meadow and lagoons owned by Thames Water south of Rye Road which is not open to the public.

I visited the RSPB Rye Meads reserve which includes a visitor centre, trails and a number of hides. The seasonal flooding of a large ancient flood meadow combined with the rich soils has resulted in a mosaic of habitats, consisting of reedbeds, marshy grasslands and fen vegetation plus a number of small lakes and a scrape.

My short walk from Rye House station to the reserve entrance produced 2 unseen singing male Chiffchaffs (after also hearing one close to home yesterday …. see here) and a Common Buzzard perched on a fence.

After the “meet and greet” in the visitor centre, I went outside to begin my walk around the reserve. An RSPB volunteer immediately asked me if I was just interested in birds. I replied that I was interested in all nature and wildlife so she introduced me to the Dog Vomit Slime Mould, something that I can safely say I have absolutely no knowledge or experience of! .... slime moulds

The rest of my visit to RSPB Rye Meads was no less interesting or enjoyable.

I spent a lot of time in the first hide, Draper Hide, where I eventually located the Water Pipit which had been present for a few days. This was my first record of this species this year, taking my 2022 year list to a total of 202 species. The bird was very distant but I did manage to at least get a heavily cropped record shot.

Photo: Water Pipit

RSPB Rye Meads is well known for its resident and breeding Kingfishers which can be easy to see and photograph with a bit of patience.

Draper Hide provided extended views of a single male Kingfisher, both perched, fishing and actively flying around the lagoon. Initially, the views were distant but eventually the bird was more obliging and sat on a carefully placed branch for several minutes.

Photo: male Kingfisher

Photo: male Kingfisher

Photo: male Kingfisher

Draper Hide also provided excellent views of at least 5 Green Sandpipers. Some of these birds were ringed and a RSPB volunteer in the hide told us that they had been ringed at RSPB Rye Meads either last autumn/winter or the one before that.

Photo: Green Sandpiper

Photo: Green Sandpipers

Other notable records during my visit across the reserve included the following: Wigeon (1 male), Teal (c.50), Shoveler (c.50), Gadwall (c.50), Mallard (c.20), Mute Swan (21), Little Grebe (4), Coot (c.50), Moorhen (c.10), Grey Heron (1), Lapwing (c.100), Common Redshank (1), Cormorant (3), Black-headed Gull (c.150), Common Gull (2), Great Black-backed Gull (1), Chiffchaff (another singing male), Cetti’s Warbler (at least 3 singing males), Grey Wagtail (1), Pied Wagtail (c.5), Meadow Pipit (c.5)