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

Monday 6 February 2023

Trip away from SS15 - RSPB Rye Meads, Hertfordshire

RSPB Rye Meads in Hertfordshire 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.

I recorded 3 further additions to my 2023 UK year list: Bearded Tit (male and female seen plus others heard calling), Green Sandpiper (1) and Red-crested Pochard (male and female)

Photo: record shot of male and female Red-crested Pochard

I saw a single Kingfisher from the Kingfisher Hub but it was an extremely brief sighting and unfortunately I was unable to get any photos on this visit. Prior to getting to the hide, other observers had had extended views of a male and female Kingfisher excavating a nest hole in readiness for the breeding season.

Other notable records during my visit across the included the following: Shoveler (c.20), Gadwall (c.20), Teal (c.10), Tufted Duck (c.20), Common Pochard (c.20), Mallard (c.10), Mute Swan (3), Canada Goose (2), Little Grebe (3), Water Rail (1), Coot (c.20), Moorhen (c.10), Little Egret (2), Grey Heron (2), Lapwing (c.200), Common Snipe (1), Black-headed Gull (c.150), Lesser Black-backed Gull (2), Redwing (c.10), Common Buzzard (1), Stock Dove (3), Reeves Muntjac (8), Grey Squirrel (1)