Neat Rye

Last Wednesday I made a trip down to the RSPB Nature Reserve at Rye Meads near Hoddesdon, in Hertfordshire. An area I have the misfortune to know reasonably well as a result of working between 1986 and 2002 for a company whose head office was based there.

I must say straight away, that this was by far and away the most pleasant visit I have made to the area. Rye Meads is an excellent Reserve comprising of a variety of wetland habitats, including lagoons, pools, reed beds and scrapes, plus meadows and a section of the River Lee. Hides (ten) and observation platforms are positioned along 1.3 km of paths overlooking the various habitats. The reserve supports birds such as wildfowl, waders and bitterns, as well as many other kinds of wildlife including water vole and otter.

River Lee at Rye Meads

I had been recommended the site by a photographer who had advised me it was one of the best places in the country to see and photograph Kingfishers. I was also keen to see the artificial nesting bank which had been built there and which I am told, has successfully been used by breeding pairs of Alcedo atthis for many years. I have a particular interest in this subject, as it is my hope that our Friends Group at HESC may be able to build a similar nesting site in the near future, so that we too can enjoy regular and closer views of these brilliant little birds.

HESC Kingfisher

On arrival I was greeted at the visitor centre by RSPB volunteers, who confirmed that as a RSPB member, car parking was free (£2.00 otherwise) and that there was no charge for entry to the site. They gave me instructions on finding the Kingfisher Hide and I was pleased to learn that the designer of the nesting site was also around and would be happy to discuss the construction process with me.

Ten minutes later, after a pleasant walk, I settled down in the Kingfisher hide to await proceedings.

 The "Layer Cake" Nest Site at Rye Meads

Soon the flash of azure and orange heralded the arrival of the male Kingfisher who perched on a post in front of the nest site. Unfortunately, this revealed another fact that was to unfold, throughout the next three hours. Much to my and the other happy snappers dismay, the post in question was a favourite spot for both the male and female bird, it was also well out of comfortable range for any lens with  a focal length of less than 500mm.

There is a blue thing far away (Rye Meads Male Kingfisher)

There were several other possible perching points around the pool, many much closer to the hide and the anticipatory lenses, but, despite many prayers, pleas and oaths being muttered by the hopeful (desperate) throng, the birds remained just out of effective range to all of us, except those, lucky enough, to be armed with big bertha glass.

During my wait, I was however, able to meet with Keith Bedford who had designed and built the artificial nest site and was able to learn exactly how the layer cake of concrete and sand was constructed and to take notes for hopefully future use at HESC.

The timing of my visit could have been better, as the first brood of young “Alcedos” had fledged about five days earlier and as is the way with Kingfishers, had departed the nest area soon after to find their own way in the world. Ma and Pa meanwhile had started on the second brood which meant the female spent quite a lot of time in the nest hole, whilst Dad perched nearby or went off scouting for fish. It will be another six weeks or so before the next brood fledge and so I will be monitoring the Rye Mead blog in order to plan another visit, when hopefully there will be more (and closer) activity around the pool.

Little Grebe under the Draper Hide

Having spent so long in one hide, I had not left much time to visit the rest of the reserve, but was able to call in at three more hides on the way back to the car. In particular I enjoyed the Draper hide, where I was able to see waterfowl, terns and a pair of Little Ringed Plover, sharing spits and islands of land, within easy viewing range of the hide, whilst a Little Grebe fed under my feet. I also encountered a fox walking across the path in front of me with a chicken in its mouth. I was later advised this was a local character by the name of Elsie.

Little Ringed Plover

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Rye Meads, which is about an hour and ten minutes drive from Milton Keynes where I live and intend to visit again before the summer is out. Who knows, maybe I can justify the expense of a new lens to get the best out of the return trip.