Thrilling Thursday – a review of the birds of March – April 2024
A quiet early migration period affected by unseasonal weather was enlivened on two successive Thursdays by some unusual visitors.
Rye Meads Ringing Group
Information and activities
Rye Meads Ringing Group
Information and activities
Roger
A review of ringing in 2023
Once again this year we had to contend with restrictions on access to various parts of the site, as well as disappointing numbers of some birds. But there were some successes nevertheless! For the full list and a summary analysis, read on...
Egret Bonanza – a review of the observations of January-February 2024
A quiet time of the year but some interesting birds nonetheless, including a record count of Egrets and a surprising Bunting roost
And the award for Best Bird goes to… A review of the observations of November – December 2023
No prizes for guessing this award went to our second Penduline Tit! But there were also some other decent birds during the period.
Unusual visitors put a gloss on sightings – a review of the birds of September-October 2023
We got our fair share of interesting birds during peak migration season, despite unusually warm and stormy conditions, including a record count for one species.
A review of ringing in 2022
In 2022 we ringed just under 3,000 birds, well down on our long term average but better than the previous two Covid-impacted years. There were however some records set!
July-August 2023 – Another large flock of flightless ducks in moult
For the second year in a row, we've hosted large flocks of flightless ducks in moult. Not quite a record number, but we had record counts of two species - which ones were they?
May-June 2023 – Quieter than usual on the rafts as In Flew Enza
Avian Flu hit our gull colony, but wildfowl were present in good numbers. But our most unexpected bird of the period was a species not recorded here since 1998!
March-April 2023 – two additions to the Rye Meads list
Some outstanding birds graced the Spring migration this year. Which species became our 230th and 231st recorded at Rye Meads?
January-February 2023 – All quiet for the winter
It may have been a quiet time of the year, but there was still enough to interest a keen birder! Not least the tiniest of our woodpeckers, which although caught didn't make our ringing list - find out why...