A Couple of Hours at Rye Meads

8th September 2023

A stifling hot day so off to Rye Meads to spend a couple of hours in what I assumed would be a cool breezy hide........WRONG!!!

Just as hot in the hides but settled down in the Draper Hide to see what was on offer. There were 9 Green Sandpipers on view, a very good count, but no other waders at all not even a Lapwing which was surprising as the conditions look ideal.

At the Gadwall Hide a Little Egret was fishing in the fast-flowing water on the outlet from No2 Lagoon.

It was being quite successful and was catching about the biggest size fish I've ever seen a Little Egret manage. 

They were silvery with brown fins so I assume they were young carp.

But then an odd thing happened. It dropped the fish and would then pick it up again. This was repeated several times with the same fish and with different fish, and it managed to eat less than half of them How odd is that?

Further out on No1 Lagoon the Great White Egret was strutting its stuff. Only a few years ago birders would be travelling large distances to see this bird, but now they may not yet be common but fairly regular.

Just look at the length of that neck!!

And most graceful in flight.

But the star of the show today was the juvenile Grey Wagtail which was also feeding in the outlet just a few yards outside the hide. Just look at that peachy-orange breast!!

Well, what a great couple of hours, albeit a bit hot. Also good to catch up with Steve Knox and Robert Kitchen.