Rye Meads Ringing Group

This is a summary of the highlights of last year.

A male Marsh Harrier on 16th February was the earliest ever recorded at Rye Meads. A second bird was seen in April.
Red Kite records continue with a bird in April and another in September; meanwhile Peregrine is now regular enough to be not so much a highlight!
An Osprey flew over, and a Firecrest was caught and ringed the same day in May
A Honey Buzzard, part of the major influx to the UK during mid September, graced the skies of Rye Meads briefly one morning (to the delight of a visiting RSPB local group)
Whilst Little Egrets are now so regular they are not normally included in the Highlights page, a new record count of 8 on one day in September is worthy of note, as is the new October record of 16 Green Sandpipers.
A male Garganey made a brief stopover in April, with 1-2 birds present throughout August
A pair of Little Gulls flew over in May, and a Mediterranean Gull was seen in August.
A Meadow Pipit roost developed in the Second Meadow, and this also attracted a single Water Pipit seen on two dates in January
It's not often that Sand Martin makes the Highlights list, but this one was caught at roost with a Spanish ring!
The same is true for Black-headed Gull, but a pair earned their top billing by becoming the first nesting recorded at Rye Meads and the first for Hertfordshire since 1964.

Observations