Ryde to Seaview (including Hersey Mere Nature Reserve)

The shallow and sandy North East coast has excellent access between Ryde and Seaview where the sea wall provides a good inclusive vantage point from Ryde to Puckpool and then the road skirts the beach into Seaview village. Gulls and waders can be seen on the shore when the tide is low, and divers, grebes and wildfowl can be seen on the sea when the tide rises. The area is primarily a winter venue, best between late October and early March. The entrance to Hersey Nature Reserve can be found opposite the beach at Seaview Duver.

Parking and amenities

Pay and Display parking is available at Ryde Canoe Lake, Puckpool Park and Seaview Duver. Free parking on the road is available between Puckpool and Seaview. Cafes can be found on the seafront at Ryde, Puckpool Park, and in Seaview village. There are public toilets by the Puckpool car park and on Ryde Esplanade. The Boathouse pub is on the sea front at Puckpool.

What to look out for - Calendar

Spring (March - June)

The site is not well positioned for Spring migration but gannet, shag, cormorant, remaining grebes, Mediterranean gull, both common and sandwich tern, lingering waders such as sanderling and greenshank may be seen.

Autumn (July - mid November)

Lesser black-backed and Mediterranean gull, kittiwake, common and sandwich tern and gannet are regular, with other seabirds such as skuas occasionally present.

Winter (mid November - February)

Coast - This is one of the most active times of the year for this area: great northern diver (regular), great crested, red-necked, Slavonian and black-necked grebes, common scoter, eider, tufted duck, goosander, red-breasted merganser, brent goose, razorbill, guillemot, shag, cormorant, kittiwake and Mediterranean gull are all possibilities. small numbers of sandwich tern regularly overwinter. flocks of sanderling feed at the water’s edge anywhere between Ryde and Seaview, along with curlew, oystercatcher, ringed plover, little egret, grey heron, turnstone and occasionally purple sandpiper. feral snow and barnacle goose are regularly present, and occasional black redstart frequent the coastline.

Hersey Nature Reserve - greenshank, kingfisher, little grebe, water rail and snipe.

Rarities

Ryde to Seaview has produced a number of rare and scarce birds over the years including black guillemot, long-tailed duck, spotted sandpiper, ring-billed gull, Siberian stonechat, black brant and Iceland gull.