Saturday 30 September 2017

Monday September 18th to Friday September 29th

Annual Report

The Tice's Meadow 2016 Annual Report can now be downloaded for free from this link:
https://1drv.ms/b/s!AuC9nX__kWIggSW-F4MUtWcsifGH

If you would like to buy a glossy, full colour, A4 hardcopy of the report for £15, please email us: ticesmeadow@hotmail.co.uk

All funds raised from the sale of our annual report are channelled back into projects on the nature reserve.




Pin Badges

Tice's Meadow Bird Group pin badges are now available.

25mm high quality, hard enamel pin badge with butterfly clutch fixing.

Strictly limited run of 100 badges.

£4 each. £5 including postage & packing.

Available in person from Mark Elsoffer or Richard Horton.

Or, email ticesmeadow@hotmail.co.uk if you'd like us to post one to you upon receipt of payment.

Cash, cheques, PayPal and BACS transfers accepted.

All profits go towards the Tice's Meadow Bird Group's work at Tice's Meadow.





Barn Owls

At least 3 Barn Owls have been seen using the new nest box at the Kiln (Badshot Lea Village Hall) over the past few nights.

The new nest box was built by Richard Horton and erected by the volunteers to replace the old unsafe one.

The Barn Owls have been putting on a great show and Oli has captured them on film. We are working on getting the camera closer to the nest boxes.

(c) Oli - Barn Owls at the Kiln



Monday September 18th

John Hunt reported 2 Lapwing, 5 Teal, 4 Shoveler, a Bar-headed Goose, 3 Stonechat, lots of Meadow Pipit, a Kestrel, a Buzzard, a Sparrowhawk and a Peregrine this morning.

In addition, Kevin Duncan reported a Barn Owl at the Kiln tonight.

(c) John Hunt - Bar-headed Goose
(c) John Hunt - Fox
(c) John Hunt - Peregrine



(c) John Hunt - Peregrine with kill


Tuesday September 19th

Murray Nurse reported a Merlin, 3 Reed Bunting and a Bar-headed Goose this afternoon.

This is only the 7th recorded sighting of Merlin on site.

Merlin is the 134th species of bird recorded on site this year.

(c) Ben Fitzcosta - Jay
(c) Ben Fitzcosta - Jay


Wednesday September 20th

Stuart Barilli from the Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership mowed some of the pernicious weeds in the old Plant Yard today. It was good to see this neglected area of the site receive some much needed management, but unfortunately the mowing was curtailed due to the need for a bigger tractor to do the job properly. The Tice's Meadow Bird Group will continue to press for this area of the site to be restored to the condition required by the site management plan.

(c) Stuart Barilli - Before Mowing
(c) Stuart Barilli - After Mowing
(c) Stuart Barilli - Common Toad


Thursday September 21st

No reports.


Friday September 22nd

Mark Elsoffer reported a Common Sandpiper, a Bar-headed Goose, c100 Swallow & House Martin, a Red Kite and a Peregrine today.

Andy Little reported a Barn Owl (calling, on site) tonight.

10 volunteers met on site this morning and cut and burnt an impressive amount of invasive willow from the reed beds. Well done everyone!

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Pyro Jim
(c) Mark Elsoffer - Pyro Jim
(c) Mark Elsoffer - Volunteers Hard at Work
(c) Mark Elsoffer - Alex Bashing Willow
(c) Susan Renaud - Common Lizard
(c) Susan Renaud - Goldfinch


Saturday September 23rd

Dave Baker reported 5 Lapwing, a Snipe, 7 Wigeon, a Shoveler, 4 Teal, a Bar-headed Goose, a Wheatear, a Whinchat, 2 Goldcrest, a possible Ring Ouzel, 7 Mistle Thrush, 10 Skylark, 12 Collared Dove, a Pheasant, 2 Red Kite and a Peregrine this morning.

In addition, Richard Horton reported a Ring Ouzel (unsure if the same bird as reported by Dave), 3 Stonechat, 2 Raven, 2 Kestrel, 2 Buzzard and a Sparrowhawk today.

This is only the 4th recorded sighting of Ring Ouzel on site.

Ring Ouzel is the 135th species of bird recorded on site this year.

(c) Dave Baker - Meadow Pipit
(c) Dave Baker - Wheatear
(c) Tony George - Kestrel
(c) Tony George - Peregrine
(c) Tony George - Pheasant
(c) Tony George -Speckled Wood
(c) Tony George - Migrant Hawker


Sunday September 24th

Mark Elsoffer reported 6 Lawping, a Snipe, a Shoveler, 2 Wigeon, 5 Gadwall, 6 Greylag Goose, a Bar-headed Goose, a Wheatear, 2 Stonechat, 2 Grey Wagtail, 25 Meadow Pipit, 12 Swallow, 6 Buzzard, 2 Kestrel, a Red Kite and a Sparrowhawk today.

John Hunt reported 4 Teal and 2 Little Egret this morning.

15 people enjoyed a Surrey Bird Club walk on site this morning lead by Richard Horton.

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Wheatear
(c) Mark Elsoffer - Wheatear
(c) Mark Elsoffer - Wheatear
(c) Mark Elsoffer - Wheatear
(c) Mark Elsoffer - Len puts the visitors onto a rare bird
(c) Steve Langham - Young Smooth Newts
(c) Tony George - Spindle Berries
(c) Tony George - Common Darter
(c) Tony George - Cattle
(c) Steve Langham - Common Toad


Monday September 25th

No reports.


Tuesday September 26th

John Hunt reported a Lapwing, a Little Egret, a Teal, a Shoveler, a Stonechat, 3 Buzzard and 2 Kestrel this morning.

In addition, Richard Horton reported a Common Sandpiper, a Reed Warbler and a Grey Wagtail today.

17 members of the Farnham U3A enjoyed a guided walk on site today lead by Richard Horton.


Wednesday September 27th

Richard Horton reported a Great White Egret (over) this morning.

This is only the 3rd recorded sighting of Great White Egret on site.

Great White Egret is the 136th species of bird recorded on site this year.


Thursday September 28th

Murray Nurse reported 2 Snipe, 2 Wigeon, a Caspian Gull and a Bar-headed Goose this morning.

In addition, Richard Horton reported a Bearded Tit (juv) this morning.

In addition, Mark Elsoffer reported a Common Sandpiper, 9 Lawping, a Shoveler, 6 Teal, 6 Greylag Goose, a Wheatear, a Stonechat, 20 Meadow Pipit, 15 Swallow, 2 Kestrel and 2 Buzzard this afternoon.

This is only the 6th recorded sighting of Caspian Gull on site, but the 2nd this year.

Bearded Tit is the 137th species of bird recorded on site this year.

Bearded Tits have now been recorded in the reed beds on site for the past 3 years, after 4 spent 10 days on site in 2015, and 8 spent 6 days on site in 2016.

Mark Elsoffer reported a new species for the site today: Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus).

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Wheatear


Friday September 29th

No reports.


Sunday 17 September 2017

Thursday September 7th to Sunday September 17th

Annual Report

The Tice's Meadow 2016 Annual Report can now be downloaded for free from this link:
https://1drv.ms/b/s!AuC9nX__kWIggSW-F4MUtWcsifGH

If you would like to buy a glossy, full colour, A4 hardcopy of the report for £15, please email us: ticesmeadow@hotmail.co.uk

All funds raised from the sale of our annual report are channelled back into projects on the nature reserve.




Pin Badges

Tice's Meadow Bird Group pin badges are now available.

25mm high quality, hard enamel pin badge with butterfly clutch fixing.

Strictly limited run of 100 badges.

£4 each. £5 including postage & packing.

Available in person from Mark Elsoffer or Richard Horton.

Or, email ticesmeadow@hotmail.co.uk if you'd like us to post one to you upon receipt of payment.

Cash, cheques, PayPal and BACS transfers accepted.

All profits go towards the Tice's Meadow Bird Group's work at Tice's Meadow.




Thursday September 7th

Mark Elsoffer reported 2 Common Sandpiper, 3 Little Ringed Plover (juvs), 2 Teal, a Kestrel, 2 Buzzard and a Red Kite today.

(c) Lyndsay Rowland - Grass Snake


Friday September 8th

The first returning Wigeon of the Autumn was reported today, 4 days earlier than in 2016.


Saturday September 9th

Mark Elsoffer reported a Common Sandpiper, 3 Little Ringed Plover (juvs), 3+ Yellow Wagtail, 3 Meadow Pipit, 100+ House Martin, 30 Swallow, 2 Kestrel, 2 Buzzard and a Sparrowhawk today.

In addition, Dave Baker reported 4 Whinchat, 2 Stonechat and a Nuthatch today.

In addition, Richard Seargent reported a Spotted Flycatcher this afternoon.

This is only the 9th recorded sighting of Spotted Flycatcher on site.

Spotted Flycatcher is the 133rd species of bird recorded on site this year.

Graham King found a new species for the site today:
Elephant Hawk-moth (Deilephila elpenor).

Ten volunteers gave up their Saturday morning today to cut and remove invasive willow from the reed beds. Thank you to everyone who helped out, including newcomers Rob and Ben.
 
(c) Graham King - Elephant Hawk-moth Caterpillar
(c) Mark Elsoffer - Some of the Volunteers Enjoying a Break


Sunday September 10th

Richard Seargent reported a Common Sandpiper, 2 Little Ringed Plover (juvs), a Water Rail, a Swift, 5 Tufted Duck, 2 Teal and a Shoveler today.

Today's Swift is the latest ever recorded at Tice's Meadow, beating the old record by 4 days.

(c) Murray Nurse - Earthball Fungi
(c) Murray Nurse - Hoverfly sp
(c) Murray Nurse - Orb Weaver Spider sp
(c) Murray Nurse - Robin's Pin Cushion Gall


Monday September 11th

Richard Horton reported 3 Whinchat, 3 Skylark, 2 Meadow Pipit and a Barn Owl this morning.

In addition, Dave Smith reported a Peregrine this afternoon.

Richard, Len, Jim & Oli replaced the Barn Owl box on the Kiln today. The old box, which was made by the group, was falling to bits and posed a health & safety risk for users of the Kiln. Good work guys!

We know that Barn Owls are regular in fields to the west of Tice's Meadow in Badshot Lea, and we thought that they were occasionally roosting in the Kiln nest box (after finding loads of pellets), but have only had 4 reported sightings since the winter of 2012/13 (when there was a handful of sightings).

So imagine the volunteer's surprise when a Barn Owl flew out of the box they were about to remove and flew off over the meadow. Also found inside were 2 old eggs and a recently killed short tailed vole.

The TMBG will soon be putting up 2 new Barn Owl nest boxes on telegraph poles on the edge of the meadow, so fingers crossed for more sightings in the future.

(c) Oli - Patch Commander Reaches New Heights


Tuesday September 12th

No reports.


Wednesday September 13th

No reports.


Thursday September 14th

Mark Elsoffer reported 3 Common Sandpiper, a Green Sandpiper, 2 Little Ringed Plover (juv), 3 Lapwing, 8 Greylag Goose, a Bar-headed Goose (escapee), 40 Meadow Pipit, 20 House Martin, 12 Swallow, 2 Buzzard, a Sparrowhawk, 4 Kestrel and a Peregrine today.

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Bar-headed Goose
(c) Mark Elsoffer - Bar-headed Goose


Friday September 15th

Bob Waller reported a Bar-headed Goose (escapee) today.

Richard Horton gave a talk at the Badshot Lea Resident's Association's AGM this evening on the progress of the restoration of Tice's Meadow.

(c) Bob Waller - Bar-headed Goose


Saturday September 16th

Dave Baker reported a Little Egret, 100+ Meadow Pipit, 2 Stonechat, a Swallow, 5+ Sand Martin, a Bar-headed Goose (escapee) and a Peregrine today.

(c) Dave Baker - Peregrine


Sunday September 17th

Dave Baker reported 5 Snipe, 4 Gadwall, a Bar-headed Goose, a Reed Warbler, a Sedge Warbler (juv), a few Chiffchaff, 2 Grey Wagtail, 3 Sand Martin, a few House Martin, 120 Swallow and a Peregrine this morning.

In addition, Murray Nurse reported an Osprey (flew over heading SE) this afternoon.

This is only the 6th recorded sighting of Osprey on site, but remarkably the 4th this year.

(c) Murray Nurse - Flag Iris Seed Pods
(c) Murray Nurse - Hornbeam Fruit
(c) Murray Nurse - Bell's Piece Wildflower Meadow
(c) Murray Nurse - Reedmace
(c) Murray Nurse - Spindle Berries
(c) Dave Baker - Bar-headed Goose
(c) Dave Baker - Sand Martin with Swallows
(c) Dave Baker - Swallows



(c) Dave Baker - Swallows over the Workings