BioBlitz
Our annual BioBlitz is being held over the weekend of Friday May 3rd to Sunday May 5th.
This year sees this popular event increase in size, with new activities
and more local wildlife groups attending. The BioBlitz is a great
opportunity to explore the nature reserve, meet the volunteers, observe
the wildlife on site and interact with experts from a variety of local
wildlife and conservation groups.
The full schedule and further details
here.
Farnham Walking Festival
On Wednesday May 29th, local historian Maurice Hewins is leading a walk entitled "Badshot Lea 1851 to the Present Day" as part of the Farnham Walking Festival. More information, and booking details,
here.
Volunteer Work Parties
Our volunteer work party schedule for the next 3 months.
If you have some spare time, do come and help us make Tice's Meadow the best nature reserve in Surrey.
Reporting of Schedule 1 Species
As we now enter the breeding season, a reminder of our policy on reporting Schedule 1 species:
For the duration of the breeding season, Schedule 1 species which we suspect may be breeding on site (and any other species which we deem to be sensitive to disturbance) will not be reported publicly. This is solely for the bird's well-being.
We still welcome all reports of these birds. Visitors are encouraged to report sightings to us privately via email, Twitter/Facebook direct message, telephone or in person.
We will still freely share information about these birds with visiting birdwatchers. It is the egg collectors, unprofessional/ill-informed photographers/birders and criminals who illegally persecute raptors that we are concerned about.
A list of Schedule 1 Species, and guidance on photographing them can be found here:
http://www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/BAWC_Photographing_Schedule_1_birds.aspx?s_id=332510323
It is a criminal offence to intentionally, or recklessly, disturb a Schedule 1 species at, on or near an active nest. Anyone we suspect of committing this offence will be asked to leavethe site and reported to the police
Our full Bird Reporting Policy can be seen
here.
These rules are in place for the interests of the birds. Thank you for following them.
Monday March 18th
No reports.
Tuesday March 19th
Mark Bravery:
Brambling.
Peter Brown: Water Rail, Little Egret, Chiffchaff, 4 Stonechat & 2 Siskin.
Wednesday March 20th
Richard Horton: 10 Sand Martin.
Mike Huddie:
Brambling, 3 Chiffchaff & 2
Swallow.
Swallow is the 95th species of bird recorded on site this year.
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| (c) Neil Prince - Brambling |
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| (c) Neil Prince - Bullfinch |
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| (c) Neil Prince - House Sparrow |
Thursday March 21st
Mark Elsoffer:
Green Sandpiper, Little Egret, Great Crested Grebe, 3 Chiffchaff, 18 Siskin,
Brambling, 2 Stonechat, 8 Fieldfare,
Raven, 2 Buzzard & 3 Red Kite.
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| (c) Murray Nurse - Frogspawn |
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| (c) Murray Nurse - Lesser Celandine |
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - He's Been Growing Hops Here for 80 Years |
Friday March 22nd
Richard Seargent: 21 Snipe, Water Rail, 5 Chiffchaff & 20 Sand Martin.
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| (c) Dina Burford - Calf |
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| (c) Dina Burford - Greenfinch |
Saturday March 23rd
Richard Seargent: Water Rail, Little Egret, 2 Great Crested Grebe, Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaff, 3 Stonechat & 20+ Sand Martin.
Mark Elsoffer:
Green Sandpiper.
Today our volunteers joined forces with the residents of Badshot Lea for a big litter pick around the village, as part of Keep Britain Tidy's Big Spring Clean event.
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| (c) Badshot Lea Community Association - The Litter Pickers |
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - Litter Picking at Pea Bridge |
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - The Morning's Litter |
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| (c) Richard Seargent - Busy Afternoon in the Obs |
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| (c) Carole Pearson - Great Tit |
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| (c) Carole Pearson - Siskin |
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| (c) Carole Pearson - House Sparrow |
Sunday March 24th
Richard Seargent: 3 Blackcap, 7 Chiffchaff, 3 Stonechat, 5 Buzzard &
Goshawk (outside).
Mark Elsoffer: Lapwing, Water Rail, Little Egret, 3 Siskin,
Raven, 3 Peregrine, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, 8 Buzzard & 3 Red Kite.
Richard Seargent: 2 Brimstone, Comma & Small Tortoiseshell.
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| (c) Dina Burford - River Blackwater |
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| (c) Steve Guthrie - Buzzards |
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| (c) Steve Guthrie - Chaffinch |
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| (c) Steve Guthrie - Great Spotted Woodpecker |
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| (c) Steve Guthrie - Song Thrush |
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| (c) Steve Guthrie - Stock Dove |
Monday March 25th
Richard Seargent: 2
Mediterranean Gull.
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| (c) Andrew Price - Bullfinch |
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| (c) Andrew Price - Chaffinch |
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| (c) Andrew Price - Collared Doves |
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| (c) Andrew Price - Grey Heron |
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| (c) Andrew Price - Grey Squirrel |
Tuesday March 26th
Mark Elsoffer: 3
Green Sandpiper, 8 Snipe, Great Crested Grebe, 2
Brambling, 4 Stonechat, Siskin, 10 Chiffchaff, 4 Sand Martin, Peregrine, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, 4 Buzzard & 3 Red Kite.
Alex Potts: Speckled Wood butterfly - first of the year.
Alex Potts: Tawny Mining Bee (Andrena fulva) - new species for the site.
17 members of the Farnham U3A Bird Watching Group enjoyed a guided tour around site today.
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| (c) Alex Potts - Speckled Wood |
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| (c) Alex Potts - Tawny Mining Bee |
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| (c) Dina Burford - Brambling |
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| (c) Phil Fiddes - Brambling |
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| (c) Phil Fiddes - Brambling |
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| (c) Phil Fiddes - Bullfinch |
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| (c) Phil Fiddes - Bullfinch |
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - U3A Members on their Walk |
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - U3A Members on their Walk |
Wednesday March 27th
Richard Horton:
Jack Snipe.
Mark Elsoffer:
Green Sandpiper, 10 Snipe, 2 Linnet, 4 Stonechat, 5 Chiffchaff,
Raven, Kestrel, 4 Buzzard & 3 Red Kite.
Our friends from the Army Ornithological Society (Roger Dickey & Andrew Bray) & Royal Navy Bird Watching Society (Mark Cutts)
surveyed all of our nest boxes this morning. An early survey revealed only 2 Great
Tit eggs in one box, but plenty of the other boxes had nests underway or
ready to be used.
Barn Owl pellets were found under our Barn Owl box today - the first
time we have had direct evidence of them using the boxes on site, as
opposed to those on the adjacent Kiln.
4 pairs of Canada Geese are on nests in the Workings - one pair have
already laid an egg next to the Sand Martin Bank, and another egg has
appeared on the south-eastern tern raft. A pair of Coots are also
nesting on an island, and we think the Great Crested Grebes may be
nesting on the edge of the reed beds. A good number of pairs of Black-headed
Gulls are nesting or courting, including a pair on the Sand Martin Bank
roof!
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - The View from the SW Corner |
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - The View from the Bat Cave |
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - Barn Owl Pellets! |
Thursday March 28th
Steve Minhinnick: Pheasant.
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| (c) Dina Burford - Canada Geese |
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| (c) Dina Burford - Stonechat |
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| (c) Murray Nurse - Blackthorn Blossom |
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| (c) Murray Nurse - Cowslips |
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| (c) Murray Nurse - Hornbeam Catkins |
Friday March 29th
Mark Elsoffer: 5 Sand Martin &
Raven.
Carey Lodge: Orange-tip, Speckled Wood, Brimstone, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell & Holly Blue butterflies.
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| (c) Carey Lodge - Greater Stitchwort |
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| (c) Carey Lodge - Speckled Wood |
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| (c) Steve Guthrie - Bullfinch & House Sparrows |
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| (c) Steve Guthrie - Chaffinch |
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| (c) Steve Guthrie - Greenfinch |
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| (c) Steve Guthrie - Mistle Thrush |
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| (c) Steve Guthrie - Roe Deer |
Saturday March 30th
Leonard Winchcombe:
Wheatear.
Dougal:
House Martin.
Mark Elsoffer:
Green Sandpiper,
Redshank, 2 Lapwing, Great Crested Grebe, 4 Stonechat, 8 Chiffchaff, 15 Sand Martin, 5 Buzzard & 3 Red Kite.
Dave Baker: 5 Snipe, 3 Little Egret, Pheasant, Fieldfare &
Barn Owl.
Wheatear is the 96th species of bird recorded on site this year.
House Martin is the 97th species of bird recorded on site this year.
4 pairs of Canada Geese are building nests in the Workings, along with 1 pair of Coots. The pair of Lapwing were seen displaying today.
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| (c) Jon Day - Bullfinch |
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| (c) Jon Day - Jay |
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| (c) Jon Day - Song Thrush |
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| (c) Jon Day - Starling |
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| (c) Anthony George - Blackcap |
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| (c) Anthony George - Brimstones |
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| (c) Anthony George - Chiffchaff |
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| (c) Anthony George - Greenfinch |
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| (c) Anthony George - Stonechat |
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| (c) Dina Burford - Egyptian Geese |
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| (c) Dina Burford - Wheatear |
Sunday March 31st
Richard Seargent:
Redshank, 2 Great Crested Grebe, Pheasant, 7 Blackcap, 9 Chaffinch, 3 Swallow & 100+ Sand Martin.
S Mansfield:
Willow Warbler.
Anonymous: Peregrine.
Willow Warbler is the 98th species of bird recorded on site this year.
Monday April 1st
John Hunt:
Green Sandpiper,
Redshank, Snipe,
Wheatear & 30+ Sand Martin.
Richard Horton: Willow Warbler.
Kevin Duncan:
Ringed Plover,
Cattle Egret & 16
Mediterranean Gull.
Gillian Stokes:
Treecreeper.
Ringed Plover is the 99th species of bird recorded on site this year.
Cattle Egret is the 100th species of bird recorded on site this year.
This is only the 2nd sighting of Cattle Egret on site, the first being a pair on 24/09/18.
This is only the 14th recorded sighting of Treecreeper on site.
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| (c) John Hunt - Wheatear |
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| (c) Alison Van Pelt - Bullfinches |
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| (c) Alison Van Pelt - Goldfinch |
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| (c) Alison Van Pelt - Rats |
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| (c) Alison Van Pelt - Sand Martin Bank |
Tuesday April 2nd
Leonard Winchcombe:
Ringed Plover.
Wednesday April 3rd
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| (c) Dina Burford - Great Spotted Woodpecker |
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| (c) Dina Burford - Stonechat |
Thursday April 4th
Mark Elsoffer:
Green Sandpiper,
Ruff, Little Egret, Great Crested Grebe, 4 Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcap, 12 Fieldfare, 50+ Sand Martin, 20+ House Martin, 20+ Swallow, Kestrel & Buzzard.
Ruff is the 101st species of bird recorded on site this year.
This is only the 11th recorded sighting of Ruff on site, the last being 08/07/18.
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - Ruff |
Friday April 5th
Richard Seargent:
Green Sandpiper, Snipe, 4 Little Egret, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 4
Mediterranean Gull, 7 Blackcap, 10+ Chiffchaff, Siskin, 2 Stonechat, 50+ House Martin, 50+ Sand Martin & 5 Buzzard.
Mark Elsoffer: 12 Swallow &
Raven.
10 members of the St Thomas-on-the-Bourne Ladies Walk & Talk group enjoyed a guided tour around site this morning.
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - Visitors on Horton's Mound |
Saturday April 6th
Richard Seargent:
Oystercatcher, 2 Great Crested Grebe, Willow Warbler & 4 Stonechat.
Dave Baker: Snipe, 2
Shelduck,
Yellow Wagtail &
Hobby.
Mark Elsoffer:
Green Sandpiper, Little Egret, Goldcrest, 2 Blackcap, 8 Chiffchaff, 20 Sand Martin, 20 House Martin & 8 Swallow.
Oystercatcher is the 102nd species of bird recorded on site this year.
Yellow Wagtail is the 103rd species of bird recorded on site this year.
Hobby is the 104th species of bird recorded on site this year.
Today's Hobby is the earliest ever recorded on site by 12 days.
We were delighted to support the Badshot Lea Easter Egg Trail this
morning by welcoming around 80 families into the nature reserve to hunt for
their Easter stamps.
A great community event, raising money for
Chloe's & Sophie's Special Ears Fund.
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - Visitors Enjoying the Easter Trail |
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - Visitors Enjoying the Easter Trail |
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - Visitors Enjoying the Easter Trail |
Sunday April 7th
Richard Seargent: Snipe, 2 Great Crested Grebe,
Yellow Wagtail, 3 Willow Warbler, 8 Blackcap, 6 Chiffchaff, 4 Stonechat, 3 Swallow, 50+ House Martin & 50+ Sand Martin.
John Hunt:
Green Sandpiper & Little Egret.
A Meadow Pipit was seen displaying in front of the Sand Martin Bank, and at least one pair of Stonechats appear to be building nests - both have never bred on site before.
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| (c) John Hunt - Stock Dove |
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| (c) Andrew Price - Goldfinches |
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| (c) Andrew Price - Great Spotted Woodpecker |
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| (c) Andrew Price - Song Thrush |
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| (c) Andrew Price - Starling |
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