Friday 1st April to Saturday 30th April

Volunteer Work Parties

Our volunteer work party schedule for the next 5 months. Please do come and join us if you're free - a great way to spend a morning, helping nature, working with the local community, and having some fun at the same time.

Friday 1st April

Richard Horton: Little Ringed Plover & 4+ Mediterranean Gull.

(c) Colin Varndell - Song Thrush

Saturday 2nd April

Peter Brown: 3 Little Ringed Plover & Swallow.

Dina Burford: 9 Wigeon & 2 Mediterranean Gull.

Half of Badshot Lea turned out for the Badshot Lea Village Easter Trail this morning, which included a lap around site.

1st Ash Vale Beavers held a walk around site this afternoon.

(c) Dina Burford - Little Ringed Plover

(c) Dina Burford - Mediterranean Gulls

Sunday 3rd April

Mark Elsoffer: 3 Little Ringed Plover, Green Sandpiper, Snipe, Lapwing, Little Egret, 14 Wigeon, 2 Cetti's Warbler, Raven & Peregrine.

We had the pleasure of giving 7 members of Blackwater Valley Friends of the Earth a guided tour of site today.

(c) Dina Burford - Teal

(c) Colin Varndell - Kestrel

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Blackwater Valley Friends of the Earth Visit

Monday 4th April

Graham Sharples: Green Sandpiper & 3 Black-tailed Godwit.

(c) Graham Sharples - Black-tailed Godwit

(c) Colin Varndell - Goodbye Cows

Tuesday 5th April

Paul Bamford: Black-tailed Godwit.

Anon: 3 Little Ringed Plover, Kingfisher & Swallow. 

(c) Dina Burford - Black-tailed Godwit

(c) Dina Burford - Ray's New Fence

Wednesday 6th April

Don Lemmon: 4 Little Ringed Plover, Black-tailed Godwit & Swallow.

Colour-ringed Black-headed Gull "2RHV" spotted today by Colin Varndell. Ringed at Pitsea Landfill (Essex) on 2nd April 2016 by the North Thames Gull Group - it was already at least two years old when ringed. Previously sighted at Tice's Meadow: June 2018, May 2019 & June 2021.

(c) Colin Varndell - Blue Tit

(c) Colin Varndell - Little Grebe

Thursday 7th April

Kevin Duncan: Wheatear (first of year).

Mark Elsoffer: Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Sand Martin (first of year), Cetti's Warbler & Raven.

Three volunteers fixed the new speakers on the Sand Martin Bank this morning - just in time for the first returning Sand Martins!

(c) Colin Varndell - Great Spotted Woodpecker

Friday 8th April

Mark Elsoffer: Black-tailed Godwit, Snipe, 2 Water Pipit (25th site record), Wheatear, Cetti’s Warbler, 8+ Sand Martin, 12+ Swallow & 2 Raven. 

Anon: Green Sandpiper & 4 Little Ringed Plover.

(c) Dave Carlsson - Water Pipits

(c) Dina Burford - Little Ringed Plover

Saturday 9th April

Anon: Black-tailed Godwit, Green Sandpiper, 2 Little Ringed Plover, Snipe & 2 Cetti’s Warbler.

(c) Colin Varndell - Black-tailed Godwit

(c) Colin Varndell - Fox

(c) Wild Cam - Bullfinch

(c) Beth Cook - Grey Heron

Sunday 10th April

Shaun Ferguson: Green Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit, Kingfisher, 2 Common Tern (first of year) & Willow Warbler (first of year).

Mark Elsoffer: 2 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Cetti's Warbler & 2nd Willow Warbler.

Anon: Goldeneye (escape) & Raven.

(c) Shaun Ferguson - Green Sandpiper

(c) Shaun Ferguson - Little Ringed Plover

(c) Colin Varndell - Foxes

(c) Simon Monk - Common Lizard

(c) Kelly Wright - Common Lizard

Monday 11th April

John Hunt: Green Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Little Ringed Plover, Kingfisher, 2 Cetti's Warbler & 2 Sand Martin.

Paul Bamford: 3 Swallow.

Colin Varndell: Nuthatch & Little Egret.

(c) John Hunt - Little Ringed Plover

(c) Gillian Bamford - Brimstone

(c) Colin Varndell - Nuthatch

(c) Colin Varndell - Speckled Wood

(c) Sarah Lee - Grass Snakes

Tuesday 12th April

Don Lemmon: 4 Sandwich Tern (10th for site, last recorded 18/08/17).

John Hunt: Black-tailed Godwit & 3 Common Tern.

Daniel Bridger: Cetti's Warbler, 2 Swallow & 2 House Martin.

Kevin Duncan: Oystercatcher (first of year).

Anon: 4 Little Ringed Plover.

(c) John Hunt - Sandwich Terns

(c) Kevin Duncan - Oystercatcher

(c) Alan David Taylor - Kestrel

(c) Alan David Taylor - Long-tailed Tit

(c) Colin Varndell - Sandwich Terns

(c) David Gosnell - Blue Tit in Nest Box

Wednesday 13th April

John Hunt: Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Common Tern, Little Egret, 2 Cetti's Warbler, Willow Warbler, Whitethroat (first of year) & Wheatear.

Colour-ringed Black Headed Gull: 29L9.

(c) John Hunt - Wheatear

(c) Colin Varndell - Little Egret

(c) Colin Varndell - Mallard

(c) Colin Varndell - Sparrowhawk

(c) Simon Monk - Grass Snake

(c) Simon Monk - Common Lizard

Thursday 14th April

John Hunt: Reed Warbler (first of year).

Colin Varndell: Linnet.

Mark Elsoffer: Green Sandpiper, 2 Little Ringed Plover, Snipe, Lapwing, 4 Common Tern, 12+ Blackcap, 3 Cetti’s Warbler, Swallow, 4 Sand Martin & Peregrine.

Anon: Willow Warbler.

Colour-ringed Black Headed Gull: 2RHV.

(c) Rebecca Haskell - Slow Worm, found by Ethan

(c) Keith Leman - Great Spotted Woodpecker

(c) Dina Burford - Whitethroat

(c) Colin Varndell - Blackcap

(c) Colin Varndell - Linnet

Friday 15th April

Mark Elsoffer: Green Sandpiper, 3 Little Ringed Plover, Snipe, 2 Lapwing, 2 Mediterranean Gull, 3 Common Tern, 4 Sand Martin, 3 Cetti’s Warbler, 22 Blackcap, 4 Whitethroat, 4 Skylark & Peregrine. 

Anon: Reed Warbler.

Mallard with single duckling on the Bat Lake. 

Colour-ringed Black Headed Gull: 2RHV.

Melanie Nicholls: Median Wasp (Dolichovespula media) - new for site.

(c) Andy Glencross - Slow Worm

(c) Andy Glencross - Grass Snake

(c) Melanie Nicholls - Median Wasp

(c) Melanie Nicholls - Dark-edged Bee Fly

Saturday 16th April

Alan Wynde: Garden Warbler (first of year).

Mark Elsoffer: 2 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Lapwing, Little Egret, 5 Common Tern, 3 Cetti’s Warbler, 2 Whitethroat, 20+ Blackcap & 2 Swallow. 

Anon: Reed Warbler.

Si Soley: A Larder Beetle (Megatoma undata) & A Soft Winged Flower Beetle (Anthocomus fasciatus) - both new for site.

Richard Horton: Green-veined White - first of year.

Colour-ringed Black Headed Gulls: 2RHV & 29L9.

(c) Jon Hawkins - Fox

(c) Jon Hawkins - Grey Heron

(c) Jon Hawkins - Speckled Woods

(c) Conor Macleod - Blackcap

Sunday 17th April

John Hunt: Green Sandpiper & 2 Little Ringed Plover.

Mark Elsoffer: 2 Lapwing, Little Egret, Reed Warbler, 3 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Willow Warbler, 4 Whitethroat, 20+ Blackcap, 20+ Chiffchaff, 2 Swallow, 6 Sand Martin, 8 House Martin & Rook (first of year).

Steve Simnett: 8 Common Tern & 2 Sedge Warbler (first of year).

Two volunteers spent this morning blocking all the cut-throughs to the area cleared by SSE's contractors.

Mark Elsoffer & Si Soley: Deer Vomit Fungus (Fusicolla merismoides) - new for site.

(c) John Hunt - Whitethroat

(c) Wild Cam - Roe Deer

(c) Phil Fiddes - Black-headed Gulls

(c) Jon Hawkins - Fox

(c) Jon Hawkins - Whitethroat

Monday 18th April

Mark Elsoffer: Green Sandpiper, 2 Little Ringed Plover, Little Egret, Mediterranean Gull, 5 Common Tern, 2 Garden Warbler, 2 Sedge Warbler, 4 Reed Warbler, 3 Cetti's Warbler, 4 Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, 20+ Chiffchaff, 20+ Blackcap & California Quail (escape).

Colour-ringed Black Headed Gulls: 2RHV & 29L9.

(c) Dina Burford - Mallard Family

(c) Dina Burford - Starling

(c) Mark Elsoffer - California Quail

Tuesday 19th April

Kevin Duncan: 3 Common Sandpiper (first of year) & 2 Egyptian Goose with 1 gosling - hatched on tern raft.

Mark Elsoffer: 4th Common Sandpiper, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Lapwing, 2 Little Egret, 7+ Common Tern, Kingfisher, 2 Wheatear, 5 Whitethroat, 3 Cetti's Warbler, 4+ Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Willow Warbler, Garden Warbler, 60+ Sand Martin, 20+ House Martin & 12 Swallow.

Dina Burford: Oystercatcher.

Colour-ringed Black Headed Gulls: 2RHV & 29L9.

(c) John Hunt - Oystercatcher

(c) John Hunt - Reed Bunting

(c) Colin Varndell - Kestrel

(c) Colin Varndell - Nuthatch

Wednesday 20th April

Mark Elsoffer: Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Lapwing, 2+ Kingfisher, 5 Mediterranean Gull, 7+ Common Tern, Yellow Wagtail (first of year), 3 Cetti's Warbler, Garden Warbler, Willow Warbler, 4+ Reed Warbler, 70+ Sand Martin, 25+ House Martin & 20+ Swallow.

Noel: 3 Shelduck (first of year).

Colour-ringed Black Headed Gull: 29L9.

(c) John Hunt - Cetti's Warbler

(c) John Hunt - Cetti's Warbler

(c) John Hunt - Cetti's Warbler

(c) John Hunt - Cetti's Warbler

(c) John Hunt - Cetti's Warbler

(c) John Hunt - Cetti's Warbler

Thursday 21st April

Mark Elsoffer: 3 Common Sandpiper, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 3 Lapwing, Little Egret, 5+ Common Tern, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Cetti's Warbler, 4 Whitethroat, 2 Reed Warbler, 12 Sand Martin, 10 House Martin & 15 Swallow.

John Hunt: Green Sandpiper & White Stork (reintroduced).

Peter Brown: Goldeneye (escape).

Anon: Garden Warbler.

(c) John Hunt - Bullfinch

(c) Mark Elsoffer - White Stork

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Fox

Friday 22nd April

Kevin Duncan: Dunlin (first of year) & Little Gull (first winter, 21st for site, last recorded 02/06/21).

Mark Elsoffer: Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, 2 Little Ringed Plover, Goldeneye (escape), Mediterranean Gull, 4 Common Tern, Redstart (11th for site, last recorded 21/08/21), 2 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Cetti's Warbler, 3 Reed Warbler, 4 Whitethroat, c100 Sand Martin, c50 House Martin, c20 Swallow & Peregrine. 

Colour-ringed Black Headed Gull: 2RHV.

Three volunteers spent the morning fitting a new battery to the Swift Tower and adjusting the caller on the new Sand Martin Bank.

(c) Kevin Duncan - Little Gull

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Green Sandpiper

Saturday 23rd April

Mark Elsoffer: Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, 2 Dunlin, 6 Whimbrel (17th for site, last recorded 27/04/21), 3 Lapwing, Goldeneye (escape), 4 Common Tern, 3 Cetti's Warbler, 4 Reed Warbler, Garden Warbler, 5 Whitethroat, 50 Sand Martin, 20 House Martin & 12 Swallow.

Clare Dell: Hobby (first of year).

Colour-ringed Black Headed Gull: 2RHV.

We had a fantastic morning at the Farnham Blommin' Community Fair in Gostrey Meadow. Lots of networking and potential new volunteers and supporters met, plus some very generous donations.

(c) Clare Dell - Hobby

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Bloomin' Volunteers Fair

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Dunlin

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Whimbrel

Sunday 24th April

Mark Elsoffer: Common Sandpiper, 2 Little Ringed Plover, Redshank, 3 Lapwing, Little Egret, Goldeneye (escape), 4 Common Tern, 3 Cetti’s Warbler, 4 Reed Warbler, Garden Warbler, 4 Whitethroat, 4 Yellow Wagtail & Swallow.

Anon: Green Sandpiper.

Rogey Dickey and two volunteers checked all of the nest boxes this morning.

(c) Jon Hawkins - Black-headed Gull

(c) Jon Hawkins - Mallard

(c) Roger Dickey - Great Tit's Nest

(c) Colin Varndell - Red Kite

Monday 25th April

Richard Seargent: Pochard (male) & Yellow Wagtail.

Anon: 2 Common Sandpiper.

Members of Ashtead U3A enjoyed a visit to site this morning.

(c) Colin Varndell - Ashtead U3A Walk

Tuesday 26th April

Anon: 2 Common Sandpiper.

(c) David Gosnell - Brimstone

(c) Jon Hawkins - Mallard Duckling

(c) Colin Varndell - Reed Warbler

(c) Colin Varndell - Coot Family

Wednesday 27th April

Gavin Everson: Mediterranean Gull, 2 Sand Martin & 6 Swallow.

John Hunt: 2 Common Sandpiper, 5 Little Ringed Plover, 4 Lapwing, Little Egret, 2 Common Tern, Yellow Wagtail, Cettis Warbler, Garden Warbler, 5 Reed Warbler, 5+ Whitethroat, 10+ Blackcap, 10+ Chiffchaff & 7+ House Martin.

Anon: Wheatear & Swift (first of year).

Colour-ringed Black Headed Gull: 2RHV.

(c) Colin Varndell - Common Tern

Thursday 28th April

Mark Elsoffer: 5 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Lapwing, Little Egret, Yellow Wagtail, 6 Reed Warbler, 2 Cetti’s Warbler, 15 Swallow & 6 Swift. 

John Hunt: 2 Common Sandpiper.

Colour-ringed Black Headed Gull: 2RHV.

(c) John Hunt - Common Sandpiper

(c) Keith Leman - Greenfinches

(c) Keith Leman - Colin the Robin

(c) Dina Burford - Common Sandpiper

(c) Colin Varndell - Starling

Friday 29th April

Mark Elsoffer: 5 Common Sandpiper, 6 Little Ringed Plover, 3 Lapwing, 5 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Cetti's Warbler, 6 Reed Warbler, 100+ Swallow, 50+ Sand Martin & 30+ House Martin.

Three volunteers spent the morning preparing for tomorrow's work party.

(c) Kyle Russell - Drone View of Site

(c) Colin Varndell - Cetti's Warbler

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Yellow Wagtail

Saturday 30th April

Mark Elsoffer: Common Sandpiper, 3 Little Ringed Plover, 3 Lapwing, 2 Cetti's Warbler, Ring-necked Parakeet (25th for site), Hobby & Peregrine.

Colin Varndell: Garden Warbler.

First odonata of the year - 3 Large Red Damselfly, Azure Damselfly & 10+ Common Blue Damselfly - found by Melanie Nicholls.

(c) Melanie Nicholls - Azure Damselfly

(c) Melanie Nicholls - Common Blue Damselfly

(c) Melanie Nicholls - Large Red Damselfly

A big thank you to the 38 volunteers who turned up for our work party this morning. We built a hibernacula (for reptiles) & stumpery (for stag beetles), and did some other jobs around site.

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Work Party

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Work Party

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Work Party

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Work Party

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Work Party

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Work Party

(c) Dina Burford - Roe Deer

(c) Dina Burford - Volunteers working on Swift Tower

(c) Colin Varndell - Garden Warbler