Thursday 30 June 2022

Wednesday 1st June to Thursday 30th June

BioBlitz

We're holding our annual BioBlitz (after a two year break due to the pandemic) on Saturday 2nd July.

Please do come along to this free, fun, family-friendly event.



Wednesday 1st June

Peter Brown: 2 Dunlin & Little Ringed Plover.

(c) Jon Hawkins - Male Azure Damselfly

(c) Jon Hawkins - Male Common Blue Damselfly

(c) Dina Burford - Roe Deer with Fawn


Thursday 2nd June

Mark Elsoffer: 2 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Little Egret, 6 Lapwing, Kingfisher & Goshawk.

Mark Elsoffer: Large Skipper - first of the year.

(c) Ralph Clark - Common Tern

(c) Jon Hawkins - Swift

(c) Colin Varndell - Great Crested Grebe

(c) Alan David Taylor - Male Banded Demoiselle

(c) Jon Hawkins - Male Common Blue Damselfly

(c) Jon Hawkins - Roe Deer & Fawns

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Large Skipper

Friday 3rd June

Mark Elsoffer: 2 Little Ringed Plover, Little Egret, Mediterranean Gull, 2 Cetti's Warbler, Raven & Hobby.

Swifts were once again seen entering and leaving the side nest boxes on the Swift Tower this afternoon.

Mark Elsoffer: Common Darter - first of the year.

Melanie Nicholls: Spined Mason Bee (Osmia spinulosa) & Orange-belted Leafwalker (Xylota segnis) - new for site.

(c) Melanie Nicholls - Scorpion Fly

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Red-veined Darter

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Freshly Emerged Damselfly

Saturday 4th June

Gordon Wyatt: Black-tailed Skimmer - first of the year.

(c) Gordon Wyatt - Immature Male Black-tailed Skimmer


Sunday 5th June

Don Lemmon: Dunlin, Ringed Plover, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Lapwing & Little Egret.

(c) Colin Varndell - Banded Demoiselle

(c) Colin Varndell - Mallard Family


Monday 6th June

Kevin Duncan: 3 Dunlin & 3 Ringed Plover.


Tuesday 7th June

John Hunt: Ringed Plover, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 8 Lapwing, Little Egret & 2 Cetti's Warbler.

(c) Dina Burford - Black-headed Gull Chicks

(c) Jon Hawkins - Azure Damselfly

(c) Jon Hawkins - Common Blue Damselfly


Wednesday 8th June

Richard Horton: Redshank.

Paul Bamford: Meadow Brown - first of the year.

(c) Paul Bamford - Small Skipper

(c) Colin Varndell - Juvenile Robin

(c) Paul Wilkinson - Pyramidal Orchid


Thursday 9th June

Mark Elsoffer: Ringed Plover, Little Ringed Plover, 8 Lapwing, Little Egret, 2 Skylark (acting like they were near a nest), 6 Sand Martin & c30 Swift.

Sean Foote: Two-girdled Digger Wasp (Agrogorytes mystaceus), Red-legged Shieldbug (Pentotoma rufipes), Welsh Chafer (Hoplia philanthus) and Golden-tailed Leafwalker (Xylota sylvarum) - new species for site.

Swifts were seen leaving the Swift Tower this morning.

(c) John Hunt - House Sparrow

(c) Dina Burford - Roe Deer with Fawn

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Male Azure Damselfly

Friday 10th June

Mark Elsoffer: 3 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Little Egret, Mediterranean Gull & 30 Swift.

We had the pleasure of leading a walk for 30 members of 101st Church Crookham Beavers this evening. They completed a scavenger hunt, got to meet two PCSOs, saw some screaming swifts, and found a young Grass Snake.

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Beaver Visit

(c) Colin Varndell - Song Thrush

(c) Colin Varndell - Mute Swan

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Painted Lady

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Female Emperor

Saturday 11th June

Colin Varndell: Cetti's Warbler.

Five very healthy young Kestrels were checked and ringed at the Kiln this morning, supervised by a licensed bird ringer. 

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Kestrels Being Ringed

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Kestrels Being Ringed

(c) Colin Varndell - Cetti's Warbler

Sunday 12th June

We had a great day at the Hampton Estate's Open Farm Sunday today, running a bird ringing demo, showing off last night's moths, and providing information about our nature reserve to around 2,000 members of the public.

(c) Jon Hawkins - TMBG Team

(c) Jon Hawkins - Bird Ringing Demo

(c) Jon Hawkins - Bird Ringing Demo

(c) Colin Varndell - Swift Entering Swift Tower

(c) Colin Varndell - Swift Leaving Swift Tower


Monday 13th June

Dina Burford: Little Ringed Plover.

Clare Dell: Downy Emerald - 2nd record for site, after two in June 2020.

Some wonderful footage of Swifts using our Swift Tower, shot by Josh Guyan this morning.



Tuesday 14th June

Dina Burford: Little Ringed Plover & Redshank.

Paul Bamford: Marbled White - first of the year.

Dina Burford: Lesser Emperor - first of the year.

(c) Gillian Bamford - Pyramidal Orchid

(c) Gillian Bamford - Azure Damselflies

(c) Dina Burford - Lesser Emperor

Wednesday 15th June

John Hunt: Green Sandpiper.

Dina Burford: Little Ringed Plover.

Dina Burford: Downy Emerald.

(c) Paul Bamford - Mother Shipton's Moth

(c) Paul Bamford - Small Heath

(c) Paul Mannering - Blackcap

(c) Paul Habgood - Common Blue Damselflies

Thursday 16th June

Mark Elsoffer: 2 Little Ringed Plover, 8 Lapwing & 2 Cetti's Warbler.

Two young Swifts were seen looking out of a nest hole on the Swift Tower today.

We had the pleasure of showing 21 members of 12th Farnham Cubs around site this evening.

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Cub Visit

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Male Black-tailed Skimmer

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Marsh Frog

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Female Emperor

(c) David Gosnell - Painted Lady

(c) Dina Burford - Bee Orchid

Friday 17th June

Dina Burford: Marsh Bedstraw (Galium palustre) - new for site.

Mark Elsoffer: Downy Emerald & mating Lesser Emperors.

(c) Colin Varndell - Banded Demoiselle

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Marbled White

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Grey Wagtail

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Female Emperor Ovipositing

Saturday 18th June

Kevin Duncan: Redshank.

(c) Jon Hawkins - Damselfly

(c) Jon Hawkins - Mint Moth

(c) Jon Hawkins - Toadlet

(c) Colin Varndell - Fox

Sunday 19th June

Richard Seargent: Swan Goose (escape).

We were honoured to host the Army Ornithological Society as part of their AGM weekend this morning.

(c) John Hunt - Pyramidal Orchid

(c) Colin Varndell - AOS Visit

(c) Colin Varndell - Comma

Monday 20th June

John Hunt: Dunlin.

Dina Burford: Little Ringed Plover.

Kevin Duncan: Black Tern (1st summer, 13th record for site, last recorded 10/09/21).

(c) John Hunt - Marbled White

(c) John Hunt - Reed Bunting

(c) Kevin Duncan - Black Tern

Tuesday 21st June

Dina Burford: Little Ringed Plover.

We were pleased to host 5th Farnborough (Cranes) Cubs on their annual visit to Tice's Meadow tonight.

(c) Richard Seargent - Cub Visit

(c) Jon Hawkins - Common Tern

(c) Jon Hawkins - Egyptian Goose vs Black-headed Gull

(c) Gillian Bamford - Large Skipper

(c) Gillian Bamford - Marbled White

(c) Dina Burford - Painted Lady

(c) Keith Leman - Emperor

Wednesday 22nd June

(c) David Gosnell - Common Blue Damselflies

(c) Colin Varndell - Fox

(c) Colin Varndell - Tufted Duck

Thursday 23rd June

Mark Elsoffer: Green Sandpiper, 9 Little Ringed Plover, 12 Lapwing, 2 Little Egret, Cetti's Warbler, 18 Swift & Barn Owl.

Mark Elsoffer: Willow Emerald - new for site. 27th species of odonata recorded on site.

At least three of our Kestrels have fledged! They were busy exploring the Kiln roof and surrounding trees this morning, with mum and dad proudly looking on. 

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Immature Female Black-tailed Skimmer

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Male Black-tailed Skimmer

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Nesting Common Terns

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Willow Emerald

(c) Colin Varndell - Female Beautiful Demoiselle

Friday 24th June

Mark Elsoffer: 6 Little Ringed Plover, 12 Lapwing, Little Egret, 50 Swift, 12 Swallow, 20 House Martin & Hobby.

Mark Elsoffer: Ringlet - first of the year.

The remaining two Kestrels fledged today.

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Ringlet

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Male Common Blue Damselfly

Saturday 25th June

Richard Seargent: 6 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Little Egret & 2 Cett's Warbler.

The first Common Tern eggs have hatched on the Sand Martin Bank roof.

(c) Jonathan Durham - Juvenile Kestrels

(c) Andy Glencross - Blue-tailed Damselfly

Sunday 26th June

Richard Seargent: 2 Little Ringed Plover & Little Egret.

(c) Gav Thane - Fox

Monday 27th June

(c) Jonathan Durham - Juvenile Kestrels

(c) Colin Varndell - Fox

(c) Gav Thane - Egyptian Goose

Tuesday 28th June

Kevin Duncan: Redshank.

(c) Jon Hawkins - Swift

(c) Jon Hawkins - Swift

(c) Jonathan Durham - Kestrel

Wednesday 29th June

(c) Jon Hawkins - Roe Deer with Fawns

(c) Jon Hawkins - Roe Deer with Fawns


Thursday 30th June

John Hunt: 6 Little Ringed Plover.

Jort McBrough: Peregrine.

Dina Burford: 2 Little Egret.

(c) John Hunt - Painted Lady

(c) Dina Burford - Nesting Black-headed Gulls on a Tern Raft