Monday 31 July 2023

Saturday 1st July to Monday 31st July

Rushmoor Community Lottery

We've launched our page on the Rushmoor Community Lottery.

Tickets cost £1 per week - we will receive 50p per ticket (and other local good causes 10p).

You could win up to £25,000!

Scan the QR code below, or click this link to go to our page. Thank you for your support.


Co-Op Local Community Fund

We are delighted to have been chosen to be part of the Co-op Local Community Fund. We're raising money to buy more tools and equipment for our volunteer work parties.

If you are a Co-Op member, please click the link below and choose us as your cause. 1% of everything you spend on selected Co-Op branded goods and services between today and 21st October 2023 will be donated to our cause:

https://membership.coop.co.uk/causes/66193



Volunteer Work Parties

Our volunteer work party schedule for the next few 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.



Saturday 1st July

Peter Brown: Common Sandpiper & 4 Little Ringed Plover.

Richard Horton: 7 Little Egret & Stonechat.

Sunday 2nd July

Dina Burford: 2 Little Egret.

(c) Dina Burford - Common Tern & Black-headed Gull Chicks

(c) Jon Hawkins - Marbled White

(c) Jon Hawkins - Swift

Monday 3rd July

Richard Horton: 2 Little Ringed Plover, 12 Little Egret & Peregrine.

Tuesday 4th July

No reports.

Wednesday 5th July

No reports.

Thursday 6th July

Dina Burford: 6 Green Sandpiper.

Leonard Winchcombe: 10 Little Egret.

(c) Paul Bamford - Red Admiral

(c) Paul Bamford - Small Copper

(c) Jon Hawkins - Grey Heron

(c) Jon Hawkins - Swift

Friday 7th July

Noel Silver: Redshank.

Mark Elsoffer: 5 Little Egret, Tufted Duck with 6 young, Kingfisher & 5 Cetti's Warbler.

Mark Elsoffer: Silver-washed Fritillary - 9th record for site, first since 2021.

Mark Elsoffer: 6 Lesser Emperor (3 pairs ovipositing on same patch of weed).

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Black-tailed Skimmers

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Small Red-eyed Damselflies

(c) Colin Varndell - Nesting Black-headed Gulls on Tern Raft

(c) Colin Varndell - Reed Warbler

Saturday 8th July

Mark Elsoffer: 2 Common Sandpiper, 7 Redshank, 3 Ringed Plover & Whimbrel (23rd record for site, 4th this year).

Anon: 3 Green Sandpiper, 10 Little Ringed Plover & 7 Little Egret.

Our three Barn Owlets were ringed this afternoon. All healthy and well fed. Thanks to Roger & the ringing team.

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Barn Owlets


We were delighted to run a river dipping session for the Saturday Zone kids from Parkside Aldershot this morning.

(c) Mark Elsoffer - River Dipping

(c) Dina Burford - Frog


(c) Mark Elsoffer - Tufted Ducks

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Black-tailed Skimmer

(c) Colin Varndell - Common Tern

(c) Colin Varndell - Little Egrets

Sunday 9th July

Murray Nurse: Great White Egret (20th record for site, 2nd this year).

Mark Elsoffer: Common Sandpiper, 5 Green Sandpiper, 5 Little Ringed Plover & 7 Little Egret.

Mark Elsoffer: Wasp Spider - first of the year.

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Great White Egret with Little Egrets

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Common Sandpiper

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Wasp Spider

(c) Colin Varndell - Brimstone

Monday 10th July

Richard Horton: Common Sandpiper & 2 Green Sandpiper.

Mark Elsoffer: 3 Little Ringed Plover, 5 Little Egret, Little Grebe & Stonechat.

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Emperor Moth Caterpillar

(c) Colin Varndell - Little Egrets

Tuesday 11th July

Mark Elsoffer: 4 Common Sandpiper, 5 Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Little Egret, Little Grebe, 2 Kingfisher, Stonechat & Hobby.

Anon: 2 Green Sandpiper.

We had the great pleasure of leading a walk around site this evening for 1st Aldershot Cubs.

(c) Katie Hunt - Cubs

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Black-tailed Godwit

(c) Dina Burford - Speckled Wood

Wednesday 12th July

Kevin Duncan: Oystercatcher.

John Hunt: Hobby.

Mark Elsoffer: Common Sandpiper, Coal Tit, Stonechat & Peregrine.

Anon: Green Sandpiper & 8 Little Ringed Plover.

Colin Varndell: 8 Little Egret.

Leonard Winchcombe: Clouded Yellow & Painted Lady.

We had the pleasure of leading a walk for ten members of Croydon RSPB this morning.

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Croydon RSPB

We had the pleasure of leading a guided walk for a group of 26 from 4th Cove Girl Guides this evening.

(c) Mark Elsoffer - 4th Cove Girl Guides

(c) WildCam - Fox

Thursday 13th July

Colin Varndell: Green Sandpiper & 2 Oystercatcher.

Anon: Common Sandpiper, 9 Little Ringed Plover & 9 Black-tailed Godwit.

We had the pleasure of hosting 10 pupils from Ash Manor School today for day one of their Challenge Week. They helped Libby set the small mammal traps, did some river dipping, put up signs for the BioBlitz, and did a litter pick.

Thanks to everyone who helped set up the BioBlitz camp today.

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Black-tailed Godwits

(c) Colin Varndell - Green Sandpiper

(c) Colin Varndell - Oystercatcher

(c) Jon Hawkins - Hoverfly

(c) Jon Hawkins - Ladybird

Friday 14th July

Dina Burford: Dunlin (122nd bird species for 2023).

Mark Elsoffer: Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, 6 Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, 8 Little Egret & c700 Swift.

Anon: Oystercatcher.

Mark Elsoffer: Colour-ringed Common Sandpiper "JTM". Amazingly, this is now the 5th year this bird has been recorded at Tice's Meadow. Thanks to the ringing scheme, we know that this bird was born in 2013 or before, and ringed in Stavbergvatnet (Norway) in May 2014. It has then been recorded at Tice's Meadow in July 2014, July 2017, July 2018, July 2020, July 2021 and July 2023. It was also recorded back in Norway in May 2020.

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Colour-ringed Common Sandpiper

Dina Burford: Clouded Yellow.

Unfortunately, due to the extreme winds forecast for Saturday, we were unable to hire a marquee and had to cancel our BioBlitz. Thank you to everyone who had helped set things up and offered to lead walks and activities.

(c) Dina Burford - Cetti's Warbler being ringed

(c) Dina Burford - Oystercatcher, Dunlin & Little Ringed Plovers

(c) Paul Habgood - Small Copper

Saturday 15th July

Mark Elsoffer: 2 Common Sandpiper, 6 Little Egret & Peregrine.

Richard Horton: Whimbrel (24th record for site, 4th this year).

Richard Seargent: Dunlin.

Rudy Chodankar: Hobby.

Mark Elsoffer: Painted Lady.

(c) Dina Burford - Painted Lady

(c) Colin Varndell - Buzzard

(c) Rudy Chodankar - Hobby

(c) Rudy Chodankar - House Martin

Sunday 16th July

Mark Elsoffer: 3 Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, 8 Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Redshank, 7 Little Egret & Peregrine.

Peter Brown: Hobby.

Kevin Duncan: Black-tailed Godwit.

Dina Burford: Brown Birch Bolete (Leccinum scabrum) - new for site.

Melanie Nicholls: Migrant Hawker - first of year.

Two pairs of Great Crested Grebes have fledged young - one pair with four young who are already swimming on their own, and one pair with at least three young still riding on mum's back.

(c) Dina Burford - Brown Birch Bolete

(c) Dina Burford - Redshank

(c) Melanie Nicholls - Common Darter

(c) Melanie Nicholls - Migrant Hawker

Monday 17th July

Peter Brown: 4 Little Ringed Plover & Redshank.

Colin Varndell: 2 Green Sandpiper.

Paul Bamford: Brown Argus.

(c) Colin Varndell - Green Sandpipers

(c) Colin Varndell - Holly Blue

(c) Colin Varndell - Red Admiral

Tuesday 18th July

Don Lemmon: 7 Common Sandpiper.

Kevin Duncan: Wood Sandpiper (35th record for site, 123rd bird species for 2023).

Dina Burford: 6 Little Egret & Stonechat.

(c) Peter Brown - Juvenile Common Terns

(c) Keith Cogan - Common Darter

(c) Keith Cogan - Puss Moth Caterpillar

Wednesday 19th July

Kevin Duncan: Wood Sandpiper, 2 Black-tailed Godwit & Redshank.

Anon: 2 Common Sandpiper & 2 Green Sandpiper.

(c) Colin Varndell - Hornet Mimic Hoverfly

Thursday 20th July

Kevin Duncan: Wood Sandpiper.

Dina Burford: Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper & Little Ringed Plover.

(c) Dina Burford - Common Tern Family on Sand Martin Bank Roof

(c) Dina Burford - Common Tern Family on old Tern Raft

(c) Michael Dyson - Green-veined White

(c) Michael Dyson - Large White

Friday 21st July

Mark Elsoffer: 2 Common Sandpiper, 4 Green SandpiperWood Sandpiper, 5+ Little Ringed Plover & Raven.

Gillian Bamford: Purple Hairstreak - first of the year.

Thanks to some hard work from the Surrey Choices Growth Team & our Friday Irregulars, the hide is now open again to the public after 4 months underwater. 

(c) Surrey Choices - Work Party

(c) Surrey Choices - Work Party

(c) Surrey Choices - Work Party

(c) Dina Burford - Wood Sandpiper

(c) Gillian Bamford - Marbled White

(c) Gillian Bamford - Purple Hairstreak


Saturday 22nd July

Richard Seargent: Common Sandpiper, 9 Green SandpiperWood Sandpiper.

Grim Styles: Devil's Beggarticks (Bidens frondosa) - new for site.

(c) Colin Varndell - Common Terns

(c) Colin Varndell - Sedge Warbler

Sunday 23rd July

Kevin Duncan: Wood Sandpiper & Redshank.

Peter Brown: Common Sandpiper, 3 Green Sandpiper & 2 Little Ringed Plover.

Graham Sharples: 2 Hobby.

(c) Jon Hawkins - Common Blue Damselfly

(c) Jon Hawkins - Common Blue Damselfly

(c) Dina Burford - Green Sandpiper

(c) Graham Sharples - Hobby

(c) Wild Cam - Common Tern

Monday 24th July

Richard Horton: 3 Common Sandpiper, 6 Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, 4 Little Ringed Plover & 7 Little Egret.

(c) Colin Varndell - Great Crested Grebes

(c) Colin Varndell - Reed Warbler

Tuesday 25th July

Kevin Duncan: Dunlin.

Peter Brown: 2 Common Sandpiper, 6 Green Sandpiper & Snipe.

Steve Alley: 3 Little Ringed Plover & 7 Little Egret.

(c) Gillian Bamford - Brown Hawker

(c) Gillian Bamford - Small Copper

(c) Jon Hawkins - Dock Bug Nymph

(c) Jon Hawkins - Reed Warbler

(c) Colin Varndell - Great Crested Grebes

Wednesday 26th July

Noel Silver: Greenshank (124th bird species for 2023).

John Hunt: 2 Common Sandpiper, 7 Green Sandpiper, 2 Little Ringed Plover & 4 Little Egret.

Peter Brown: Dunlin.

Anon: Hummingbird Hawkmoth.

(c) Colin Varndell - Great Crested Grebes

(c) Colin Varndell - Great Crested Grebes

Thursday 27th July

Richard Seargent: 4 Common Sandpiper, 6 Green Sandpiper, Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Black-tailed Godwit & 45 Lapwing.

Our eldest (of three) Barn Owlet took his first flight tonight and didn't return to the nest box until the following evening.

Friday 28th July

Kevin Duncan: Oystercatcher.

Mark Elsoffer: 5 Common Sandpiper, 6 Green Sandpiper, 4+ Little Ringed Plover, 8 Little Egret, Peregrine & Hobby.

Leonard Winchcombe: Black-tailed Godwit & Hobby (2nd bird).

Richard Horton: 2 Ringed Plover.

Roger Dickey: 8 Sedge Warbler & 15 Reed Warbler (new site record count).

Mark Elsoffer: Red-veined Darter (first of the year).

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Female Emperor Ovipositing

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Female Brown Hawker Ovipositing

(c) Colin Varndell - Great Crested Grebes

(c) Dina Burford - Black-tailed Godwit

(c) Dina Burford - Oystercatcher

Saturday 29th July

Kit Britten: 7 Green Sandpiper, 5 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Linnet & Peregrine.

Richard Horton: 2 Ringed Plover.

Steve Walsh: Hobby.

Murray Nurse: Common Sandpiper & 5 Little Egret.

Our middle Barn Owlet (of three) misjudged his first flight early this morning, landing on the floor, and was later rescued by Oli who placed him back in the box.

(c) Oli - Barn Owlet

(c) Steve Walsh - Great Crested Grebes

(c) Steve Walsh - Hobby

(c) Jon Hawkins - Grasshopper

(c) Jon Hawkins - Hoverfly

Sunday 30th July

John Hunt: 4 Green Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit & 4 Little Ringed Plover.

Richard Horton: Whimbrel (25th record for site, 5th this year) & 2 Ringed Plover.

Richard Seargent: 4 Common Sandpiper & Peregrine.

(c) Jon Hawkins - Gadwall

(c) Jon Hawkins - Swift

(c) Colin Varndell - Small Copper

Monday 31st July

Peter Brown: 2 Dunlin.

Richard Seargent: Black-tailed Godwit.

John Hurrell: 2 Common Sandpiper, 2 Green Sandpiper & 2 Little Ringed Plover.

(c) Colin Varndell - Red Kite