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.
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.
Wednesday 1st May
Dina Burford: Little Egret.
Thursday 2nd May
We had the pleasure of leading a field trip today for 11 A-level students from All Hallows School today. They measured the flow of the river, did soil infiltration tests, & learnt about river & floodplain management.
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - All Hallows Students |
Thanks to Nathan and Pete from the Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership for spending today chipping brash from our recent coppicing. And to Paul and Marianne for helping out. The woodchips will be used to mulch the 800+ trees we planted to rejuvenate the hedgerow in Lisa’s Wood.
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - BVCP at Work |
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| (c) Peter Bowles - Moorhens |
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| (c) Peter Bowles - Reed Bunting |
Friday 3rd May
A massive thank you to the 19 volunteers who helped dig out the overflow ditch in Tice’s Wood today. As always, it was a privilege to be working alongside the Surrey Choices Growth Team.
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| (c) Myung-hye Chun - Work Party |
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| (c) Myung-hye Chun - Work Party |
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| (c) Dina Burford - Work Party |
Saturday 4th May
Richard Seargent: Arctic Tern (36th record for site).
Dina Burford: Lapwing.
Colin Varndell: Little Grebe.
Melanie Nicholls: Azure Damselfly, Red-eyed Damselfly & Banded Demoiselle - all firsts of the year.
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Little Grebe |
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| (c) Melanie Nicholls - Banded Demoiselle |
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| (c) Melanie Nicholls - Red-eyed Damselfly |
Sunday 5th May
Richard Horton: Red-legged Partridge (8th record for site, last recorded 06/03/21).
Mark Elsoffer: 3 Little Egret, Yellow Wagtail (first of year), Barn Owl & Hobby.
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| (c) Jon Hawkins - Grey Heron |
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| (c) Jon Hawkins - House Sparrow |
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| (c) Jon Hawkins - Whitethroat |
Monday 6th May
Mark Elsoffer: 75+ House Martin, 50+ Sand Martin, 250+ Swallow & 200+ Swift.
Tuesday 7th May
Mark Elsoffer: 2 Shoveler, Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Garden Warbler & Skylark.
Sara Badger: Spotted Flycatcher (21st site record, last recorded 22/08/23).
Mark Elsoffer: Beautiful Demoiselle - first of the year.
Thanks to Katie for leading a scavenger hunt and walk for 18 beavers from 2nd Aldershot Scouts this evening.
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| (c) Katie Wolfe - Beavers Walk |
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| (c) Sara Badger - Spotted Flycatcher |
Wednesday 8th May
Bruce Gwynn: Whimbrel (over at night, 28th record for site).
Mark Elsoffer: Garden Warbler & Barn Owl.
Katie expertly ran river dipping for 20 cubs from 4th Frimley Scouts this evening.
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| (c) Katie Wolfe - Cubs |
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| (c) Dina Burford - Heartsease |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Deer at Dawn |
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - Nest Box Ringing |
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - Beautiful Demoiselle |
Thursday 9th May
Mark Elsoffer: Little Grebe, Redshank (through), 2 Garden Warbler & Skylark.
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| (c) Gillian Bamford - Speckled Wood |
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| (c) Gillian Bamford - Orange-tip |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Cetti's Warbler |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Swift |
Friday 10th May
Mark Elsoffer: Little Grebe, Skylark & Barn Owl.
Fiona: Four-spotted Chaser - first dragonfly of the year.
A huge thank you to the 14 volunteers who worked hard in the sun today to spread barrow loads of woodchips to mulch the new hedgerows. We spread what we had left on some of the wet spots on the paths nearby. Great to be working with the Surrey Choices Growth Team as always.
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - Work Party |
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - Work Party |
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - Work Party |
Saturday 11th May
Richard Horton: Black Tern (16th record for site, last recorded 13/06/23).
Mark Elsoffer: Little Grebe, 2 Lapwing, 2 Garden Warbler & Hobby.
Dina Burford: Broad-bodied Chaser - first of the year.
Swifts were seen entering the Swift Tower for the first time this year - the fourth successive year they have bred in the tower.
The first Black-headed Gull chicks have hatched on one of the rafts.
We had the great pleasure of hosting a walk for 11 cub scouts from 5th Farnborough this afternoon. It was great to see so many kids with binoculars and hand lenses.
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Swift Tower |
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| (c) Dina Burford - Cub Walk |
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| (c) Dina Burford - Frogs |
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - Broad-bodied Chaser |
Sunday 12th May
Mark Elsoffer: Lapwing, 5 Little Egret, Cuckoo, Garden Warbler, 2 Skylark & Hobby.
Geth Tillin: 10 Rook.
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| (c) Dina Burford - Common Tern |
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| (c) Paul Wilkinson - Common Blue Damselfly |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Bullfinch |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Coots |
Monday 13th May
J Byrne: Common Sandpiper (first of year).
Dina Burford: First pair of Canada Geese with fledged goslings.
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| (c) Dina Burford - Speckled Wood |
Tuesday 14th May
Colin Varndell: Nuthatch.
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| (c) Dina Burford - Great Spotted Woodpecker |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Black-headed Gull |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Wood Pigeon |
Wednesday 15th May
Dina Burford: Little Egret.
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| (c) Tony Sadler - Speckled Wood |
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| (c) Roger Dickey - Tits in a Nest Box |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Dunnock |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Wren |
Thursday 16th May
Mark Elsoffer: Lapwing, 2 Shoveler, 2 Skylark, Garden Warbler & Hobby.
Dina Burford: Hairy Dragonfly - first of the year.
We had the pleasure of leading a guided walk for 6 members of Hartley Wintney U3A this morning. Their third trip in a year - I think they like the place!
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - U3A Walk |
Katie hosted the fantastic Wind in the Willows Beaver colony this evening and my goodness did they blow us away! So polite and well behaved. A credit to your leaders! We completed some nature art and did a name based scavenger hunt of the site.
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| (c) Katie Wolfe - Beaver Walk |
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| (c) Dina Burford - Great Spotted Woodpecker |
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| (c) Dina Burford - Large Red Damselfly |
Friday 17th May
Mark Elsoffer: Garden Warbler & Skylark.
Gillian Bamford: Flavous Nomad Bee (Nomada flava) - new species for site.
Thanks to the 17 volunteers who attended our work party today, with the awesome Surrey Choices Growth Team. We strimmed the feeding station & the paths around the mound. And we repaired and upgraded the dead-fence by the stumpery to a superb dead-hedge.
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - Work Party |
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - New Dead Hedge |
We had the great pleasure of leading 15 Beavers from 11th Farnham on a guided walk and scavenger hunt this evening.
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - Beaver Walk |
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| (c) Gillian Bamford - Flavous Nomad Bee |
Saturday 18th May
Noel Silver: 4 Greenshank (through).
Mark Elsoffer: Lapwing, Garden Warbler, Skylark & Barn Owl.
A massive thank you to the 18 volunteers who attended our public work party today. We removed a trailer load of materials we had stored in the meadow, checked the shelter roof, and litter picked the site.
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - Work Party |
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - Work Party |
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| (c) Dina Burford - Marsh Frog |
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| (c) Dina Burford - Shelter Roof |
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| (c) Dina Burford - Shelter Roof |
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| (c) Dave Binks - Little Egret |
Sunday 19th May
Mark Elsoffer: Skylark & 100+ Swift.
Melanie Nicholls: Bramble Sawfly (Arge cyanocrocea) - new species for site.
We had a great time at the Farnham Sustainability Festival today. Great to meet so many people and to spread the word about Tice’s Meadow Nature Reserve. Thanks to Andy, Dina, Hannah & Pete for helping run our stall.
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - TMBG Stall |
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| (c) Rebecca Haskell - Common Lizard |
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| (c) Andy Glencross - Grass Snake |
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| (c) Melanie Nicholls - Bramble Sawfly |
Monday 20th May
Dina Burford: Hairy Dragonfly.
This evening we hosted 5th Farnham Beavers at the reserve - and what a glorious, sunny evening it was! We did a scavenger hunt and some nature art, and also had some stunning views of the swifts overhead.
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| (c) Katie Wolfe - Beaver Walk |
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| (c) Hankle Wong - Great Spotted Woodpeckers |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Bullfinch |
Tuesday 21st May
Dave Smith: 150 Swift, 20 Sand Martin, 25 House Martin, 50 Swallow & Hobby.
Dina Burford: Lapwing.
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Little Egret |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Stag Beetle |
Wednesday 22nd May
No reports.
Thursday 23rd May
We had the pleasure of leading a guided walk for 12 people today as part of the Farnham Walking Festival.
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Kestrel |
Friday 24th May
Mark Elsoffer: Lapwing, 7 Greylag Goose & Skylark.
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Canada Geese |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Great Spotted Woodpeckers |
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| (c) Dave Binks - Lesser Stag Beetle |
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| (c) Dina Burford - Grey Heron |
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| (c) Dina Burford - Thick-legged Flower Beetles |
Saturday 25th May
Gillian Bamford: Common Blue Butterfly - first of the year.
Dina Burford: 2 Hairy Dragonfly.
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| (c) Jon Hawkins - Great Spotted Woodpecker |
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| (c) Jon Hawkins - Great Spotted Woodpecker |
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| (c) Jon Hawkins - Great Spotted Woodpecker |
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| (c) Gillian Bamford - Common Blue Butterfly |
Sunday 26th May
Dina Burford: Hairy Dragonfly.
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Great Spotted Woodpeckers |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Swift |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - White Ermine Moth |
Monday 27th May
Colin Varndell: Cuckoo (heard).
M Scott: 2 Shoveler (pair).
Anon: Hobby.
Colin Varndell: 3 Stag Beetles.
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Swift Tower |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Swift Tower |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Jay |
Tuesday 28th May
Dina Burford: Little Egret.
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| (c) Dina Burford - Great Spotted Woodpeckers |
Wednesday 29th May
Dina Burford: Little Egret.
Colin Varndell: Nuthatch.
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Blue Tits |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Great Spotted Woodpeckers |
Thursday 30th May
Dina Burford: 9 Greylag Geese.
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| (c) Dina Burford - Canada Geese |
Friday 31st May
Mark Elsoffer: 250+ House Martin, 75+ Sand Martin, 50+ Swallow & 100+ Swift.
A huge thank you to the 17 volunteers who attended our work party today, including the amazing Surrey Choices Growth Team. We strimmed and cut back the overgrown path to Tice's Wood, the path down Horton's Mound, and around some of the benches. We prepared and moved some logs ready for next Friday's task. We also harvested some willow for a community group in Rushmoor to use, planted some native wildflowers, and checked on the newly planted Elms.
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - Work Party |
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - Work Party |
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| (c) Gillian Bamford - Common Blue Damselfly |
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| (c) Dina Burford - Dunnock |
