Tice's Meadow August 2025
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Tice’s Meadow August 2025 Overall Bird
Count
The bird year list now stands at 123
species (excluding 2 escape species). It was 129 in 2024
91 bird species were reported during August.
Thank you to everyone who reports their sightings.
For the most up to date information, click on the link below and Follow
Friday 1st August
Common Sandpiper, 22 Gadwall, Green
Sandpiper, 6 Grey Heron, 184 Greylag Goose, 37 Lapwing, Little Egret, 2 Little
Grebe, Sparrowhawk
Surrey County Council and the Tice’s
Meadow Bird Group held a volunteer work party, and the task was to hand pull a
dense patch of Ragwort in the meadow – this is a standard procedure that has
taken place for many years now, and unlike on previous occasions, it was
decided not to use spray-on herbicide this time. The whole of the nature
reserve is managed, including the meadow, and there are many factors to take
into consideration. The landowners, current and past, have followed best
practice and have been assisted by the TMBG and volunteers, current and past!
Yes, Ragwort is a valuable, native
plant and is of benefit to wildlife. However, as is the case at numerous nature
reserves and wildlife areas, certain steps need to be taken to control, not
eradicate, harmful weeds (known as injurious weeds) – Ragwort, Thistle, Dock.
Doing so helps avoid fines under the Weed Act 1959. Landowners such as the
RSPB, Knepp and the Wildlife Trust control Ragwort on their sites.
The meadow should be a good balance of
all different types of wildflower and grasses. Letting any one species become
dominant is best avoided and, when it comes to Ragwort, because it is named in
the Weed Act 1959, the Code of Practice on How to Prevent the Spread of Ragwort
issued by DEFRA needs to be followed.
In the future, as has happened before,
there will be areas of Thistle, Nettle, Willow, Juncus grass, Bramble, etc. and
yes, Ragwort, which will need managing. This does not mean that all of those
plants at Tice’s will be completely removed. Unsurprisingly, Surrey County
Council, the Tice’s Meadow Bird Group and the volunteers all have the best
interests of Tice’s Meadow Nature Reserve at heart. The wellbeing of the
wildlife, flora and fauna, and the people that enjoy visiting the site is
uppermost in all decisions concerning the governance of the reserve.
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Saturday 2nd August
191 Canada Goose, 2 Common Sandpiper,
Green Sandpiper, Sparrowhawk, 2 Teal
Sunday 3rd August
Collared Dove, 4 Common Tern, 2 Little
Egret
For a few days this July the
colour-ringed Common Sandpiper Yellow Flag JTM once again returned to Tice’s
Meadow on migration. It was ringed, aged as at least one year old on 19th May
2014 at Stavbergvatnet, NORWAY. It was first sighted at Tice's Meadow in July
2014. Since then, it has been recorded at Tice’s Meadow only in July in 2017,
2018, 2020, 2021. 2022 and 2023 and being re-sighted back at Stavbergvatnet in
May 2020. It is now over eleven years since it was ringed. It is still the
oldest Norwegian ringed Common Sandpiper on record.
The oldest recorded Common Sandpiper
in the UK is 15 years 1 month 5 days
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Common Sandpiper Yellow Flag JTM |
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Monday 4th August
7 Common Tern, 5 Little Egret, 8 Mute
Swan
Tuesday 5th August
Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, 5
Jay, Little Egret, Little Grebe, Redstart (120th bird species for 2025 – 14th
site record, last recorded on 28/04/2024), 31 Rook, 3 Snipe
We got the ball rolling with our first Children's Summer Holiday Event. The sun was out, the river was gently flowing and there were plenty of wonderful, interesting creatures to be found.
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Wednesday 6th August
3 Common Sandpiper, 6 Egyptian Goose,
Green Sandpiper, Little Grebe, 18 Moorhen, 19 Pied Wagtail, 8 Sand Martin, 3
Sedge Warbler, Snipe, Sparrowhawk, 5 Swift
Thursday 7th August
3 Common Sandpiper, 44 Lapwing
Friday 8th August
Green Sandpiper, 2 Hobby, 4 Little
Egret
Twenty-five birds ringed in the reedbeds. Including six Sedge Warblers, three Cetti’s Warblers, a young Willow Warbler, and a number of Chiffchaffs and Reed Warblers.
Saturday 9th August
2 Common Sandpiper, 47 Gadwall, 2
Green Sandpiper, Kestrel, Kingfisher, Peregrine, Redshank, 4 Reed Warbler, 15
Rook, Snipe, Sparrowhawk, Spotted Flycatcher, 38 Tufted Duck
Sunday 10th August
Green Sandpiper, 7 Grey Heron, 3
Little Egret, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 3 Stonechat, Willow Warbler
Monday 11th August
Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper,
Hobby, 2 Nuthatch, Redstart, 3 Reed Bunting, 3 Sedge Warbler, Treecreeper
Tuesday 12th August
2 Common Sandpiper, 10 Cormorant,
Green Sandpiper, Greenshank, 2 Kingfisher, 32 Lapwing, Sparrowhawk
So many young warblers in the reedbeds so a change to ring a Reed Bunting amongst 34 other birds this morning.
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| Reed Bunting © Roger Dickey |
Another Tuesday of Children's Summer Holiday Events. In the morning session, we made bug hotels from short sections of bamboo canes and other items the kids had gathered from around Tice's Meadow, all wrapped up with cardboard and twine.
In the afternoon, we had a great time river dipping and found an amazing array of water creatures.
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Wednesday 13th August
368 Canada Goose, Common Sandpiper,
Green Sandpiper, Kingfisher, 2 Red Kite, Ruff (121st bird species for 2025 –
22nd site record, last recorded on 06/09/2024), 3 Sedge Warbler, 2 Willow
Warbler
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| Ruff © Dave Carlsson |
Thursday 14th August
Common Sandpiper, 28 Gadwall, Garden
Warbler, 3 Green Sandpiper, Greenshank, 156 Greylag Goose, Little Ringed
Plover, 23 Mute Swan, Ruff, 3 Stonechat, 4 Teal
Friday 15th August
2 Common Sandpiper, 4 Green Sandpiper,
3 Little Egret, Little Grebe, 8 Rook, Shoveler, Snipe
One of the overgrown reptile glades made good again by the Tice’s volunteers.
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Saturday 16th August
12 Egyptian Goose, 4 Green Sandpiper,
7 Grey Heron, Kingfisher, 3 Little Egret, 4 Snipe, 10 Swallow, 54 Tufted Duck
Sunday 17th August
Black Tern (122nd bird species for 2025 – 18th
site record, last recorded on 01/09/2024), 12 Great Crested Grebe, Green
Sandpiper, Hobby, Kingfisher, 3 Little Egret, 9 Rook, 3 Sedge Warbler, 48
Tufted Duck
A third pair of Great Crested Grebe have hatched at least two chicks.
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| Great Crested Grebe © Jon Hawkins |
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Monday 18th August
Coal Tit, Common Sandpiper, 12 Common
Tern, Goldcrest, Green Sandpiper, Green Woodpecker, 152 Greylag Goose,
Nuthatch, Ringed Plover, 12 Rook, 2 Willow Warbler
Tuesday 19th August
3 Common Tern, Green Sandpiper, 3
Snipe
It is the penultimate day of our Children's Summer Holiday Events and we've had a lovely time beautifying bird boxes in the morning, and in the afternoon we went to the river for some more fun, fishing for aquatic animals.
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Wednesday 20th August
535 Canada Goose, Common Sandpiper, 3
Green Sandpiper, 32 Lapwing, 3 Snipe
Thursday 21st August
410 Canada Goose, 5 Common Tern, 12
Cormorant, 123 Greylag Goose, 3 Little Grebe, 4 Stonechat
Friday 22nd August
2 Buzzard, 3 Common Sandpiper, 5
Common Tern, 32 Gadwall, 4 Green Sandpiper, Hobby, Kingfisher, 3 Snipe,
Sparrowhawk, Yellow Wagtail
Saturday 23rd August
Black-necked Grebe, 405 Canada Goose, Common Sandpiper,
Goldcrest, 2 Green Sandpiper, Hobby, Pochard, 7 Rook
Sunday 24th August
385 Canada Goose, Common Sandpiper, 4
Green Sandpiper, 6 Grey Heron, 3 Little Egret, Marsh Harrier (123rd bird
species for 2025 – 19th site record, last recorded on 18/08/2024), Water Rail,
Whinchat
Marsh Harrier being harassed by Crows this morning. Eighteen previous sightings, recorded in April, May, June, August, September and November only. Highest count of one, last recorded on 18th August 2024, first recorded on 6th April 2015.
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A Water Rail was spotted in the reedbed.
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| Water Rail © Colin Varndell |
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| Whinchat © Rich Seargent |
Monday 25th August
2 Cetti’s Warbler, Common Sandpiper, 3
Common Tern, 2 Green Sandpiper, 2 Hobby, 3 Little Egret, Marsh Harrier, 5
Stonechat
Tuesday 26th August
Common Sandpiper, Common Tern,
Kestrel, Pochard, 3 Rook
Today was the last for our Kids' Summer Holiday events. We started the day exercising our artistic muscles by painting pebbles; inspired by the nature around us. As usual, we spent the afternoon river dipping in the Blackwater and found a wide variety of water dwelling creatures.
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Wednesday 27th August
2 Common Sandpiper, 2 Common Tern, 10
Egyptian Goose, 12 Great Crested Grebe, 6 Green Sandpiper, 186 Greylag Goose
Thursday 28th August
Common Sandpiper, Common Tern, 6
Cormorant, 5 Green Sandpiper, 7 Grey Heron, 152 Greylag Goose, Kingfisher, 3
Little Egret, 5 Rook, 5 Snipe, 3 Stonechat
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Friday 29th August
430 Canada Goose, 3 Cetti’s Warbler, 2
Common Sandpiper, 3 Green Sandpiper, Grey Wagtail, Hobby, 5 House Martin, 4
Jay, Kestrel, Little Egret, 3 Little Grebe, Pochard, 52 Tufted Duck
Saturday 30th August
Common Sandpiper, 4 Green Sandpiper,
Green Woodpecker, Hobby, 3 Little Grebe, 23 Mute Swan, 4 Sand Martin, 5
Swallow, 4 Swift
Sunday 31st August
Common Sandpiper, 2 Common Tern, 12
Egyptian Goose, 3 Green Sandpiper, Grey Wagtail, Wheatear