December 2025

 Tice's Meadow December 2025

Rushmoor Lottery

We have 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.

https://www.rushmoorlottery.co.uk/support/tices-meadow-bird-group

Volunteer Work Parties

Surrey County Council are now running all volunteer work parties at Tice's Meadow in partnership with the TMBG - see below for details.

Tice’s Meadow December 2025 Overall Bird Count

The bird year list now stands at 130 species (excluding 2 escape species). It was 136 in 2024.

77 bird species were reported during December.

Thank you to everyone who reports their sightings.

For the most up to date information, click on the link below and Follow.

TMBG

We have launched our new Facebook Group page where everyone can post their Tice’s Meadow related pictures, sightings, etc.

Friends of Tice’s Meadow | Facebook

A selection of sightings follows.

Monday 1^st December

Great White Egret, Grey Heron, 2 Little Egret, 2 Stonechat, Reed Bunting

Bullock © Jack Spencer

 

Tuesday 2^nd December

Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Great White Egret, Green Sandpiper, Little Egret, Stonechat

 We appreciate donations of bird food. This bag was given by Ali and Nick from Badshot Lea.

Wednesday 3^rd December

34 Canada Goose, Chaffinch, Green Sandpiper, 17 Cormorant, 5 Egyptian Goose, 2 Little Egret, 25 Mute Swan, 5 Stonechat

 

Thursday 4^th December

Grey Heron

 

Friday 5^th December

2 Bullfinch, Buzzard, Coal Tit, Dunlin, 4 Green Sandpiper, Grey Wagtail, 137 Lapwing, Peregrine, 32 Pochard, 2 Reed Bunting, 5 Snipe

12 volunteers and 2 Surrey CC rangers spent the morning and early afternoon widening the meadow path between Ray's Gap and the Mound. Removing bramble and hazel scrub to allow in more light and hopefully help dry the path from the ever problematic mud. Many thanks to Surrey Choices and 2 new volunteers to our happy gang.

© Gillian Bamford

 St George's Church, Badshot Lea held a Xmas tree competition to raise money for Phyllis Tuckwell hospice and the church's work in the community. The TMBG made a tree based on nature, community and materials found at Tice's Meadow.

Below is a lovely picture created by Alison Van Pelt and inspired by her visits to the reserve.

Crow © Ali Van Pelt

Saturday 6^th December

Great White Egret

 

Sunday 7^th December

Little Egret

 Amidst stiff competition, we are delighted to announce that TMBG’s entry in the St George’s Church Christmas Tree Festival won the Community’s Favourite Tree 2025 award!

The event raised over £1,400, with more than £100 donated for our tree.

Monday 8^th December

Buzzard, 3 Common Gull, Great White Egret, 2 Green Sandpiper, Little Grebe, 6 Snipe, 2 Stonechat

 

Tuesday 9^th December

No reported sightings.

 

Wednesday 10^th December

Great White Egret, Little Egret

Little Egret with a Perch © Paul Armstrong

 

Thursday 11^th December

2 Chiffchaff, Dunlin, Kingfisher, Peregrine, Redpoll (130^th bird species for 2025, last recorded on 07/03/2024), 3 Stonechat

 

Friday 12^th December

Dunlin, 3 Green Sandpiper, 3 Little Egret

 

Saturday 13^th December

Bullfinch, Dunlin, 2 Green Sandpiper, Greenfinch, 3 Little Grebe, Red Kite

Swan © Jon Hawkins

 

Sunday 14^th December

Chiffchaff, Dunlin, Goldcrest, 6 Goldfinch, 2 Green Sandpiper, Grey Wagtail, 4 Little Egret, 21 Mute Swan, Peregrine, 8 Redpoll

 

Monday 15^th December

Cetti’s Warbler, Dunlin, Peregrine, 9 Redpoll, 11 Siskin, Sparrowhawk, 5 Stonechat

Redpoll © Jon Hawkins

 

Tuesday 16^th December

Goldcrest, Great White Egret, 4 Little Egret, Redpoll, Siskin

 

Wednesday 17^th December

7 Fieldfare, Great White Egret, 2 Green Sandpiper, 5 Grey Heron, 4 Little Egret, 3 Little Grebe, 11 Long-tailed Tit, 5 Redwing, 3 Snipe

 

Common Snipe © Jon Hawkins

On a daily basis, there is what appears to be a female Barn Owl roosting in the Barn Owl box. She is regularly joined by a probable male Barn Owl.

You can view the live stream and the other webcams via this link

Webcams

Thursday 18^th December

Little Egret, 2 Little Grebe, Song Thrush

 

Friday 19^th December

2 Chaffinch, Dunlin, Goldcrest, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great White Egret, Green Sandpiper, 2 Greenfinch, 2 Jay, 4 Little Egret, Peregrine, 29 Pochard, 6 Redpoll, Sparrowhawk, Treecreeper

 

Saturday 20^th December

Little Egret, 2 Peregrine

 Roger, our ringer: ‘An excellent day's ringing for Friends of Blue Tits but with another robin colour-ringed (AS) causing a brief discussion between Anya and Aspen as to who gets their initials on the bird. Lots of mince pies consumed. Bird of the morning has got to be the young goldcrest.’

	Bird ringing © Anya Sharman

12 enthusiastic volunteers cut and burnt willow in the main reedbed again this morning, under the watchful guidance of the Surrey CC site ranger.

Hemimycena tortuosa, the Dewdrop Bonnet © Myung-hye Chun

Sunday 21st December

Bullfinch, 12 Fieldfare, Green Woodpecker, Little Egret

 

Monday 22^nd December

Blackcap, Bullfinch, Dunlin, 2 Green Sandpiper, Green Woodpecker, 4 Grey Heron, 4 Little Egret, Peregrine, 2 Stock Dove

 

Tuesday 23^rd December

No reported sightings.

Water Levels at the Workings Lake: A Year in Review.

The water levels at the main lake, The Workings, have been steadily decreasing throughout the year. Starting at 70.18m AOD in January going to a high of 70.79 metres AOD at the beginning of March, the level dropped to 67.80m AOD as of Wednesday, 17th December. This marks the lowest point since autumn 2019, and has previously reached this level or lower on only three other occasions prior to this – including the time the lake started to form.

After the heavy downpours last Thursday, the lake level has risen by 6cm.

Since 2012, water levels have been monitored regularly. However, recent reviews carried out by the dedicated TMBG team revealed that some past data was inaccurate. With the records now corrected, we can see a true reflection of the lake’s water level after the restoration work that transformed the old quarry into the nature reserve we enjoy today.

 

Cleaning the water level gauge © Kevin Duncan

The Workings water level from Jan 2012 to end of Dec 2025

Wednesday 24^th December

Chaffinch, Grey Wagtail, 10 Redpoll, Siskin

 The Tice's Meadow Annual Report 2024 is now available in print. If you would like a copy, they are available for £15 each. Contact us, send an email to ticesmeadow@hotmail.co.uk

Thursday 25^th December

Little Egret

 

Bruce © Simon Monk

Friday 26^th December

Dunlin, Goldcrest, 4 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Green Sandpiper, Grey Wagtail, 4 Little Egret, Peregrine, 10 Redpoll, 2 Reed Bunting, 6 Siskin

Reed Bunting © Richard Wright

 

Saturday 27^th December

Buzzard, Dunlin, 5 Grey Heron, Great White Egret, 4 Greylag Goose, 7 Little Egret, Peregrine, 2 Stonechat

 

Sunday 28^th December

221 Canada Goose, Canada Goose x Greylag Goose hybrid, 14 Cormorant, Dunlin, 34 Fieldfare, 2 Great White Egret, 2 Green Sandpiper, 3 Little Egret, 59 Pochard, 19 Redpoll, 26 Siskin

 

Monday 29^th December

Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Grey Heron

 

Tuesday 30^th December

3 Bullfinch, Buzzard, 16 Cormorant, Dunlin, Great White Egret, 5 Grey Heron, 2 Greylag Goose, 8 Redpoll, 5 Siskin, Sparrowhawk, 3 Stonechat, Treecreeper

 

Wednesday 31^st December

Mediterranean Gull, Nuthatch, 2 Stonechat, Reed Bunting

 

Stonechat © Shaun Ferguson