Tice's Meadow February 2026
Rushmoor Community Lottery
The TMBG have a page
on the Rushmoor Community Lottery website to help us raise money for the nature
reserve. Tickets cost £1 per
week, of which, we will receive 50p per ticket and other local good causes
receive 10p. There is a top prize of £25,000 for matching all 6 numbers and a
range of other prizes. Click the link below to go to our page, or scan
the QR code on the poster. Thank
you for your support.
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 February 2026 Overall Bird Count
The bird
year list now stands at 85 species (excluding 1 escape species). It was 81 (plus 2 escapes) in 2025.
72 bird
species were reported in the recording area during February.
Thank you to
everyone who reports their sightings.
For the most up to date
information, click on the link below and Follow.
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.
Sunday 1st
February
69 Canada Goose, 8
Fieldfare, 2 Green Sandpiper, Reed Bunting, 3 Snipe, 2 Stonechat
Monday 2nd
February
3 Black Swan, Common
Gull, 8 Cormorant, 2 Egyptian Goose, Green Sandpiper, Nuthatch, Pintail, 3
Stonechat
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| Robin AB © Jack Spencer |
Tuesday 3rd
February
No reported
sightings.
Wednesday 4th
February
2 Chiffchaff,
Fieldfare, Great Crested Grebe, 2 Green Sandpiper, 3 Grey Heron, Redpoll, 3
Stonechat
 |
| Long-tailed Tit © Richard Wright |
Thursday 5th
February
No reported sightings.
Friday 6th
February
No reported
sightings.
Saturday 7th
February
No reported
sightings.
Sunday 8th
February
2 Green Sandpiper,
Kestrel, Snipe, Treecreeper
 |
| Male and Female Teal © Jon Hawkins |
Monday 9th
February
Buzzard, Green Sandpiper, Red Kite, Rook
Tuesday 10th
February
No reported sightings.
Wednesday 11th
February
Thursday 12th
February
Bullfinch, Cetti’s Warbler, Green Sandpiper, Green
Woodpecker, 4 Jay, 2 Snipe
Friday 13th
February
Chiffchaff, 6
Goldfinch, Greenfinch, 2 Green Sandpiper, 2 Greylag Goose, Grey Wagtail, 2
Peregrine, 11 Pochard, Snipe
Final winter session
of willow removal from the main reedbed. Six volunteers plus our Surrey CC
ranger burned the previously cut willow and removed some more fresh growth. The
Badshot Lea community garden also took away some fresh willow canes to support
this year’s sweet pea plants.
Saturday 14th
February
Green Sandpiper,
Little Egret, 5 Mute Swan, Redpoll, 2 Stonechat, Water Rail
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| Redwing © Steve Sparks |
Sunday 15th
February
No reported
sightings.
More bat boxes added
to the ones already at Tice's and some boxes' frontages replaced with adapted
slots.
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Monday 16th
February
2 Common Gull, 4
Egyptian Goose, 2 Green Sandpiper, Little Egret, Peregrine, 3 Reed Bunting, 4
Snipe, 3 Stonechat
Tuesday 17th
February
No reported
sightings.
Wednesday 18th
February
No reported
sightings.
Thursday 19th
February
No reported
sightings.
Friday 20th
February
2 Mandarin
(18th record for site -last recorded on 03/09/2023 – 82nd bird species for
2026), 3 Mute Swan, Redpoll
A pair of Mandarin
Duck reported in the meadow this morning. Fifteen previous records, last
recorded on 3rd September 2023.
Saturday 21st
February
Redwing, Siskin
Thanks to all the
volunteers and Surrey Choices for their work in removing dogwood, birch and
willow from the upper part of the reedbed. We also took the opportunity to make
some adjustments to the Sand Martin Bank's rear doors.
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Sunday 22nd
February
Cetti’s Warbler (83rd
bird species for 2026), Goldcrest, Green Sandpiper, 5 Mute Swan, Pheasant (84th
bird species for 2026), Redpoll
Monday 23rd
February
6 Collared Dove,
Green Sandpiper, 2 Greenfinch, Grey Wagtail
Tues 24th
February
Buzzard, Chiffchaff,
2 Green Sandpiper, 6 Mute Swan, 3 Pied Wagtail, 2 Red Kite, 2 Reed Bunting
Wednesday 25th
February
Little Egret, Sand
Martin (85th bird species for 2026 – this equals the earliest arrival date
in Surrey), Sparrowhawk, Water Rail
First Sand Martin of
the year for Tice's Meadow was spotted today, this is the earliest record. Last
year the first one was seen on the 13th March. The earliest ever for Tice's
previously was the 1st March in 2019.
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| Sand Martin © Jon Hawkins |
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| Reed Bunting © Neil Scott |
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| Crocus © Jack Spencer |
Thursday 26th
February
Great Crested Grebe,
Green Sandpiper, Pheasant
Friday 27th
February
No reported
sightings.
14 volunteers from Surrey
Choices, TMBG and the Surrey CC ranger undertook the final willow/dogwood scrub
clearance of the winter from the new reedbed. Now looking forward to spring and
the return of summer visitors.
Saturday 28th
February
Red Kite