Thursday May 28th

Gull Ringing

On Thursday Roger Dickey, a BTO licensed bird ringer and chairman of the Army Ornithological Society, kindly donated a morning of his time to ring some of the Black-headed Gull chicks on site. It is hoped that the ringed birds will be sighted in future and the details sent back to the BTO, adding to the scientific knowledge on the species and providing a valuable insight as to where the birds born at Tice's Meadow travel to.

6 volunteers gathered at the Kiln at 08:45 - Roger Dickey, Richard Horton, Mark Elsoffer, Steve Minhinnick, Jim Dunaway and Tony Anderson (BVCP Ranger). After a health & safety briefing, the boat (kindly lent to us by the BVCP) was unloaded and dragged through the Meadow to the water's edge.

Roger and Richard donned their lifejackets and set sail for the tern rafts, whilst the shore crew watched on, provided encouragement and debated whether to call the Fire Brigade or Coastguard if things went wrong!

(c) Mark Elsoffer, Launch of HMS Horton

(c) Mark Elsoffer, Chicks in the Bag

(c) Mark Elsoffer, Return of the Jolly Sailors

 Roger successfuly ringed 5 Black-headed Gull chicks on the 2014 tern raft. 5 Common Tern eggs were noted as also being present.

(c) Mark Elsoffer, Black-headed Gull Chicks on Tern Raft

Whilst in the Meadow, a possible Badger latrine was found, as was a complete Grass Snake skeleton. On a more sinister note, a spent shotgun cartridge was also found.

Sightings

John Hunt repoted an Oystercatcher in the Workings and a flyover by a Red Kite first thing.

Mark Elsoffer & Steve Minhinnick spent the morning and lunchtime on site and reported an Oystercatcher (Workings), 3 Ringed Plover (Meadow), 8 Little Ringed Plover (6 in the Meadow, 2 in the Workings) and a flyover by a Red Kite.

The following broods of young birds were sighted:

• Great Crested Grebe pair with 2 young (Workings).
• Mallard with 5 young (Workings).
• Canada Goose with 7 young (Works).
• Black-headed Gulls: broods of 3, 3 & 2 (tern rafts in Workings).
• Coot with 4 young (small Silt Pond).
• Starling flock of circa 30 birds with at least 10 young (willow on northern edge of Workings).

3 Roe Deer were seen in the Meadow.

2 visitors to the site reported a Green Hairstreak butterfly in the Woods. This is the first recorded sighting of this species on site.

Wednesday May 27th

Late News From Yesterday

Lee Dingain reported that Acorn Ecology translocated a Grass Snake onto site yesterday.

Morning

Kevin Duncan reported a Wood Sandpiper, 2 Ringed Plover and 2 Little Egret present on site first thing.

Allan Goddard reported the Wood Sandpiper was still present at 11:15.

Tuesday May 26th

Morning

John Hunt reported a Redshank in the Meadow first thing, and a flypast of Horton's Mound by a Hobby.

The breeding Little Ringed Plovers still have one chick and were seen infront of Horton's Mound.

Evening

Kevin Duncan reported that a third pair of Black-headed Gulls have hatched at least 2 chicks.

Monday May 25th

Late News From Yesterday

The pair of Little Ringed Plovers that had been nesting in the Meadow successfully hatched 2 chicks. News of the nesting of this protected species had been supressed for their own protection until hatching.

(c) Dave Baker, Little Ringed Plover

Monday May 25th

On a quiet day on the bird front, Dave Baker did some insect hunting.

(c) Dave Baker

(c) Dave Baker, Spiderlings

(c) Dave Baker

(c) Dave Baker

(c) Dave Baker, Burnet Companion Moth (Euclidia glyphica)

(c) Dave Baker, Hoverfly (Chrysotoxum cautum)

(c) Dave Baker, Longhorn Moth (Nemophora degeerella)

Unfortunately, one of the Little Ringed Plover chicks has disappeared - assumed to have been predated by the corvids.

Sunday May 24th

Morning

John Hunt reported a Redshank in the Meadow first thing, as well as the foxes and Roe Deer.

Kevin Duncan found this Mother Shipton (Callistege mi) moth:

(c) Kevin Duncan, Mother Shipton Moth.

Afternoon & Evening

Kevin Duncan reported an Oystercatcher and 4 Ringed Plovers in the Meadow.

A second pair of Black-headed Gulls have hatched 3 chicks on a tern raft in the Workings.

Also a Dunnock with metal leg ring was spotted - partial record of "159".

Friday May 22nd

Morning

Kevin Duncan reported 7 Ringed Plover still present in the Meadow first thing.

Later in the morning, John Hunt reported 7 Ringed Plover in the Meadow. Also 3 Black-headed Gull chicks and 3 pairs of Common Terns nesting on the tern rafts in the Workings, and a pair of Great Crested Grebe with 2 chicks.

Also reported was a vixen Fox and 2 cubs in the Meadow.

Evening

The first confirmed record of successfully breeding Willow Warblers on site.

Thursday May 21st

Morning 

Kevin Duncan reported 7 Ringed Plover and a Redshank present in the Meadow first thing. He also reported seeing the first Black-headed Gull chicks of the year on one of the tern rafts in the Workings.  

Afternoon 

Mark Elsoffer and Steve Minhinnick spent the afternoon on site and recorded 6 Ringed Plover, 1 Redshank, 1 Little Egret, 1 Kestrel and 3 Buzzards. Also of interest was a late male Shoveler.

The following broods of young were recorded:

• 2 Great Crested Grebe (Workings)
• 3 Black-headed Gull (Workings, Tern Raft)
• 7 Canada Goose (Workings)
• 6 Mallard (Workings) and 5 Mallard (Small Silt Pond). A 3rd brood was reported by Len but not seen.
• 4 Coot (Small Silt Pond) 

(c) Steve Minhinnick, Coot Chicks.

2 Roe Deer were seen in the Meadow.

A Crab Spider (Misumena vatia) was found in the Plant Yard.

(c) Steve Minhinnick, Crab Spider.

Coming Soon!

A new and improved Tice's Meadow website and blog. Please watch this space....