Saturday April 9th to Friday April 15th

Annual Report

Our 2015 Annual Report is now back from the printers. Please see the attached for how you can order a full colour, glossy, A4 hardcopy.

Walks

On Saturday 16th April Richard Horton is leading a Surrey Bird Club walk around Tice's Meadow. Meet at 10am at the Pea Bridge entrance on Lower Farnham Road.

On Sunday 17th April Sean Foote is leading an RSPB Guildford Local Group walk around Tongham Ponds and Tice's Meadow. Meet at 9am in the Aldershot Park. Details here.

Both walks are free and open to non-members.

BTO Ringing / Migration Journal

Tice's Meadow has been mentioned in the BTO's Ringing / Migration Journal (Vol 30/2) in the "Recoveries of Special Interest" section. regarding the colour-ringed Common Sandpiper seen by Dave Baker on 19/07/14. Ringed at Orsta, Norway on 19/05/14, it is only the 5th Norwegian ringed Common Sandpiper recorded in the UK.

(c) Dave Baker - Norwegian Common Sandpiper

Late News - Smooth Newt

Andy Duncan found this adult male Smooth Newt hibernating underground in the old Plant Yard when he pulled up a dead tree during some work last week.

(c) Andy Duncan - Smooth Newt

Saturday April 9th

Mark Elsoffer reported 3 Snipe, a Little Egret, 2 Gadwall, 4 Pochard, 2 Shoveler, 24 Teal, 5+ Blackcap, 3+ Willow Warbler, 8 Chiffchaff, 20 Sand Martin, 3 Swallow, 3 Buzzard, a Kestrel, a Red Kite and a Peregrine this morning.

In addition, Richard Horton reported a Whitethroat this morning.

In addition, John Hunt reported a Green Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper and 5 Little Ringed Plover this evening.

In addition, Richard Seargent reported a House Martin this evening.

Whitethroat is the 101st species recorded on site this year. The first Whitethroat of 2016 was recorded 3 days later than in 2015 (which was the earliest ever recorded).

15 volunteers, ably led by Tony Anderson, met on site this morning and spread wood-chippings along the muddy footpaths, cleared cut willow from the net rides in the Reedbed, strimmed the grass ready for the BioBlitz campers, picked litter from the stram and repaired the vandalised Yurt at the end of Horton's Mound. Well done to everyone who helped out!

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Volunteers Hard at Work

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Volunteers Hard at Work

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Volunteers Hard at Work

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Alex Helping Len with his Barrow

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Net Ride in the Reedbed

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Grim Repairing the Yurt

(c) Richard Seargent - Grim's Yurt

(c) Kev Campbell - Chiffchaff

(c) Kev Campbell - Great Tit

(c) Kev Campbell - Long-tailed Tit

(c) Kev Campbell - Robin

Sunday April 10th

John Hunt reported a Green Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper, 3 Little Ringed Plover, a Little Egret and a Swallow this morning.

In addition, Richard Seargent reported a Lapwing, a Whitethroat, 2 Willow Warbler, a "possible fly through Merlin" and a Peregrine this morning.

Richard also reported Buff-tailed, Red-tailed and Common Carder Bumblebees on site this afternoon.

(c) Kev Campbell - Buzzard

(c) Kev Campbell - Goldfinch

(c) Kev Campbell - Little Egret

(c) Kev Campbell - Wren

Monday April 11th

Richard Horton reported 2 Little Ringed Plover, 6 Common Tern and a Sedge Warbler this morning.

In addition, Carey Lodge and Richard Horton reported 2 Dunlin and a Sandwich Tern this morning.

In addition, Carey Lodge reported a Green Sandpiper this morning.

In addition, Graham King reported 20 Sand Martin, 4 House Martin and 4 Swallow today.

Sedge Warbler is the 102nd species recorded on site this year. The first Sedge Warbler of 2016 was recorded 1 day earlier than in 2015.

Sandwich Tern is the 103rd species recorded on site this year. This is only the 6th recorded sighting on site.

(c) Carey Lodge - Sandwich Tern

(c) Grim Styles - Horsetail Species

Tuesday April 12th

Richard Horton reported 2 Green Sandpiper, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Grey Wagtail, 5 Chiffchaff, 7 Blackcap, 3 Willow Warbler, a Redstart and a Wheatear this morning.

In addition, Graham King reported a Raven, a Red Kite and a Peregrine today.

In addition, Andy Little reported a Gadwall, a Pochard, a Common Tern and a Kestrel today.

Redstart is the 104th species recorded on site this year. This is only the 4th recorded sighting on site.

(c) Dave Baker - Redstart

(c) Dave Baker - Redstart

(c) Dave Baker - Redstart

Wednesday April 13th

Dave Baker reported a Common Sandpiper, 2 Little Egret, 4 Common Tern, a Tree Pipit, a Yellowhammer, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Willow Warbler and a Sedge Warbler this morning.

Tree Pipit is the 105th species recorded on site this year. This is only the 7th recorded sighting on site.

Yellowhammer is the 106th species recorded on site this year.

Yellow Wagtail is the 107th species recorded on site this year. The first Yellow Wagtail of 2016 was recorded 4 days later than in 2015.

(c) Dave Baker - Yellowhammer

(c) Dave Baker - Yellowhammer

Thursday April 14th

Dave Baker reported a Common Sandpiper, 4 Common Tern, a Black Redstart, a House Martin, a Tree Pipit and a Lesser Whitethroat this morning.

Black Redstart is the 108th species recorded on site this year. This is only the 3rd recorded sighting on site.

Lesser Whitethroat is the 109th species recorded on site this year. This is the joint earliest ever recorded Lesser Whitethroat, equal with the sighting on April 14th 2009.

Kevin Duncan reported a Speckled Wood butterfly today.

(c) John Hunt - Black Redstart

(c) John Hunt - Black Redstart

(c) Dave Baker - Black Redstart

(c) Dave Baker - Tree Pipit

(c) Murray Nurse - Sparrowhawk

Friday April 15th

L. Winchcombe reported a Garden Warbler this morning.

In addition, Kevin Duncan reported 2 Wheatear this morning.

In addition, Stuary Cossey reported 2 Sandwich Tern and a Yellow Wagtail this morning.

In addition, Dave Baker reported 20+ House Martin, a Little Gull, 5 Common Tern and a Whitethroat this afternoon.

In addition, Richard Seargent reported a Green Sandpiper and a Sedge Warbler this afternoon.

Garden Warbler is the 110th species recorded on site this year. The first Garden Warbler of 2016 was recorded 3 days earlier than in 2015.

Little Gull is the 111th species recorded on site this year. This is only the 12th recorded sighting on site.

This is only the 7th recorded sighting on site of Sandwich Tern, the 2nd of the week after Monday's sighting.