Tice's Meadow Nature Reserve: Wednesday April 5th to Wednesday April 12th

Reporting of Schedule 1 Breeding Birds

From March 19th no Schedule 1 species which may be breeding on site (or other species which we deem to be sensitive) shall be reported publicly. This is for the protection of the birds.

We will still be collecting and recording reports from observers, so if you have seen any please email us or let one of the regulars know in person.

We will still freely share information amongst visiting birders. It is the egg-collectors and the unproffessional photographers we are concerned about. So please do ask one of the regulars what's around when you visit.

More information about Schedule 1 birds can be read here. Guidance on photographing Schedule 1 birds can be read here.

Annual Report

The Tice's Meadow 2016 Annual Report can now be downloaded for free from this link:
https://1drv.ms/b/s!AuC9nX__kWIggSW-F4MUtWcsifGH

If you would like to buy a glossy, full colour, A4 hardcopy of the report for £15, please email us: ticesmeadow@hotmail.co.uk

All funds raised from the sale of our annual report are channelled back into projects on the nature reserve.

Spring BioBlitz

Our Spring BioBlitz will be held over the bank holiday weekend of Friday 28th April to Sunday 30th April.

Note: For those of you who bought one of our calendars, this is a week earlier than shown on the calendar.

Activities currently planned for the weekend include guided bird walks, moth trapping, guided bat walks and a weekend-long bird ringing demonstration (run by Roger Dickey).

Please keep an eye out for further announcements, including which other partner organisations will be attending this year.

Over 90 members of the public enjoyed last year's BioBlitz, with 86 species of bird recorded, and one well known birder called it "The highlight of the Surrey birding year". We hope to see you all at the 2017 event.

Request for Materials

We've got a lot of projects going on at Tice's Meadow at the moment. If you have any of the materials listed below going spare and would like to donate them to us, and hence save us some money which can be spent on other projects at the nature reserve, please get in touch.

Facebook

We now have a dedicated public group on Facebook. Please join and report your sightings and share your news and photographs.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ticesmeadow/

Wednesday April 5th

John Hunt reported 2 Green Sandpiper, a Grey Plover, a Snipe, 6 Shoveler, 2 Teal, 2 Chiffchaff, a Kestrel, 2 Buzzard and a Red Kite this morning.

In addition, Richard Horton reported 4 Bullfinch, 4 Blackcap and a Willow Warbler today.

Thursday April 6th

Richard Horton reported a Grasshopper Warbler in the hedgeline near Ray's Gap this morning.

In addition, Mark Elsoffer reported 3 Lapwing, 3+ Willow Warbler, 4 Blackcap, 8 Chiffchaff, 12 Mallard, 6 Gadwall, 6 Teal, 6 Shoveler, 4 Tufted Duck, 2 Mediterranean Gull, 3 Red Kite, 8 Buzzard, a Kestrel and a Peregrine today.

Grasshopper Warbler is the 102nd species of bird recorded on site this year.

Today's Grasshopper Warbler is only the 3rd recorded sighting on site.

Today's Grasshopper Warbler is the 3rd earliest recorded in Surrey (ref Birds of Surrey).

Richard Seargent reported a new species for Tice's Meadow today: Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata)

Steve Minhinnick reported the first odonata of the year - a Large Red Damselfly in the reedbeds. This is only the 2nd recorded sighting of the species in the past 4 years.

Mark Elsoffer reported the following butterflies: 6 Small Tortoiseshell, 4 Peacock, 3 Brimstone, 2 Orange Tip, a Speckled Wood, a Small White (first of the year) and 2 Holly Blue.

SSE kindly donated and delivered 2 used telegraph poles to site today for use on our forthcoming swift tower. Thank you SSE!

Ray was busy spreading wood chippings on the paths today and Len was planting Buddleia. Thanks guys!

Friday April 7th

Mark Elsoffer reported a Green Sandpiper, 2 Lapwing, 10 Mallard, 6 Teal, 2 Tufted Duck, 6 Gadwall, 2 Mediterranean Gull, 2 Swallow, a Lesser Redpoll, 4 Blackcap, 12 Chiffchaff, a Kestrel, 2 Sparrowhawk, 7 Buzzard and 3 Red Kite today.

In addition, Dave Baker reported a Little Egret today.

In addition, Richard Seargent reported a Whitethroat today.

In addition, Oli reported a Cuckoo today.

Whitethroat is the 103rd species of bird recorded on site this year.

The first Whitethroat of 2017 was recorded 2 days earlier than in 2016, and only 1 day later than the earliest ever (06/04/15).

Cuckoo is the 104th species of bird recorded on site this year.

The first Cuckoo of 2017 was recorded 17 days earlier than in 2016, and is the earliest ever recorded on site by 13 days.

Mark Elsoffer reported the following butterflies: 10 Small Tortoiseshell, 4 Peacock, 5 Brimstone, 6 Orange Tip, 2 Speckled Wood & 2 Holly Blue.

Mark Leitch kindly arranged a free loan of a rotavator today from HSS Hire so that we could rotavate the Bells Piece wildflower and grain crop field. Unfortunately, the rotavator wasn't up to the job. We'll be back with a bigger machine soon!

The Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership Rangers were on site this morning cutting grass and tidying up, whilst Len was busy mending fences.

Saturday April 8th

Mark Elsoffer reported a Green Sandpiper, 2 Lapwing, 21 Mallard, 6 Gadwall, 6 Shoveler, 4 Teal, 2 Tufted Duck, 2 Mediterranean Gull, a Common Tern, 12 Sand Martin, 2 Swallow, 6 Blackcap, 12 Chiffchaff, a Willow Warbler, a Kestrel, 2 Sparrowhawk, 3 Red Kite and 5 Buzzard today.

In addition, Tony Anderson reported a Cuckoo this morning.

In addition, Richard Horton reported a Garden Warbler this morning.

Common Tern is the 105th species of bird recorded on site this year.

The first Common Tern of 2017 was recorded 5 days later than in 2016.

Dave Baker reported a new species for Tice's Meadow today: Orange Underwing (Archiearis parthenias).

Steve Minhinnick reported a new species for Tice's Meadow today: Emperor Moth (Saturnia pavonia). In total, 7 were attracted over the space of an hour using pheromones to attract them.

Mark Elsoffer reported seeing nest buiding Jays, Starlings and Blue Tits, and food carrying Blackbirds and House Sparrows.

Mark Elsoffer reported the following butterflies: 12 Small Tortoiseshell, 7 Peacock, 8 Brimstone, 8 Orange Tip, 4 Speckled Wood and 2 Holly Blue.

14 volunteers met on site this morning and spread large amounts of wood chips on the paths, retrieved the pallets from the Plant Yard for the bug hotel, moved the bag of firewood donated by Dave Baker, and strimmed the grass on and around Horton's Mound. Well done and thank you to everyone who attended.

Sunday April 9th

John Hunt reported a Common Sandpiper and 2 Common Tern this morning.

In addition, Tony Cummins reported 2 Lesser Redpoll, a Red Kite, a Peregrine and a Kestrel today.

In addition, Dave Baker reported 4 Blackcap today.

Richard Seargent reported a new species for Tice's Meadow today: Early Grey (Xylocampa areola).

Also reported today were an Orange Underwing, Light Brown Apple Moth, Orange Tip, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Holly Blue, Small White and a Large Bee Fly (Richard Seargent) and a Large Red Damselfly (Dave Baker).

Sean Foote lead a guided walk around the site this morning for members of the Guildford RSPB Local Group.

Monday April 10th

Murray Nurse reported a Raven, a Buzzard, a Red Kite and a Kestrel today.

In addition, Kevin Duncan reported a Golden Plover (summer plumage) in the Workings this evening.

In addition, Andy Little reported 2 Tawny Owl calling early this morning.

Tawny Owl is the 106th species of bird recorded on site this year.

Tuesday April 11th

No reports.

Wednesday April 12th