Tice's Meadow Nature Reserve: August 2017

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.

Pin Badges

Tice's Meadow Bird Group pin badges are now available.

25mm high quality, hard enamel pin badge with butterfly clutch fixing.

Strictly limited run of 100 badges.

£4 each. £5 including postage & packing.

Available in person from Mark Elsoffer or Richard Horton.

Or, email ticesmeadow@hotmail.co.uk if you'd like us to post one to you upon receipt of payment.

Cash, cheques, PayPal and BACS transfers accepted.

All profits go towards the Tice's Meadow Bird Group's work at Tice's Meadow.

Publicity

The sterling work our volunteers did building Swift nest boxes for the Blackwater Valley's 2017 Swift Project was written up in the Farnham Herald.

Tuesday August 1st

Kevin Duncan reported a Common Sandpiper this evening.

Wednesday August 2nd

No reports.

Thursday August 3rd

Mark Elsoffer reported 3 Common Sandpiper, a Green Sandpiper, 4 Little Ringed Plover (2 juv), 25 Lapwing, a Little Egret, 2 Kestrel (1 juv), 4 Buzzard, a Sparrowhawk and a Red Kite today.

Steve Minhinnick reported the following butterflies:
Holly Blue, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, Small Skipper and Meadow Brown.

Steve Minhinnick and Oli rescued an injured Mute Swan that had got stuck in fencing on site today. Great work guys!

Friday August 4th

John Hunt reported 2 Common Sandpiper, a Dunlin, 4 Little Ringed Plover, 14 Lapwing, 3 Buzzard, 2 Kestrel and a Red Kite this morning.

In addition, Murray Nurse reported a Green Sandpiper this morning.

John and Murray also reported Clouded Yellow butterflies today.

Susan Renaud shot this video of a Common Lizard today.

Saturday August 5th

Richard Seargent reported 2 Common Sandpiper, 2 Swift and 3 Willow Warbler this morning.

Richard also reported the following odonata:
Banded Demoiselle, Common Blue Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Small Red-eyed Damselfly, Migrant Hawker, Southern Hawker, Brown Hawker and Common Darter

Richard also reported the following butterflies:
Clouded Yellow, Brown Argus, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown.

Sunday August 6th

John Hunt reported 5 Little Ringed Plover, a Willow Warbler, a Kingfisher, 2 Sand Martin and a Kestrel this morning.

John reported that a brood of 4 new Little Ringed Plover chicks have recently hatched. This is a welcome suprise as we were unaware that any pairs of Little Ringed Plovers were still nesting on site. This brings the 2017 breeding total to at least 10 young from at least 4 pairs.

In addition, Richard Horton reported 2 Common Sandpiper, a Little Egret, 4 Wheatear, 6 Buzzard and a Hobby this morning.

Susan Renaud reported a new species for Tice's Meadow today: A Soft-wing Flower Beetle (Anthocomos rufus).

Monday August 7th

No reports.

Tuesday August 8th

John Rowland reported a Little Ringed Plover and a Kestrel this afternoon.

Kevin Duncan reported 2 new species for Tice's Meadow today:
- Buff Ermine (Spilarctia luteum)
- Pale Tussock (Calliteara pudibunda)

Wednesday August 9th

No reports.

Thursday August 10th

John Hunt reported a Green Sandpiper and a Ringed Plover (juv) this morning.

In addition, Mark Elsoffer reported a Common Sandpiper, 3 Black-tailed Godwit, 8 Little Ringed Plover (7 juv), a Hobby (juv), 2 Buzzard and a Kestrel this afternoon.

In addition Murray Nurse reported 3 Willow Warbler, a Sedge Warbler and a Garden Warbler today.

Murray also reported the following odonata:
Common Blue Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Emperor, Brown Hawker, Southern Hawker and Migrant Hawker.

Richard Horton and Mark Elsoffer represented the Tice's Meadow Bird Group at a meeting today with the other site stakeholders (Hanson, Surrey County Council, BVCP and Badshot Lea Residents) to discuss our wish-list of projects.

Friday August 11th

John Hunt reported a Green Sandpiper, a Greenshank, 4 Buzzard, 2 Kestrel, a Sparrowhawk and a Hobby (juv) this morning.

In addition, Murray Nurse reported 3 Common Sandpiper, 2 Little Ringed Plover, a handful of Lapwing and a Canada x Greylag Hybrid Goose today.

John also reported a few Clouded Yellow butterflies this morning.

Murray reported a new species for Tice's Meadow:

White-spotted Pug (Eupithecia tripunctaria)

Murray also reported the following odonata today:
Blue-tailed Damsefly, Red-eyed Damselfly, Migrant Hawker, Common Darter, Brown Hawker and Southern Hawker

Saturday August 12th

Richard Seargent reported 2 Common Sandpiper and a Greenshank this evening.

A volunteer work party met on site this morning and did sterling work clearing the paths of overgrowing vegetation. Well done everyone!

Gibby (the tenant grazing farmer) mowed large sections of the Meadow this evening.

Sunday August 13th

John Hunt reported a Common Sandpiper, a Greenshank, a Little Ringed Plover, 3 Pochard and 3 Teal this morning.

Richard Seargent reported 2 Clouded Yellow butterflies this morning.

Richard reported 2 new species for Tice's Meadow today:
Canary-shouldered Thorn (Ennomos alniaria)
Scalloped Oak (Crocallis elinguaria)

Monday August 14th

Richard Horton reported a Greenshank this evening.

Tuesday August 15th

John Hunt reported a Greenshank, 5 Little Ringed Plover and a Peregrine this morning.

Wednesday August 16th

The Dr Clive Andrews memorial bench was installed in Ray's Gap today. Thanks to the BVCP rangers and members of the BVCT who helped out.

Thursday August 17th

Mark Elsoffer reported a Common Sandpiper, a Green Sandpiper, 2 Little Ringed Plover, a Greenshank, 2 Buzzard, 2 Kestrel, a Red Kite, a Hobby and a Peregrine today.

In addition, Murray Nurse reported 3 Dunlin this morning.

In addition, Carey Lodge reported a Snipe this morning.

Carey also reported a Clouded Yellow butterfly this morning.

Friday August 18th

Richard Horton reported 3 Sandwich Tern (over) this morning.

In addition, Murray Nurse reported a Common Sandpiper, a Lapwing, a Greenshank, a Raven, a Kestrel, a Red Kite, a Buzzard and a Hobby this afternoon.

This is only the 8th recorded sighting of Sandwich Tern on site, but the 2nd this year.

Saturday August 19th

Dave Baker reported a Greenshank, a Wheatear, a number of Chiffchaff, a number of Willow Warbler, a Blackcap, a Yellow Wagtail and a Peregrine this morning.

In addition, Mark Elsoffer reported a Common Sandpiper, 5 Little Ringed Plover (3 juv), a Lapwing, 2 more Yellow Wagtail, 3 Whinchat, 4+ Kestrel, 3+ Sparrowhawk, 4+ Buzzard and a 2nd Peregrine today.

Honey Buzzards
Much excitement erupted on Horton's Mound when a large, dark brown raptor, with a long tail, long neck, black primary tips and strange "deep winged" flight pattern flew slowly accross the Meadow at tree-top height. The bird's flight pattern and jizz were all apparently wrong for a Common Buzzard. When soaring the bird's wings were seen to be flat. The bird was seen to approach from height from the north west, and flew off south east.

Whilst still discussing the ID of this first bird, a second similar, but lighter colour bird flew across the site in the same direction minutes later. This second bird was mobbed by a Common Buzzard which rose from the Meadow to meet it, and a close comparison between the 2 birds was possible. The 2nd bird showed a clear terminal bar on it's tail, in addition to the identical features of the 1st bird (but lighter in over all colouring, so that the feathering patterns on the underside were visible).

Both birds were initially identified as Honey Buzzards. That evening a photo of the first bird was shown to some other birders, most of whom agreed with the identification. Subsequently, a second set of photos of the first bird (take from a video) lead to all consulted to agree it was a juvenile Common Buzzard as it appeared to have a large head and pale breast band.

The second bird (un-photographed) is still being considered by the observers as a Honey Buzzard. A rare bird report form will be submitted to the Tice's Meadow Bird Group's and Surrey Bird Club's rarities committees for consideration.

Both birds were seen by Dave Baker, Mark Elsoffer, Richard Horton, Steve Minhinnick and Oli.

If accepted, this is only the 4th recorded sighting of Honey Buzzard on site.

If accepted, Honey Buzzard is the 131st species of bird recorded on site this year.

Steve Minhinnick counted 7 Grass Snakes and 4 Slow Worms today.

Richard Seargent reported a new species for Tice's Meadow:
The Deceiver (Laccaria laccata)

Sunday August 20th

John Hunt reported a Common Sandpiper, a Green Sandpiper, a Greenshank and 4 Little Ringed Plover (3 juv) this morning.

In addition, Richard Seargent reported a Teal, 2 Peregrine, a Buzzard, a Sparrowhawk and a Hobby (juv) this morning.

Richard reported a Small Copper butterfly near the Dragonfly Pond.

Richard also reported a new species for Tice's Meadow today:
Straw Underwing (Thalpophila matura)

Monday August 21st

John Rowland reported a Green Sandpiper today.

Tuesday August 22nd

No reports.

Wednesday August 23rd

John Hunt reported a Common Sandpiper, a Greenshank and a Wheatear this morning.

Thursday August 24th

Richard Horton reported a Common Sandpiper, a Green Sandpiper, 2 Greenshank, an Oystercatcher, 2 Little Ringed Plover and a Peregrine today.

Friday August 25th

Mark Elsoffer reported a Common Sandpiper, a Little Ringed Plover, a Lapwing, 3 Whinchat, a Wheatear, a Teal, a Gadwall, 2 Kestrel, 6 Buzzard and a Hobby today.

Ray was onsite today, single-handedly clearing the River Blackwater of the overgrown vegetation. Great work as always Ray!