Monday 3rd December to Monday 17th December

Quarry Life Award Win

We are delighted to anounce that we have won an International Quarrry Life Award (and a cheque for €10,000) for our Biodiversity Trail project.

Read more about it here.

Christmas Cards

We now have Tice’s Meadow Christmas Cards for sale. £5 for a pack of 10. All profits go towards our work on site. Please email us for details.

Monday 3rd December

Murray Nurse: 1 Redpoll, 1 Siskin & 1 Peregrine.

Peter Brown: 1 Dunlin, 5 Pochard & 1 Kestrel.

Richard Horton: 150 Lapwing.

Tuesday 4th December

No reports.

Wednesday 5th December

Around 20 members of the Blackwater Valley Countryside Trust were given a guided tour of the site today as part of the Blackwater Valley Winter Birdwatching Day.

(c) Peter Brown - BVCT Walk

(c) Peter Brown - BVCT Walk

Thursday 6th December

No reports.

Friday 7th December

No reports.

Saturday 8th December

Dave Baker: 3 Goosander.

Mark Elsoffer: 1 Dunlin & 1 Green Sandpiper.

Len Winchcombe: 1 Yellowhammer.

This is only the 11th recorded sighting of Goosander on site, but the 2nd this year.

Yellowhammer is the 135th species of bird recorded on site this year.

Eleven volunteers spent the morning clearing the river, putting up our new noticeboard in the shelter and burning willow.

(c) Mark Elsoffer - An Award Winning Team

(c) Mark Elsoffer - New Noticeboard in the Shelter

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Willow Clearing in the Reed Beds

Sunday 9th December

Kevin Duncan: 1 Snipe.

Four volunteers met a Chez Horton this morning and cut up the scaffold pole for the new bench, which was then partly assembled using kee-klamps.

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Cutting the Poles

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Just Like an Ikea Bench

(c) Mark Elsoffer - The Finished Frame

Monday 10th December

No reports.

Tuesday 11th December

Richard Seargent: 1 Yellow-legged Gull (adult).

Wednesday 12th December

No reports.

Thursday 13th December

Mark Elsoffer: 1 Green Sandpiper, 5 Snipe & 1 Peregrine.

Len Winchcombe: 1 Little Egret.

Six volunteers installed the new bench into the shelter this morning. We also planted 50 native hedge plants (Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Bird Cherry, Dog Rose, Field Maple & Hazel) around the shelter to help it blend into the environment, as well as providing food and shelter for the local wildlife.

(c) Geoff Barter - View from Horton's Mound

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Bolting the Bench Frame in Place

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Digging the Ditch for the Hedge

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Planting the Hedge

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Planting the Hedge

(c) Mark Elsoffer - The Planted Hedge

(c) Mark Elsoffer - The Lord of Hurdles

(c) Mark Elsoffer - The Finished Bench

(c) Mark Elsoffer - A Good Day's Work

Friday 14th December

Richard Seargent: 4 Chiffchaff.

Saturday 15th December

No reports.

Sunday 16th December

No reports.

Monday 17th December

Dina Burford: Little Egret (colour-ringed BK).

(c) Dina Burford - Little Egret