Tice's Meadow Nature Reserve: February 2019

2018 Bird Records

A record 9,284 bird records were added to our database in 2018. Thank you to everyone who reports their sightings. We encourage visitors to use the BTO's BirdTrack app to record their sightings as the data is made available to all the relevant bodies.

Graph of Bird Records Submitted Each Year

Pie Chart of 2018 Bird Records by Reporter

Tern Rafts

South Walney Nature Reserve in Cumbria recently launched their new tern rafts built to our design. We are happy to share the designs of any of our projects with other nature reserves and conservation groups.

Saturday January 12th

Leonard Winchcombe: 3 Goosander (1st winter males).

Mark Elsoffer: Green Sandpiper, Water Rail, 10 Redwing, 8 Fieldfare, 5 Siskin, Raven, Kestrel, 2 Buzzard & 2 Red Kite.

This is only the 12th recorded sighting of Goosander on site.

Twelve volunteers met for a work party this morning. We replaced all the feeders in the feeding station with new squirrel proof ones, and cleaned the feeding station. We also fitted the Starling deterrent to the Swift Tower, re-positioned a Barn Owl box, and picked up 6 bags full of litter.

Sunday January 13th

John Hunt: Green Sandpiper, Snipe, 3 Goosander (1st winter males), Grey Wagtail & Chiffchaff.

Gillian Stokes: White Stork (an escaped ringed bird).

Nine volunteers met this morning and started work on the 100 nest boxes we are building for Badshot Lea Village Infants School. A great community project, funded by Farnham Town Council.

Monday January 14th

Richard Horton: Jack Snipe & Merlin.

Murray Nurse: Raven (outside recording area).

This is only the 10th recorded sighting of Merlin on site.

A Long-eared Bat was found roosting in the Bat Cave today by licensed bat surveyors.

Richard Horton found a new species for the site: Buttoned Snout (Hypena rostralis).

Tuesday January 15th

Richard Horton: Goosander (red-head).

Wednesday January 16th

Mark Elsoffer: Green Sandpiper, 120 Lapwing, Snipe, Little Egret, 12 Siskin, 10 Redwing, 8 Fieldfare and Kestrel.

Mike Huddie: Chiffchaff.

Bernard Baverstock from the Blackwater Valley Countryside Trust helped us put up the final 10 bat boxes today. We now have 30 new bat boxes on site, thanks to the generous funding from the Blackwater Valley Countryside Trust, the Surrey Bat Group and Farnham Town Council.

Thursday January 17th

Mark Elsoffer: Green Sandpiper, Snipe, Little Egret & 147 Tufted Duck.

The count of 147 Tufted Duck is a new site record.

Roger Dickey, Mark Cutts & Andrew Bray held a bird ringing session at the Feeding Station today. 57 birds were ringed, with 17 re-traps, including the first Nuthatch, Collared Dove and Siskin to be ringed on site.

Friday January 18th

Richard Seargent: Kingfisher.

Saturday January 19th

Richard Seargent: Green Sandpiper, 200+ Lapwing, 2 Little Egret (including ringed bird "BK"), 20+ Siskin & Peregrine

Dave Baker: Lesser Redpoll.

Sunday January 20th

John Hunt: Green Sandpiper, Snipe & Little Egret.

Phil Hughes: 3 Goosander (1st winter males) & Grey Wagtail.

10 volunteers spent the morning finishing off the 100 nest boxes we are donating to the pupils of Badshot Lea Village Infants School.

Monday January 21st

Murray Nurse: 3 Goosander (1st winter males), Grey Wagtail & 2 Skylark.

Tuesday January 22nd

Peter Brown: 193 Lapwing, 18 Fieldfare, 3 Meadow Pipit, 4 Siskin, Red Kite & Kestrel.

Wednesday January 23rd

No reports.

Thursday January 24th

Mark Elsoffer: Green Sandpiper, 127 Lapwing, 6 Snipe, 2 Stonechat, 12 Siskin, Buzzard, Red Kite & Sparrowhawk,

Friday January 25th

Kim Harder: Little Egret.

Rustam Khan: Chiffchaff.

Saturday January 26th

Richard Seargent: Green Sandpiper, 250+ Lapwing, Little Egret, 3 Goosander (1st winter males), 11 Pochard, 7 Siskin, 3 Raven (outside), 2 Kestrel, Buzzard, Red Kite & Peregrine.

Mark Elsoffer: Little Egret (2nd bird), Water Rail & Chiffchaff.

9 volunteers met on site this morning and picked litter. We also collected 2 trailer loads of bricks, donated by Tim Chinn, which we'll use to build a new reptile hibernacular on site.

Sunday January 27th

Richard Seargent: Green Sandpiper, 250+ Lapwing, Little Egret, Water Rail, 7 Pochard, Chiffchaff, 15+ Linnet, 7 Bullfinch, 11 Siskin, 33 Redwing, 194 Fieldfare, Red Kite, Kestrel & Peregrine.

Monday January 28th

No reports.

Tuesday January 29th

Rob Hinson: 3 Bullfinch, Siskin & Kingfisher.

Rustam Khan: Little Egret.

Gillian Stokes: Little Egret (ringed bird "B K").

Wednesday January 30th

Peter Brown: Snipe, Little Egret, 4 Siskin & Kestrel.

Thursday January 31st

No reports.

Friday February 1st

Kev Campbell: 12 Snipe & Little Egret.

Saturday February 2nd

Richard Seargent: Green Sandpiper & Snipe.

Kyle Russell: Barn Owl.

Sunday February 3rd

John Hunt: Green Sandpiper & Kestrel.

Richard Seargent: 3 Snipe, 8 Pochard, Great Black-backed Gull, Chiffchaff, 26 Siskin, 3 Stonechat, Sparrowhawk & Buzzard.

Six volunteers began work on our new Sand Martin nesting bank today - great work in sub-zero temperatures.

Monday February 4th

We delivered 100 nest boxes to Badshot Lea Village Infants School today. The nest boxes will be handed out to the pupils to put up at home as part of the BTO's National Nest Box Week. The project was generously funded by Farnham Town Council.

Tuesday February 5th

Leonard Winchcombe & Oli: Merlin.

Peter Brown: 13 Pochard, 3 Siskin, Kestrel & Buzzard.

This is only the 11th recorded sighting of Merlin on site, but the 2nd in the past few weeks.

Wednesday February 6th

Richard Horton: 5 Raven & Goshawk (all outside recording area).

Thursday February 7th

Five volunteers continued to work on our new Sand Martin nesting bank today.

Friday February 8th

Tice's Meadow was well represented at this morning's Farnham Biodiversity Action Plan kick-off meeting. Most of the other local conservation volunteer groups were also present, along with the new chief executive of the Surrey Wildlife Trust, and representatives from the Environment Agency, various councils & the Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership, as well as some of the county wide species specific organisations.

Developing a Biodiversity Action Plan for the Farnham area, and having the council take ownership of it, should help protect the area's biodiversity, identify opportunities to improve the area for nature, and link up the various groups who work so hard to make Farnham a special place for wildlife.
We have signed up to the FBAP and will offer whatever support we are able to to ensure its success.

Saturday February 9th

S Mansfield: 3 Goosander (1st winter males).

Twelve volunteers attended our work party this morning. One group laid out and dug the footings for our new Sand Martin nesting bank, whilst the other group cut and burnt willow in the reed beds.

Afterwards, six volunteers continued to work on the construction of the Sand Martin bank at our Aldershot depot.