Wednesday April 24th to Tuesday May 7th

Farnham Walking Festival

On Wednesday May 29th, local historian Maurice Hewins is leading a walk entitled "Badshot Lea 1851 to the Present Day" as part of the Farnham Walking Festival. More information, and booking details, here.

School Nest Boxes

We're delighted to hear that Blue Tits are using the nest boxes in Ethan's & Frazer's gardens - just 2 of the 100 nest boxes we built and donated to the pupils of Badshot Lea Village Infants School.

Frazer's Nest Box

Volunteer Work Parties

Our volunteer work party schedule for the next few months can be seen here.

If you have some spare time, do come and help us make Tice's Meadow the best nature reserve in Surrey.

Please note the work party on May 11th has been cancelled.

Wednesday April 24th

Richard Horton: 3 Common Sandpiper & 2 Bar-tailed Godwit.

(c) Dina Burford - Speckled Wood

(c) Kyle Russell - Aerial View of Workings (taken from outside site)

Thursday April 25th

Mark Elsoffer: Common Sandpiper, Bar-tailed Godwit, Snipe, 3 Lapwing, Brent Goose, Yellow Wagtail, Stonechat, Sedge Warbler, 20 House Martin, 50 Sand Martin, 20 Swallow, Kestrel, 3 Buzzard & Red Kite.

The Mallard family have 8 young.

Friday April 26th

Jon Jordan: Swift (first of year).

Mark Elsoffer: Common Sandpiper, Lapwing, Snipe, Little Egret, Brent Goose, 16 Common Tern, 3+ Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, 30+ House Martin, 20+ Swallow, 6+ Swift & 2 Peregrine.

Martin Wright: Lesser Whitethroat.

Dave Baker: 2 Pheasant & Rook.

Richard Horton: Raven.

Swift is the 118th species of bird recorded on site this year.

The first Coots have fledged 8 young in the Eastern Silt Pond.

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Coots

Saturday April 27th

Kevin Duncan: Black-tailed Godwit.

Richard Horton: Hobby.

Black-tailed Godwit is the 119th species of bird recorded on site this year.

Sunday April 28th

Mark Elsoffer: Common Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit, Brent Goose, 3 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Garden Warbler & 6+ Swift.

The first Canada Geese have fledged 7 young.

Murray Nurse reported a Large Red Damselfly.

Thanks to the 9 volunteers who joined our work party this morning. We removed the anti-Starling baffle from, and straightened, the Swift Tower, and finished the fence around the shelter.

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Straightening the Swift Tower

Monday April 29th

Richard Horton: Bar-tailed Godwit & Black-tailed Godwit.

Shaun Ferguson: Brent Goose & Barnacle Goose (escape).

9th site record of Bar-tailed Godwit, but second this month.

(c) Rustam Khan - Chiffchaff

(c) Rustam Khan - Dunnock

(c) Rustam Khan - Jay

(c) Rustam Khan - Song Thrush

(c) Rustam Khan - Whitethroat

(c) Rustam Khan - Wren

(c) Shaun Ferguson - Barnacle Goose

(c) Shaun Ferguson - Black-tailed Godwit

Tuesday April 30th

Richard Seargent: Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Lapwing & Brent Goose.

Mike Huddie: Green Sandpiper, 5 Sand Martin, 10 Swallow & 40 Swift.

Kevin Duncan: Wood Sandpiper.

Wood Sandpiper is the 120th species of bird recorded on site this year.
21st site record of Wood Sandpiper, first since 08/08/16.

Murray Nurse reported the following butterflies: Holly Blue 2, Orange Tip 3, Brimstone 5, Peacock 6, Small White 1 & Speckled Wood 2.

Wednesday May 1st

Richard Seargent: Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Lapwing & Brent Goose.

Murray Nurse: Ringed Plover, 5 Pochard, 3 Gadwall & Garden Warbler.

Our Secretary Mark Elsoffer was honoured to received the 'Volunteer of the Year' award this evening at the Hampshire County Council Countryside Service's 2019 Volunteers Awards Ceremony at Winchester Great Hall. The award is a testament to the hard work of all of our volunteers.

(c) Dina Burford - Coot Family

(c) Dina Burford - Jay

(c) Mark Elsoffer - The Awards Ceremony

(c) Richard Horton - Mark & His Award

Thursday May 2nd

BioBlitz Day 1 - Set Up - A full write up of our BioBlitz will be published separately.

Richard Seargent: Black-tailed Godwit, Brent Goose & 40+ Swift.

Mark Elsoffer: 2 Yellow Wagtail.

Dave Baker: 2 Whinchat.

Whinchat is the 121st species of bird recorded on site this year.

(c) Mark Elsoffer - BioBlitz Basecamp

Friday May 3rd 

BioBlitz Day 2 - A full write up of our BioBlitz will be published separately.

Richard Seargent: Black-tailed Godwit, Brent Goose, Sedge Warbler & Hobby.

John Hunt: Whinchat.

Roger Dickey: Lesser Whitethroat.

Mark Elsoffer: Common Sandpiper & 50+ Swift.

Various: 6+ Yellow Wagtail.

100 pupils from Badshot Lea Village Infants School visited site today as part of our BioBlitz.

(c) John Hunt - Whinchat

(c) Richard Seargent - Whinchat

(c) Kyle Russell - Goldfinches

(c) Dina Burford - Blackcap

(c) Dina Burford - Lesser Whitethroat

(c) Dina Burford - Reed Warbler

(c) Dina Burford - Yellow Wagtail

(c) Mark Elsoffer - School Pupils Enjoying Bird Ringing Demo

(c) Badshot Lea Village Infants School - Pupils Enjoying the Feeding Station

Saturday May 4th

BioBlitz Day 3 - A full write up of our BioBlitz will be published separately.

Richard Horton: 2 Common Crane & Raven.

Murray Nurse: Black Tern.

Richard Seargent: Black-tailed Godwit, Brent Goose, Yellow Wagtail & Tawny Owl.

Sean Foote: Dunlin & 2 Mediterranean Gull.

Mark Elsoffer: 2 Common Sandpiper.

Kev Campbell: Peregrine.

Various: 3+ Hobby, 200+ House Martin, 100 Sand Martin & 100 Swift.

Black Tern is the 122nd species of bird recorded on site this year.
7th site record of Black Tern, first since 05/05/17.

Common Crane is the 123rd species of bird recorded on site this year.
2nd site record of Common Crane, first since 22/03/16.

(c) Simon Monk - Blackbird

(c) Simon Monk - Slow Worm

(c) Simon Monk - Wood Mouse

(c) Dina Burford - Mute Swans Fly Over Carey

(c) BVCT - Small Mammal Trapping Walk

(c) Kev Campbell - Cormorant

(c) Kev Campbell - House Martin

(c) Kev Campbell - Peregrine

(c) Kev Campbell - Reed Bunting

(c) Kev Campbell - Stonechat

(c) Kev Campbell - Swift

(c) Kev Campbell -Whitethroat

Sunday May 5th

BioBlitz Day 4 - A full write up of our BioBlitz will be published separately.

Sean Foote: 2 Dunlin & Mediterranean Gull.

Richard Seargent: Common Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit, Brent Goose & Whinchat.

Mark Elsoffer: Yellow Wagtail.

We fitted the Swift caller to the Swift Tower this morning - thanks to Trevor Birkett for donating the parts, designing and building it.

Twelve members of the Surbiton & District Bird Watching Society enjoyed a walk around the site this morning.

At least 4 pairs of Canada Geese have now fledged their young. The Mute Swan pair continue to sit on their nest in the Workings.

(c) Dina Burford - Reed Bunting

(c) Dina Burford - Volunteers Fitting the Swift Caller

(c) Dina Burford - Goldfinch

(c) Trevor Birkett - The Cow Caller in Action

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Visitors on Horton's Mound

Monday May 6th

John Hunt: 3 Common Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit & Brent Goose.

John Jordan: Barnacle Goose (escape) & Wheatear.

Richard Seargent: Sedge Warbler.

(c) Richard Seargent - Three-cornered Leek

(c) John Hunt - Whitethroat

(c) Dina Burford - Juvenile Blackbirds

Tuesday May 7th

No reports.

(c) Dina Burford - Juvenile Coots

(c) Dina Burford - Skylarks