Volunteer Work Parties
Our volunteer work party schedule for the next 5 months. Please do come and join us if you're free - a great way to spend a morning, helping nature, working with the local community, and having some fun at the same time.
Lindsay Patterson
We'd like to wish our Butterfly Recorder Lindsay Patterson a very happy retirement from the role. Lindsay has tirelessly surveyed the buttefly populations at Tice's Meadow over the years. Thank you Lindsay. And welcome Paul & Gillian, our new recorders.
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| (c) Oli - Lindsay presented with his gift by Richard |
Barn Owls
Our Barn Owls laid their first egg around 17:00 on Saturday 19th March. This is 9 days earlier than last year. The Barn Owl Trust state the UK average for the first egg is 17th April, having been 9th May before 1990 - almost certainly a result of climate change. The female has begun incubation and should hopefully lay between 4 & 6 eggs over a 8 to 21 day period.
Good luck owls!
You can watch the action here:
Tuesday 1st March
No reports.
Wednesday 2nd March
S Brownhill: Green Sandpiper.
Thursday 3rd March
John Hunt: Little Egret & Goldeneye (escape).
Mark Elsoffer: 3 Snipe & 2 Cetti's Warbler.
Colin Varndell: 7 Black-tailed Godwit & 20+ Redwing.
We dropped off 45 nest boxes at Badshot Lea Village Infants School for their pupils today.
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| (c) Oli - Headteacher Mrs Ball & Richard |
We put up 10 more nest boxes in residential areas of Aldershot Park today, as suggested by a resident, and made to happen by Councillor Sophie Porter.
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| (c) Peter Brown - Mark putting up a box |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Black-tailed Godwits |
Friday 4th March
Mark Elsoffer: Green Sandpiper, Goldeneye (escape), 3 Pheasant, 2 Coal Tit, Brambling (female, in feeding station, 17th for site), Cetti's Warbler, 2 Siskin, 100+ Fieldfare & c75 Redwing.
Dina Burford: Ruby Elf Cup (Sarcoscypha coccinea) - confirmed via microscopy by Abi Foote - new for site.
We put up the rest of the 20 nest boxes in residential areas of Aldershot Park today.
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| (c) Peter Brown - Mark putting up another box |
Saturday 5th March
Murray Nurse: Brambling (female).
Sara G: Kingfisher.
Richard Seargent: Green Sandpiper, 57 Lapwing, 2 Stonechat & Pheasant.
Sunday 6th March
No reports.
Monday 7th March
John Hunt: Green Sandpiper, Snipe, Little Egret, Goldeneye (escape), 2 Kingfisher, Cetti's Warbler, 2 Skylark, 30+ Fieldfare & 3 Raven.
Richard Horton: 2 Goshawk.
Colin Varndell: 2 Goldcrest.
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| (c) John Hunt - Kingfisher |
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| (c) John Hunt - Snipe |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Goldcrest |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Red Kite |
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| (c) Nikki Palmer - Fox |
Tuesday 8th March
John Hunt: Green Sandpiper, 3 Snipe, Little Egret, Goldeneye (escape), Kingfisher, 2 Chiffchaff, Cetti's Warbler & 2 Kestrel.
Colin Varndell: Nuthatch.
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| (c) John Hunt - Kingfisher |
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| (c) John Hunt - Snipe |
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| (c) Dina Burford - Little Egret |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Great Spotted Woodpecker |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Nuthatch |
Wednesday 9th March
John Hunt: Green Sandpiper, Snipe, Little Egret, Goldeneye (escape), 2 Kingfisher, 2 Cetti's Warbler, Chiffchaff, Green Woodpecker, Meadow Pipit & Bullfinch.
Katie Feathers: Rock Pipit - Scandinavian subspecies Anthus petrosus littoralis (2nd record for site of Rock Pipit, first of this subspecies).
John Hunt & Richard Horton: 2 White Stork - ringed birds from the Knepp reintroduction scheme. Both birds roosted in a tree on site overnight. 7th record of White Stork for site, first to land.
GB7J: Details TBC.
GB35: Polish wild born male bird, who was found injured, and then rehabilitated at Warsaw Zoo. He was brough to East Sussex in 2018 as part of the reintroduction programme, and released into the wild in early 2020. He's since been spotted in Dartford in July 2020 (with 2 other storks), visited Somerset and Dorset, before returning to East Sussex in Septermber 2020. He then spent 2 days in Surrey, 3 weeks in the New Forest, and then was seen on Mitcham Common in October.
He then stayed at Beddington Farmlands from October 2020 to February 2021 - where he ate too much landfill, and looked very poorly! March 2021 saw him visit Lancashire, Wrexham & Montgomeryshire. He's since been all the way up to Humberside, before flying back to Sussex and Kent.
He's now 4.5 to 5 years old and coming into breeding age.
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| (c) Si Soley - White Storks |
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| (c) Dina Burford - White Storks |
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| (c) Katie Feathers - Scandinavian Rock Pipit |
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| (c) John Hunt - Bullfinch |
Thursday 10th March
John Hunt: Green Sandpiper, Snipe, Goldeneye (escape), Cetti's Warbler, 2+ Chiffchaff & 2 White Storks (Knepp birds, flew north early morning).
Paul Bamford: House Martin (first for Surrey this year. Second earliest arrival on record - following last year's which arrived on 6th March).
Mark Elsoffer: 24 Lapwing, Little Egret, 2 Skylark (outside recording area), 20 Fieldfare & 22 Redwing.
Our new Sand Martin bank is finished & ready for up to 48 pairs of Sand Martins to move in when they return from Africa. Thanks to everyone who worked on this project over the past 43 days & 7 work parties.
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - Volunteer work party |
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - Volunteer work party |
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - Completed Sand Martin bank |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - White Storks |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - White Storks |
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| (c) Dina Burford - White Storks |
Friday 11th March
Mark Elsoffer: Green Sandpiper, Snipe, Goldeneye (escape), 7 Common Gull & 6 Meadow Pipit.
Saturday 12th March
Peter Brown: Mediterranean Gull (adult).
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| (c) Clare Dell - Mediterranean Gull |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Reed Bunting |
Sunday 13th March
Kevin Duncan: Little Ringed Plover.
Richard Seargent: Brambling (male, 18th record for site), 2 White Wagtail & Cetti's Warbler.
Linda Copper: Kingfisher.
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| (c) Pete Mahoney - Aerial combat |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Jackdaw showing tool usage |
Monday 14th March
No reports.
Tuesday 15th March
John Hunt: Green Sandpiper, Snipe, Goldeneye (escape), Cetti's Warbler, 4+ Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Redwing & Fieldfare.
Paul Wilkinson: 2 Kingfisher.
Colin Varndell: Little Egret & Nuthatch.
Dina Burford: Brimstone & Red Admiral - both firsts of year.
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| (c) Gav Thane - Long-tailed Tit |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Nuthatch |
Wednesday 16th March
Dave Baker: Water Rail.
Thursday 17th March
Nikki Palmer: Lesser Redpoll.
Dina Burford: Little Egret.
Mark Elsoffer: Small Tortoiseshell & Comma - both firsts of year.
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| (c) Nikki Palmer - Lesser Redpoll |
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| (c) Nikki Palmer - Tufted Duck |
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - Ray working hard preparing for the new hedge |
Friday 18th March
Leonard Winchcombe: Little Ringed Plover.
Dina Burford: Little Egret.
Jackie Cooper: Kingfisher & Lesser Redpoll.
Colin Varndell: Nuthatch.
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Fox |
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| (c) Jackie Cooper - Kingfisher |
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| (c) Jackie Cooper - Lesser Redpoll |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Nuthatch |
Saturday 19th March
Anon: Little Ringed Plover, Goldeneye (escape) & 2 Cetti’s Warbler.
Mark Isaacs: Blackcap.
Colin Varndell: 2 Kingfisher & Nuthatch.
Our Barn Owls laid their first egg around 17:00 today.
We helped 50 volunteers from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Women's Association plant 377 trees donated by the Woodland Trust in Aldershot Park ward, on the edge of the nature reserve, at a work party organised by Councillor Sophie Porter.
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - Hedge planting |
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - Hedge planting |
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - Hedge Planting |
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| (c) Mark Isaacs - Blackcap |
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| (c) Mark Isaacs - Red Kite |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Chiffchaff |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Long-tailed Tit |
Sunday 20th March
Mark Elsoffer: Little Ringed Plover, Goldeneye (escape), Cetti's Warbler, Raven & 2 Goshawk.
Richard Seargent: Green Sandpiper.
We had the pleasure of showing a dozen girls from Aldershot 18th Rainbows around site this morning.
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - Aldershot 18th Rainbows visit |
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| (c) Rebecca Haskell - Slow Worm |
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| (c) Melanie Nicholls - Alder Fly |
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| (c) Melanie Nicholls - Peacock |
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| (c) Dina Burford - Little Ringed Plover |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Fox |
Monday 21st March
Mark Jacobs: Goldeneye (escape).
Colin Varndell: Little Egret.
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| (c) Dina Burford - Dunnock |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Little Egret |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Song Thrush |
Tuesday 22nd March
Mark Elsoffer: Black Redstart (viewed on Barn Owl camera, flycatching around the Kiln before flying towards the meadow - 6th record for site, last recorded 05/04/21).
Peter Brown: Green Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Snipe & Cetti's Warbler.
Our Barn Owls laid their second egg early this morning.
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| (c) Jon Hawkins - Comma |
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| (c) Jon Hawkins - Cormorants |
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| (c) Jon Hawkins - Wren |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Kestrel |
Wednesday 23rd March
Neil Bew: Green Sandpiper & Little Ringed Plover.
Richard Horton: Organge Tip - first of year.
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| (c) Dina Burford - Little Ringed Plover |
Thursday 24th March
S Brownhill: Green Sandpiper & Little Ringed Plover.
Mark Elsoffer: Little Egret, 2 Wigeon, 8 Chiffchaff & Cetti's Warbler.
Leonard Winchcombe: Lesser Redpoll.
Gillian Bamford: Speckled Wood - first of year.
Our Barn Owls laid their third egg this afternoon.
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Grey Heron with Pike |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Grey Heron with Pike |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Grey Heron with Pike |
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| (c) Gillian Bamford - Speckled Wood |
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| (c) Dina Burford - Ray's New Fence |
Friday 25th March
John Hunt: Goldeneye (escape) & 2 Cetti's Warbler.
Mark Elsoffer: Blackcap, Stonechat & Raven.
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| (c) John Hunt - Goldeneye |
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| (c) Gemma MacLennan - Reed beds |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Black-headed Gull |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Cormorant |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Tufted Ducks |
Saturday 26th March
Simon Allen: Green Sandpiper & Swallow (Surrey first of year).
Mark Elsoffer: Blackcap, 4 Buzzard & 6 Red Kite.
Huge thank you to the 34 volunteers who planted 420 trees today. The hedge will form an important green corridor, with plenty of shelter & foraging for wildlife. Thanks to Bernard & the Surrey Heath Tree Wardens for lending us their tools, & the Woodland Trust for the free trees.
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - Hedge planting |
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - Hedge planting |
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| (c) Mark Elsoffer - Hedge planting |
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| (c) Dina Burford - Blue Tit |
Sunday 27th March
Bill Macdonald: Little Ringed Plover.
Dina Burford: Kingfisher.
Our Barn Owls laid their fourth egg today.
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| (c) Bill Macdonald - Little Ringed Plover |
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| (c) Andy Glencross - Slow Worm |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Stray cow |
Monday 28th March
John Hunt: 2 Little Ringed Plover, Cetti's Warbler, 6+ Chiffchaff & 2+ Blackcap.
S Brownhill: Green Sandpiper.
Dina Burford: Little Egret.
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| (c) Dina Burford - Wren |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Cormorant |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Black-headed Gulls |
Tuesday 29th March
Colin Varndell: Goldeneye (escape).
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Goldeneye |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Goldeneye |
Wednesday 30th March
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Egyptian Goose |
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| (c) Colin Varndell - Song Thrush |
Thursday 31st March
Mark Elsoffer: 3 Little Egret, 3 Great Black-backed Gull, 2 Cetti's Warbler, Blackcap, 7 Chiffchaff, Coal Tit & Redwing.
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| (c) Dina Burford - Robin |
