Tice's Meadow Nature Reserve: March 2023

Rushmoor Community Lottery

We've launched our page on the Rushmoor Community Lottery.

Tickets cost £1 per week - we will receive 50p per ticket (and other local good causes 10p).

You could win up to £25,000!

Scan the QR code below, or click this link to go to our page. Thank you for your support.

Co-Op Local Community Fund

We are delighted to have been chosen to be part of the Co-op Local Community Fund. We're raising money to buy more tools and equipment for our volunteer work parties.

If you are a Co-Op member, please click the link below and choose us as your cause. 1% of everything you spend on selected Co-Op branded goods and services between today and 21st October 2023 will be donated to our cause:

https://membership.coop.co.uk/causes/66193

Volunteer Work Parties

Our volunteer work party schedule for the next few 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.

Wednesday 1st March

Thursday 2nd March

Mark Elsoffer: 2 Green Sandpiper, 5 Snipe, Little Egret, Cetti's Warbler & 3 Raven.

Friday 3rd March

A massive thank you to the 19 volunteers who spent 4 hours today cutting willow in our reed beds, including the wonderful Surrey Choices Growth Team.

Saturday 4th March

Richard Horton: Green Sandpiper.

Sunday 5th March

Dina Burford: Green Sandpiper.

Monday 6th March

Tuesday 7th March

No reports.

Wednesday 8th March

Thursday 9th March

Friday 10th March

Saturday 11th March

Mark Elsoffer: 10 Snipe, Cetti's Warbler & 2 Raven.

A massive thanks to the 25 volunteers who attended our work party today. We planted 420 trees - some in-filling the old hedgerow we recently coppiced, & some planted in clumps down the Low Lane Path. We also litter picked 6 bags of rubbish from site, & built some brash piles.

Sunday 12th March

Dave Baker: 12 Mediterranean Gull & Goshawk.

Kevin Duncan: 3 Sand Martin (first of year).

Richard Seargent: Green Sandpiper.

Monday 13th March

Mark Elsoffer: 2 Green Sandpiper, 2 Snipe, 3 Little Grebe, Skylark, Cetti's Warbler, 6 Sand Martin & 2 Barn Owl.

We had the pleasure of attending the Farnham Biodiversity Group’s Connectivity event at the Farnham Maltings this evening. A good range of talks from the Hampton Estate, Bealeswood Wildlife Recording Group, Surrey Wildlife Trust & Surrey County Council (amongst others), and stalls from lots of the local community groups who are on the frontline defending our natural world.

Tuesday 14th March

Peter Brown: Green Sandpiper & 4 Snipe.

Dina Burford: Little Egret.

Wednesday 15th March

John Hunt: Green Sandpiper, 6 Snipe, Barnacle Goose & Cetti's Warbler.

Richard Horton: 3 House Martin (first of year for Surrey) & 8 Sand Martin.

Thursday 16th March

John Hunt: 2 Redshank (first of year), Barnacle Goose & 4 Sand Martin.

Richard Seargent: 3 Green Sandpiper.

Friday 17th March

Mark Elsoffer: 3 Green Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit (first of year), 27 Snipe, Little Grebe, 3 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Skylark & Goshawk.

Leonard Winchcombe: Barnacle Goose.

Richard Seargent: Blackcap.

Saturday 18th March

Richard Seargent: 5 Little Gull (first of year, 22nd record for site) & 4 Cetti's Warbler.

Kevin Duncan: Little Ringed Plover (first of year).

Sunday 19th March

Mark Elsoffer: 3 Green Sandpiper, 2 Snipe, 3 Little Grebe, 3 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Linnet (first of year), 2 House Martin, 10 Sand Martin & Goshawk.

Monday 20th March

Mike Huddie: 10 Snipe & Cetti's Warbler.

Mike Huddie: first frogspawn of the year.

We were honoured to be invited to meet HRH The Duke of Edinburgh this morning in Farnham to commemorate the planting of the 70th and final tree in the Farnham Jubilee Green Canopy on Jubilee Walk. Representatives from many local schools and community groups put on displays of their work and practical activities for the Duke to take part in. His royal highness appeared to be fascinated to hear about the amazing work our volunteers do at Tice’s Meadow. He helped build a Swift box, which he was given to take home and put up on his house. He also joined in with the pupils from Badshot Lea Village Infants School as they built and decorated bug hotels. A great morning. Thanks to Richard, Oli, Don & Dina for helping out.

Tuesday 21st March

Dudley Cox: Green Sandpiper & Wheatear (first of year).

Wednesday 22nd March

Anon: Dartford Warbler (first of year).

Anon: 3 Green Sandpiper & House Martin.

Anon: Brimstone.

Thursday 23rd March

Richard Seargent: 2 Green Sandpiper.

Friday 24th March

Dina Burford: 4 Snipe.

Mark Elsoffer: 2 Skylark.

We took delivery of 2 new tern rafts today from Wardle Marine Services today, with help from the Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership. Gravel, shelters & decoys to be added, then we anchor them in place, ready for the first returning Common Terns. This project was made possible by our generous funders - thank you!

Saturday 25th March

Mark Elsoffer: Green Sandpiper, 6 Snipe, Mediterranean Gull, 2 Cetti's Warbler & 3 Sand Martin.

We had the pleasure of attending the Farnham Bloomin’ Community Fair at a very windy Gostrey Meadow this morning.

Sunday 26th March

Richard Horton: Little Ringed Plover.

Kevin Duncan: Swallow (first of year).

Monday 27th March

Dina Burford: Green Sandpiper.

Tuesday 28th March

No reports.

Wednesday 29th March

Colin Varndell: 4 Swallow & 2 Sand Martin.

Thursday 30th March

Mark Elsoffer: Snipe, Little Egret, Wheatear, 3 Skylark, Swallow & 3 Sand Martin.

Richard Horton: Green Sandpiper.

A team of twenty volunteers worked hard in the rain showers today to add the final touches to our new tern rafts, before they are launched (hopefully) next week. Great to be joined by the wonderful Surrey Choices Growth Team. We also prepared our Sand Martin Bank for summer and turned on the caller.