Wednesday 1st March to Friday 31st March

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

(c) Colin Varndell - The Kiln

(c) Colin Varndell - Lapwing

Thursday 2nd March

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

(c) Dina Burford - Chaffinch

(c) Colin Varndell - Bunter

(c) Jon Hawkins - Little Egret

(c) Jon Hawkins - Little Egret

(c) Jon Hawkins - Red Kite

(c) Peter Bowles - Tufted Duck

(c) Peter Bowles - Coot

(c) Peter Bowles - Reed Bunting

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.

(c) Colin Varndell - Work Party

(c) Colin Varndell - Work Party

(c) Colin Varndell - Dunnock

Saturday 4th March

Richard Horton: Green Sandpiper.

(c) Colin Varndell - Bullfinch

(c) Colin Varndell - Greenfinch

Sunday 5th March

Dina Burford: Green Sandpiper.

(c) Colin Varndell - Song Thrush

(c) Dina Burford - Green Sandpiper

Monday 6th March

(c) Colin Varndell - Wigeon

Tuesday 7th March

No reports.

Wednesday 8th March

(c) Colin Varndell - Snowy Scenes

(c) Colin Varndell - Snowy Scenes

(c) Colin Varndell - Snowy Scenes

Thursday 9th March

(c) Colin Varndell - Mallard

(c) Colin Varndell - River Blackwater

Friday 10th March

(c) Colin Varndell - Kestrel

(c) Colin Varndell - Red Kite

(c) Colin Varndell - Sparrowhawk

(c) Jon Hawkins - Sunset

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.

(c) Gillian Bamford - Work Party

(c) Gillian Bamford - Work Party

(c) Mark Elsoffer - The New Hedge

Sunday 12th March

Dave Baker: 12 Mediterranean Gull & Goshawk.

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

Richard Seargent: Green Sandpiper.

(c) Jon Hawkins - Black-headed Gull

(c) Jon Hawkins - Great Crested Grebe

(c) Jon Hawkins - Green Sandpiper

(c) Jon Hawkins - Kestrel

(c) Colin Varndell - Buzzards

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. 

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Connectivity Event

Tuesday 14th March

Peter Brown: Green Sandpiper & 4 Snipe.

Dina Burford: Little Egret.

(c) Dina Burford - Greenfinch

(c) David Gosnell - Blossom

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.

(c) John Hunt - Barnacle Goose

(c) Gillian Bamford - Blossom

(c) Colin Varndell - Flooded Hide

Thursday 16th March

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

Richard Seargent: 3 Green Sandpiper.

(c) Colin Varndell - Pheasant

(c) Dina Burford - Redshank

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.

(c) Dina Burford - Black-tailed Godwit

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).

(c) Colin Varndell - Great Crested Grebes

(c) Dina Burford - Jays

(c) Dina Burford - Little Gulls

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.

(c) Gizela Czyz - Starling

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.

(c) Dina Burford - HRH The Duke of Edinburgh

(c) Mark Elsoffer - HRH The Duke of Edinburgh

(c) Mark Elsoffer - HRH The Duke of Edinburgh

(c) Mark Isaacs - Magpie

Tuesday 21st March

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

(c) Colin Varndell - Collared Doves

(c) Colin Varndell - Great Crested Grebe

Wednesday 22nd March

Anon: Dartford Warbler (first of year).

Anon: 3 Green Sandpiper & House Martin.

Anon: Brimstone.

(c) Colin Varndell - Egyptian Geese

Thursday 23rd March

Richard Seargent: 2 Green Sandpiper.

(c) Colin Varndell - Great Crested Grebe

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!

(c) Mark Elsoffer - New Tern Rafts

(c) Mark Elsoffer - New Tern Rafts

(c) Mark Elsoffer - New Tern Rafts

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.

(c) Hannah Chilvers - Coltsfoot

(c) Colin Varndell - Bullfinch

Sunday 26th March

Richard Horton: Little Ringed Plover.

Kevin Duncan: Swallow (first of year).

(c) WildCam - Roe Deer

(c) Debbie Youngs - Reed Bunting

Monday 27th March

Dina Burford: Green Sandpiper.

(c) Colin Varndell - Fox

Tuesday 28th March

No reports.

Wednesday 29th March

Colin Varndell: 4 Swallow & 2 Sand Martin.

(c) DJ Robinson - Mute Swan

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.

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Tern Rafts

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Tern Rafts.

(c) Paul Bamford - Sand Martin Bank

(c) Colin Varndell - Little Egret

Friday 31st March

Kevin Duncan: Common Tern (first of the year, earliest ever arrival by 2 days) & 1+ Little Gull (23rd record for site).

(c) Dina Burford - Cowslip

(c) Dina Burford - Fungi

(c) Dina Burford - Black-headed Gulls on Tern Raft