July

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.

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.

Kid's Activities

We are running a free programme of kid's activities during the school holidays.

See our dedicated Kid's Events Facebook page for more details.

Monday 1st July

Colin Varndell: Grey Wagtail.

Both of our Barn Owlets successfully fledged from the nest box on the Kiln this morning.

(c) Colin Varndell - Bullfinch

(c) Colin Varndell - Grey Wagtail

(c) Colin Varndell - Roe Deer

Tuesday 2nd July

Murray Nurse: Cattle Egret (6th record for site).

Mark Elsoffer: Teal & c2500 Starling.

Wednesday 3rd July

Mark Elsoffer: 9 Little Egret, 4 Gadwall, Garden Warbler & Nuthatch. 

(c) Dina Burford - Whitethroat

(c) Colin Varndell - Red Kite

(c) Colin Varndell - Grey Wagtail

(c) Dave Binks - Little Egret

Thursday 4th July

C Holt: Green Sandpiper.

We had the great pleasure of leading a guided walk and scavenger hunt for 18 cub scouts from 2nd Aldershot this evening.

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Cub Walk

(c) Colin Varndell - Lesser Black-backed Gulls

(c) Colin Varndell - Juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker

Friday 5th July

No reports.

Saturday 6th July

Mark Elsoffer: Common Sandpiper, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 5 Black-tailed Godwit & Redshank.

Mark Elsoffer: Mossy Willow Catkin Gall - new for site.

(c) Colin Varndell - Lapwing

(c) Colin Varndell - House Martins

Sunday 7th July

No reports.

Monday 8th July

Dina Burford: Oystercatcher.

Richard Horton: Redshank & 2 Little Ringed Plover.

(c) Dina Burford - Oystercatcher

Tuesday 9th July

Richard Horton: Green Sandpiper, 2 Little Ringed Plover, Black-tailed Godwit & Oystercatcher.

(c) Michael LA - Starlings

Wednesday 10th July

Richard Horton: Common Sandpiper & 6 Little Ringed Plover.

(c) Colin Varndell - View from Horton's Mound

Thursday 11th July

Richard Horton: Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper & Little Ringed Plover.

This evening we had the pleasure of being the guests of HM Lord Lieutenant of Surrey at Loseley Park for a reception for nominees for the King’s Award for Voluntary Service. 

We are delighted to have been nominated and will find out if we’ve been successful in November.

TMBG Turned Out Smart

(c) Colin Varndell - Reed Warbler

(c) Colin Varndell - Coot

Friday 12th July

Mark Elsoffer: Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, 2 Little Ringed Plover,  24 Lapwing, 2 Gadwall & Teal.

Dina Burford: 2 fledged Great Crested Grebes.

Mark Elsoffer: Wasp Spider - first of the year.

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Wasp Spider

Saturday 13th July

Colin Varndell: Black-tailed Godwit & Treecreeper.

Alex Press: 3 Willow Warbler (possibly 2 juveniles).

(c) Colin Varndell - Black-tailed Godwit

(c) Colin Varndell - Little Egret

Sunday 14th July

Wild Cam: Nuthatch.

(c) Wild Cam - Bullfinch

(c) Wild Cam - Common Tern

Monday 15th July

Colin Varndell: Nuthatch.

(c) Colin Varndell - Juvenile Robin

(c) Colin Varndell - Blackcap

Tuesday 16th July

Mark Elsoffer: 2 Common Sandpiper, 2 Green Sandpiper & Hobby.

(c) Colin Varndell - Sedge Warbler

(c) Dina Burford - Common Tern

Wednesday 17th July

Don Lemmon: Oystercatcher.

Mark Elsoffer: Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper & Redshank.

Mark Elsoffer: Silver-washed Fritillary (10th record for site).

(c) Jon Hawkins - Magpie

(c) Jon Hawkins - Fox Cub

Thursday 18th July

Richard Seargent: Common Sandpiper & Green Sandpiper.

Thanks to all of the volunteers who helped set up our BioBlitz camp today.

(c) Myung-hye Chun - Erecting the Marquee

(c) Mark Elsoffer - BioBlitz Base Camp

(c) Gillian Bamford - Common Darter

(c) Gillian Bamford - Red Admiral

Friday 19th July

Colin Varndell: Whimbrel (29th record for site).

Richard Horton: Common Sandpiper & 2 Green Sandpiper.

Ben Dale: Purple Emperor - new for site - 34th butterfly species recorded on site. Plus Purple Hairstreak.

Richard Seargent: Sallow Clearwing - new for site.

Great to have the Surrey Choices Growth Team working with us today to help set up our BioBlitz camp for tomorrow.

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Surrey Choice Growth Team

(c) Colin Varndell - Nuthatch

(c) Colin Varndell - Whimbrel

(c) Colin Varndell - Colour-ringed Robin

(c) Dina Burford - Swifts using the Swift Tower

(c) Ben Dale - Emperor Dragonfly Emerging

(c) Ben Dale - Marsh Frog

(c) Ben Dale - Signal Crayfish

Saturday 20th July

Sean Foote: Mediterranean Gull (juv).

Anon: Common Sandpiper & 2 Green Sandpiper.

Our BioBlitz today was a huge success, with over 250 people attending and taking part in the various walks and activities.

We could not have put on this event without the support of our partner organisations:

• Surrey Bird Club  - for sponsoring the portaloo & attending with a stall.
• BTO British Trust for Ornithology  Surrey - for attending with a stall.
• Blackwater Valley Friends of the Earth  - for attending with a stall.
• Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership - for loaning equipment, leading the reptile walk & having a stall.
• Blackwater Valley Countryside Trust - for attending with a stall.
• Army Ornithological Society - for their members support.
• Royal Naval Birdwatching Society - for their members support.
• Surrey Hills Society - for attending with a stall with kids craft activities.
• Surrey Choices - for attending with a stall & helping prepare the site.
• Surrey County Archaeological Unit - for attending with archaeological finds from the site.
• Farnham Biodiversity Partnership - for attending with a stall.
• PC Landscapes - for loaning us their trailer.

Thanks is also due to:

• Lord Len for working so hard to prepare the site & support the event.
• Ray for clearing and mowing the campsite.
• Richard Lilley for running a wood turning demonstration.
• Katie & her family for running the riverside kids activities.
• Abi & Sean for their skull & wing collection, and their expert knowledge.
• Steve and Ben (and Ben's dad) for moth trapping.
• Murray for providing the food for the bbq.
• Andy & Sharon for keeping the campers supplied with tea and coffee, a wonderful bbq, and doing the washing-up!
• And all of the volunteers who led walks and activities, or helped deliver the event.

(c) Mark Elsoffer - BioBlitz

(c) Dina Burford - TMBG Stall

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Surrey Bird Club & BTO Stalls

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Friends of the Earth Stall

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Surrey Choices Stall

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Wood Turning

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Surrey County Archaeological Unit Stall

(c) Alex Baker - Surrey Hills Society Stall

(c) Dina Burford - Skulls & Wings

(c) Simon Monk - Small Mammal Walk

(c) Katie Wolfe - Kids Activities

(c) Katie Wolfe - Kids Activities

(c) Simon Monk - Elephant Hawk Moth

(c) Gail Huckle - Lunar Hornet Moth

(c) Myung-hye Chun - Moths

(c) Myung-hye Chun - Fish

(c) Gail Huckle - Jackdaw

(c) Gail Huckle - Long-tailed Tit

(c) Gail Huckle - Sedge Warbler

Sunday 21st July

M Scott: Mediterranean Gull (juv).

Thanks to all of the volunteers who helped take down our BioBlitz camp today.

Our tireless bird ringing team worked wonders over the long BioBlitz weekend, with their demo a highlight for many visitors. They ringed: 106 new birds, 14 birds previously ringed on site, and 2 birds ringed elsewhere. Thanks Roger, Mark, Mark, Danielle & Jess.

Monday 22nd July

Peter Brown: Green Sandpiper & Redshank.

(c) Colin Varndell - Reed Bunting

(c) Colin Varndell - Bullfinch

(c) Wild Cam - Sparrowhawk

(c) Melanie Nicholls - Common Blue Damselfly

(c) Melanie Nicholls - Meadow Grasshopper

Tuesday 23rd July

Richard Horton: 3 Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Redshank & Mediterranean Gull.

Dina Burford: Migrant Hawker - first of the year.

(c) Dina Burford - Migrant Hawker

Wednesday 24th July

John Hunt: 2 Green Sandpiper.

Peter Brown: 2 Common Sandpiper.

Colin Varndell: Treecreeper & Nuthatch.

Colin Varndell: Ruddy Darter - first of the year.

(c) Colin Varndell - Ruddy Darter

(c) Colin Varndell - Great Spotted Woodpecker

Thursday 25th July

Richard Horton: 2 Common Sandpiper & Green Sandpiper.

Friday 26th July

Mark Elsoffer: Common Sandpiper, 2 Green Sandpiper & Nuthatch.

Mark Elsoffer: Lesser Emperor and 10 Small Red-eyed Damselflies - both firsts of the year.

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Small Red-eyed Damselfly

(c) Gillian Bamford - Comma

(c) Gillian Bamford - Gatekeeper

(c) Colin Varndell - Reed Warbler

(c) Colin Varndell - Blackcap

(c) Dina Burford - Great Crested Grebes

Saturday 27th July

Richard Horton: Common Sandpiper.

17 people enjoyed a guided dragonfly walk today organised by the British Dragonfly Society (Hampshire, Surrey & Berkshire Group).

(c) Gillian Bamford - Dragonfly Walk

(c) Gillian Bamford - Dragonfly Walk

(c) Dina Burford - Ruddy Darter

(c) Dina Burford - Emperor

(c) David Ouseley - Black-tailed Skimmer

(c) David Ouseley - Emperor

Sunday 28th July

John Hunt: Common Sandpiper, 2 Green Sandpiper, Snipe & Sedge Warbler.

Mark Elsoffer: 2 Kingfisher.

Ben Dale: Willow Emerald - first of the year. Plus 4 Lesser Emperors around the hide.

(c) John Hunt - Reed Warbler

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Ruddy Darter

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Common Darter

(c) Wild Cam - Wren

(c) Dina Burford - Common Sandpiper

Monday 29th July

Colin Varnell: 2 Kingfisher.

S Brownhill: 2 Green Sandpiper.

(c) Jon Hawkins - Wasp Spider

(c) Colin Varndell - Reed Warbler

(c) Colin Varndell - Sedge Warbler

(c) Colin Varndell - Kingfishers

Tuesday 30th July

14 families enjoyed a river dipping session this morning, and some returned for the afternoon's wildlife hunting - the start of our Tice's Tuesdays programme of free family activities at the nature reserve during the summer holidays.

(c) Katie Wolfe - Bug Hunting

(c) Katie Wolfe - River Dipping

(c) Katie Wolfe - River Dipping

Wednesday 31st July

Ruben Cowley: Water Rail.

(c) Colin Varndell - Reed Warbler

(c) Colin Varndell - Sedge Warbler

(c) Colin Varndell - Kingfisher