RJSeargent
Birding at the taxpayer's expense. Head down, bin
Sue,
hope you had a good visit. Please add your sightings to this thread if you have time.
Rich
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Tice's Meadow and Tongham GP, Surrey (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter RJSeargent
- Start date
Sue,
hope you had a good visit. Please add your sightings to this thread if you have time.
Rich
Allan Hobbs
Body in the UK, heart in South Africa
Hi guys,
Looks like I need to get myself off to the Carmargue as Black-winged Stilt is my favourite wader! Make sure you send me a text Rich if one turns up at Tices
I need to replace my current cheapie scope (think it only cost me about £80), although it has still been very good to me, it is time to upgrade a bit. I can't really justify spending > £1000 on a Swarovski (to the Boss i.e. the Wife!), so can anyone recommend a mid price range version?
Thanks
Kev
Hi Kev,
I bought the Nikon ED50 - absolutely delighted with it. It's also VERY light, so no bent spines or damaged shoulders.
Birdfair is coming up in August - if you can get there it will be worth it as all the major manufacturers are there so you can compare lots of scopes.
Allan
RJSeargent
Birding at the taxpayer's expense. Head down, bin
I agree with John it was a quiet morning but worthy of note was the group dynamics shown by 5 adult LRPs which, en masse, ensured, by distraction methods, that a marauding Carrion Crow was kept away from the 4 fledged young. Interesting to see and something new to me; didn't know that LRPs could work as one.
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RJSeargent
Birding at the taxpayer's expense. Head down, bin
I have just driven past Tongham Gravel Pit to see at least 100 Swifts hawking over the pit and the relief road. Would have been great to see through a pair of bins.
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Tri-Counties Birder
AKA The Portland Naturalist
Hi guys,
Looks like I need to get myself off to the Carmargue as Black-winged Stilt is my favourite wader! Make sure you send me a text Rich if one turns up at Tices
I need to replace my current cheapie scope (think it only cost me about £80), although it has still been very good to me, it is time to upgrade a bit. I can't really justify spending > £1000 on a Swarovski (to the Boss i.e. the Wife!), so can anyone recommend a mid price range version?
Thanks
Kev
Hi Kev,
I have just come back from Brittany, and we visited the Parc Du Marquenterre on the way down. Black-winged Stilts were breeding there (along with White Stork, Cattle Egret, Purple Heron, Crested Tit, Golden Oriole, etc. etc.), and its certainly possible to do it on a day trip through the tunnel!
Sean
The best/only migrant today was a female Wheatear in meadow. A few breeding records were 3 pairs of Canada geese with broods of 2,2 & 6 goslings and a female Mallard with 2ducklings. A few fledged Pied Wagtails in the workings and a pair of Long-tailed Tits with 7 recently fledged chicks all perched together on the same branch in the scrub. Counted 20 Common Terns with at least 8 sitting on nests on the islands of the workings.
Kevin.
Kevin.
johnclark50
Well-known member
Thought I would visit Tices yesterday given a Wood Sand at Eversley and various other waders at other more distant inland sites. Very little though. I was there about 1600 hrs. I saw 6 ad Lapwings and only 1 LRP, but there were at least 4 Magpies patrolling the open gravel and a couple of crows as well. Does not augur well for any young LRPs and Lapwings. If the water level continues to drop, foxes will get access as well!
RJSeargent
Birding at the taxpayer's expense. Head down, bin
John,
see my post of last weekend - shown below.
I agree with John it was a quiet morning but worthy of note was the group dynamics shown by 5 adult LRPs which, en masse, ensured, by distraction methods, that a marauding Carrion Crow was kept away from the 4 fledged young. Interesting to see and something new to me; didn't know that LRPs could work as one.
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johnclark50
Well-known member
Yes, I had seen it Richard. Do you mean 4 fledged young, or 4 chicks unable to fly? I didn't see any chicks or juveniles yesterday - but I wasn't searching that hard for them. Carrion Crows are certainly a frequent predator of plover chicks at many sites - so if the adults cooperate that's nature at work I guess!
By the way, thanks for the phone message about the Grey Plover - I was away.
John
By the way, thanks for the phone message about the Grey Plover - I was away.
John
RJSeargent
Birding at the taxpayer's expense. Head down, bin
Sorry fledged - read recently hatched. Now in the naughty corner!
RJSeargent
Birding at the taxpayer's expense. Head down, bin
Three Ringed Plovers late afternoon on the workings. Also five Lapwings but otherwise it was quiet.
Rich
Rich
RJSeargent
Birding at the taxpayer's expense. Head down, bin
Slightly disturbed to see Tice's this afternoon with Hanson's appearing to be in the final throws of draining the main lake. I was under the impression that this was now not going to happen. There is a distinct lack of water now and this will have an affect on the two pairs of LRPs currently brooding and the one pair with young. I attempted to phone the environmental consultant at Surrey County Council to appraise him of the situation but he is on leave until 6 Jun 11 which might be a little late given the amount of water being extracted. Apart from blowing up the pump any ideas?
Surely Hanson's have an obligation to protect wildlife during this phase of extraction and they clearly are not aware of the significance of Tice's Meadow.
Rich
Surely Hanson's have an obligation to protect wildlife during this phase of extraction and they clearly are not aware of the significance of Tice's Meadow.
Rich
JohnnyH
Aldershot till I die!
Hi Rich,
This is very disturbing news, although I suspected as much given the newly installed network of pipes around the workings. As you say surely this contradicts Hanson's sustainability policy having just looked at their website. Have you spoken to Kev Duncan, he might have an alternative contact given that he has previously attended meetings etc regarding plans for Tices?
John.
This is very disturbing news, although I suspected as much given the newly installed network of pipes around the workings. As you say surely this contradicts Hanson's sustainability policy having just looked at their website. Have you spoken to Kev Duncan, he might have an alternative contact given that he has previously attended meetings etc regarding plans for Tices?
John.
I've sent an email to the Blackwater Valley and an old contact at Hanson but they won't see them till Tuesday due to the Bank Holiday. I assume the pump is working 24hrs a day.
My impression was the restoration plan had been changed to become a more wetland orientated incorporating as many of the existing features as possible. If the water is completely drained it may never become flooded again. The workings were completly dry up to the winter of 2006. It was not until heavy rain over that winter and spring/summer 2007 that the workings flooded. The pumping out of the water will not only affect the LRP's also the 8-10 pairs of Common Terns sitting on eggs or even with chicks now and the Mute Swans, Little Grebes etc. I think even worse would be the loss of fish, snails and bug stocks that have built up over the past four years.
Unfortunatly I'm going to the Isle of Wight for the weekend in a couple of hours.
I don't know if anyone could go into the site office tomorrow and see if the pumping could stop or see if it will be completely drained dry.
I have had it suggested to make contact with the RSPB or the local Police Wildlife Crime Liason Officer.
Hanson have won awards in the past for their restorations so you would expect them not to start a plan in the middle of the breeding season.
Hope they end up with a award for this one!!
Kevin
Managed to fit in a quick daybreak visit on the way to Southampton. I found the water level low but not as low as expected. I've seen it this low before (will check the date later) when they filled in the now dry area of the workings. So I assume they will be covering this area again this time with topsoil. I checked where the water is pumped into the River Blackwater and no water was being pumped out. The area was dry but suppose it could soak away and dry overnight. Hopefully they wont start pumping again today or next week.
No time to see/count much but 4 Dunlin in the working was the best.
Kevin
No time to see/count much but 4 Dunlin in the working was the best.
Kevin
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