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CHAPTER 1

Introduction to the Ninth Report of the Moor Green Lakes Group

Ken Crick
Chairman of the Moor Green Lakes Group

Reserve Management and Wildlife Recording

2001 started with some work on the Reserve but by mid February Foot & Mouth restrictions were coming into effect and access to the Reserve was in theory prohibited, with all public footpaths to the Reserve blocked. There are four points of entry to the Reserve, administered by three different local authorities, so the method of control adopted varied from a single strand of tape, with a piece of paper flapping on it, to a complete barrier of bright orange plastic mesh with plastic weather proof signs.

It was not surprising therefore that I received a number of phone calls from concerned members and others, all living local to the Reserve and the Blackwater Valley footpath informing me of irresponsible dog walkers breaching the barriers. I was informed by a representative of Wokingham District Council that the restrictions were not legally enforceable as Foot & Mouth was not actually in the district. During this period someone took the opportunity to try and break in to the Colebrook Hide but the lock held and only superficial damage resulted to the door jam.

Plans to erect an anti mink fence, on Tern Island, were first given impetus with the sighting of a mink on Long Island, the fence posts (paid for by RMC) were duly commissioned and delivered but Foot & Mouth and the onset of the Tern breeding season prevented erection until December.

Work on the Management Plan progressed during the early part of the year but remained in abeyance throughout the dragonfly flight season as I chased up and down the valley in search of these fascinating insects. Work on the plan recommenced at the end of September with a first draft ready for comment by Christmas.

Sue Dent and Adrian Douglas joined the Blackwater Valley Countryside Service just in time for the start of our 2001/2 work party season. Sue now represents the BVCS on our Management Committee in place of Steve Bailey who now heads up the Countryside Service. Both Sue and Adrian have already made significant contributions to the management of the reserve. Amanda Simpson-Atkins despite leaving the BVCS continues to lead our Sunday work parties with her husband Julian, for which we are very grateful. Our gratitude is also extended to all those members who turned out to help with work party activities.

This year Chris Hall was commissioned to carry out an aquatic plant survey. Also Bob Merritt, one time national dragonfly recorder and now something of a specialist on beetles and spiders was prevailed upon to spend some time on the Reserve. Their findings adding significantly to our overall knowledge of the site's flora and fauna. Steve Bailey (bats), Sue Proudley (butterflies), Kevin Briggs, lan Brown, Delphine Hoyle, Katrina Slocombe and myself continued to collect data in our respective fields of interest. The results of these efforts are to be found recorded throughout the report. A special thanks also to Chris Rose who has again compiled our individual efforts to form this report.

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CHAPTER 2

Conservation Work Programme since the last AGM

April 2001 to March 2002

Sue Dent

This has been a busy year for the conservation volunteers on the reserve, with a great deal achieved.

The Sunday conservation work parties have continued with seven tasks through the winter with an average of 14 volunteers each time, a tremendous turnout. This was supplemented by four visits by the Blackwater Valley Conservation Volunteers and a number of visits by BVCS staff to pick up the odds and ends'. A total of 174 volunteer days in all. Many thanks to all the volunteers, it simply wouldn't be possible to maintain the reserve to its current - improving - standard without all their effort. Special thanks also to Amanda Simpson-Atkins for leading the Sunday tasks and to Steve and Sheila Farmer for encouraging new and old members alike to come along.

Regular Conservation Tasks completed this year:

There are a number of jobs which need to be done each year to maintain the habitats and the general infrastructure of the site:

• Cutting viewing slots alongside the lake, the volunteers cleared one area with the remainder done by Julian Simpson-Atkins as a contractor.

• Keeping islands clear of vegetation. Tern Island and Goose Island have both been cleared of scrub this year so that they are suitable for breeding birds. Goose Island also provides open shingle areas that some species of dragonfly like.

• Grassland. We are aiming to keep a mixture of grassland and scrub around the lakes and so have continued to clear bramble, not to get rid of it entirely but to limit it to its current extent. The aim has been to keep the lake edges clear of long vegetation and willow and in particular this year 3 bays on the northern edge of Grove lake have been cleared of scrub and trees completely to create short grass areas where the birds can feed and rest.

• Cattle. The cattle continue to do a vital job maintaining the grassland areas of the site. Unfortunately we were unable to have the Highlands again this year but were able to arrange a substitute herd, of in-calf heifers, perhaps not quite as picturesque as the highlands but they have done their job well. They were on site from December to March.

Apart from the routine work we have also had a number of special projects this, year.

Hibernaculum
The most recent is the hibernaculum, which has been organised by Peter Scott as part of his Earthwatch grant. Everything fell into place miraculously and the hibernaculum was installed by a Sunday work party on the 10th February. This should provide a useful extra habitat for the reserve. Peter Scott is going to monitor the area for reptile activity in the future and would appreciate it if members would report any sightings of reptiles on the reserve this year either direct to Peter or via Ken or myself.

Mink fence on Tern Island

The mink fencing has been installed on Tern Island, or Stalag 19 as I have heard it called, The fence was installed because mink have been reported on site in order to protect the breeding terns on the island. The finished article isn't too obtrusive and hopefully will do its job well and keep the mink away from the nesting birds.

Crassula helmsii
This year there have been moves on several fronts to tackle the problem of Crassula helmsii on the reserve. There is no quick and easy solution to the problem but hopefully the work proposed should begin to tackle it. Chris Hall's survey of the aquatic and wetland plants of the reserve (see elsewhere in this report) showed that at present Colebrook lake is heavily infested with Crassula while there were only a few of plants on the scrape next to the hide on Grove.

In June 2001 the Crassula in the scrape beside Colebrook Hide was cut and dug out by hand. This was back breaking work and the sheer physical bulk of the Crassula makes it impossible to tackle more than a very small area this way. This kind of mechanical removal is not recommended by any recognised Crassula authority and will not be undertaken again.

In autumn 2001 the Crassula on the new scrape in front of Grove Hide was covered by remnants of household carpet in an attempt to shade it out of existence. A technique used successfully at Frensham Pond. It has proved quite difficult to get the carpet to stay and thanks to Ken Crick and Steve Farmer for replacing it when it moved. When water levels drop the remainder of the scrape will be assessed and any other patches will either be carpeted or possibly sprayed or dug out if very small. The condition of the Crassula under the carpet will be assessed in the summer to see if it has been killed.

Ken Crick has assessed the options for tackling the infestation on Colebrook Lake and we hope to be implementing a programme of limited spraying with herbicide to try and get it under control.

Finally Having joined the BVCS team in September 2001 I would like to thank the Moor Green Lakes Group for making me welcome and for all their help in getting me up to speed on the site and what needs to be done.

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CHAPTER 3

REPORT ON BIRDS 2001

Recorder: lan Brown

During the year 127 species were recorded of which 66 were present in suitable breeding habitat in the summer. Three new species were added to the site list, Green Winged Teal, Lesser Yellowlegs and Ring Necked Parakeet bringing the total number of species recorded to 201.

In the early winter period there were good numbers of surface feeding duck, with a site record count of 585 Wigeon. This contrasts markedly with ten years ago when there were approximately 50 birds using the site. There were moderate numbers of Goosander roosting on the site and other early year highlights included Pintail, Peregrine and a brief appearance by a Ring Necked Parakeet in February.

By the time the site was reopen following closure due to FMD many spring migrants had already returned. Wader passage although generally light produced some good local species including Sanderling and Turnstone but the spring highlight was the first Temminck's Stint for nine years. This bird was well watched during its four day stay most of which was spent in the vicinity of Tern island. Other spring records of note were a Mediterranean Gull and several Black Terns.

As in recent years breeding success was mixed but Little Ringed Plovers bred successfully on the reserve although the other wading species were unsuccessful with Redshank leaving the site relatively early. Little and Great Crested Grebes both bred successfully on the reserve. However as in 2000 Common Terns continue to flourish on Tern Island with nine pairs rearing a total of 18 young (cf 6pairs / 14 young in 2000), yet another record success. Most of the birds feeding in the valley come from this colony and travel distances of many miles to keep their hungry young satisfied! Mandarin were again successful in nestboxes and Tufted Ducks were very successful rearing a minimum of 25 young. Woodlark bred on the site for the fourth year running and Kingfisher and Grey Wagtail prospered in their traditional sites on the river. The brief appearance of a Lesser Yellowlegs on the Hampshire part of the complex in June was an unexpected find and constitutes the first record of this North American species.

Late summer/autumn saw a scattering of interesting waders mainly on the drained Hampshire pits with Ruff, Black Tailed Godwit and several Curlew Sandpipers. Other highlights included two records of Little Egret and two Caspian Gulls. Wader passage on the reserve area was generally light due to vegetation encroachment.

The year closed with returning waterfowl building up early. This included the highlight of the year, a drake Green Winged Teal that gave obliging views to many (from far and wide!) on the reserve from November into 2002. Another first, involving a North American species. Other highlights during this period included Mediterranean Gull, Hen Harrier (only the second site record, the first in 1988), several sightings of Barn Owl and good numbers of finches including Siskin, Redpoll and especially Brambling, the latter frequenting land near Longwater SF.

Last but not least many thanks to the growing band of observers who submit records including those who provide observers names on the log sheet. 

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CHAPTER 4

BOTANICAL SURVEY 2001

Dr Delphine Hoyle

Records of the plants on the Reserve have been kept since 1992 (excluding 1996 and 1999) and since 1997 these records have been quantitative surveys of the areas around the Colebrook Lakes.

The methods used since 1997 are based on National Vegetational Classification (NVC) Methodology.

Ten random samples (1 x 1 m) were surveyed on 14th July 2001, five on the north side and five on the west side of Colebrook Lake North. In each of the sample squares the species present were identified and quantified both on abundance and frequency (see previous Annual Reports for further details of this method)

Table A shows the frequency and abundance of the species found in each of the samples. Table B lists other species found in the surrounding areas.

Eighteen species from the original seed mix were found in the sample squares and one more in the surrounding area.

Predominant species were Leucanthemum vulgare, Plantago lanceolata and Centaurea nigra and of the grasses Agrostis spp and Holcus lanatus. This is in line with previous findings.

Again there was little evidence of tree and shrub invasion although there were patches of bramble outside the survey area.

Thanks are due to Irene, Draper, Helen Edwards, Marjorie Trendall, Katrina Slocombe, and Gill and Michael Wells for their help in this survey.

Table A

Note: S = Sown Species

Table B

Other plants recorded outside the sample squares

 S = Sown species

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CHAPTER 5

 REPORT ON BUTTERFLIES FOR 2001

Recorder Sue Proudley

The foot and mouth restrictions prevented access before April in 2001 so the Brimstone butterflies seen flying in good numbers outside (and probably inside) the reserve at the end of March are not recorded. Despite this omission the Brimstone did well until July then tailed off sharply.

Skippers faired very poorly this year, possibly due to the wet conditions at the end of last year.

Orange Tip and White butterfly numbers were slightly up, but Red Admiral and Small Tortoiseshell were slightly down on last year.

Just two Purple Hairstreaks were seen in August and there were no records of Small Copper this year.

The Common Blue was not recorded until August. It was probably missed in June as this is a popular holiday month.

The Holly Blue was not seen in 2000 but reappeared in 2001.

Peacock numbers were up, but Comma records were halved.

The Gatekeeper did well but Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood and Ringlet numbers were lower than last year.

No Clouded Yellow visitors were seen and only a single Painted Lady in August.

My thanks to all the people who have taken the trouble to record their observations. Please keep up the good work and remember to print your name at the bottom of record sheet so that I can give you the credit.

The list of species observed on the reserve in 2001 is as follows:

The following observers contributed to the records:

MOOR GREEN BUTTERFLIES

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CHAPTER 6

REPORT ON DRAGONFLIES AND DAMSELFLIES FOR 2001

Ken Crick

The Dragonfly and Damselfly flight season for 2001 at Moor Green has been mixed in many ways. The weather was generally not favourable characterized by poor light levels, low temperatures and strong winds on many of the days associated with the survey data collection. In fact it often seemed to improve shortly after I left the reserve. Numbers were generally down on last year, however some species did well. There were good numbers of Southern Hawker about not only at Moor Green but also throughout the valley.

The planned for collection of Dragonfly & Damselfly larva during the early spring did not take place with Foot & Mouth restrictions barring access to the site. Bob Merritt the editor and author of two well known books on Odonata visited the site during the first week in April and as an aside to his main objective reported elsewhere, recorded the presence of five types of damselfly larva and one dragonfly larva.

The flight season was late getting underway with Common Blue Damselfly not showing until halfway through May. Emerald Damselfly & Golden Ringed Dragonfly both failed to make an appearance on site though good numbers were to be seen elsewhere in the area. Four Spotted Chaser and Emperor Dragonfly numbers were again disappointingly low. A single Keeled Skimmer made an appearance in mid June, Downy Emerald Dragonfly bred for a second year and I was again fortunate to see one emerging from its larval state on the north shore of Colebrook Lake North. In all Sixteen species were recorded as present within the constraints of the proscribed data collection methodology.

Whilst searching for exuvia the opportunity was taken to measure the water pH (acidity/alkalinity) at a number of sites round the reserve, the results can be found at Appendix F.

Once again my thanks to those of you who have taken the trouble to record your sightings on the hide charts, it is appreciated. Special thanks go to Alex Twyford who provided data for 23 visits to site from May to September covering 13 species and detailed climatic conditions. Alex recorded a Beautiful Demoiselle on the 13th June. During July 1999 a male was seen on the wing at Owlsmoor so the odd migrant can be expected.

Those providing information were:

ODONATA CHECKLIST

DAMSELFLIES Zygoptera

BLUE-TAILED DAMSELFLY Ischnura elegans

Larva for this species was confirmed as present in the reserve's waters during April. The first sightings on the wing were not until the 18th May, and then only two males. It was not until the 26th May that double figures were recorded. The population counts peaked at 149 during the first week in June and started a steady decline from the third week in July. The last recorded population survey sighting being the 26th August when a single male was seen. Chris Hall during his aquatic botanical survey recorded the presence of this species on the 6th Sept. One unusual record on site was of a green bodied male mating with the blue form female. This is unusual because the males are invariably blue in the thorax, the colour variations being restricted to the female of the species. A photograph was taken.

BANDED DEMOISELLE Caloperyx splendens

As with last year the weather conditions were not conducive to aiding early sightings of this species. Two were seen on the 12th May by Alex Twyford. The survey noted their presence on the 18th May when 60 were recorded. On the 6th June the population peaked at a count of 393. A second peak occurred in the second & third weeks of August, This has happened three times, over the past five years, in 1998, 99 and 2001 each time in mid August The last of the Banded Demoiselle were seen on the 10th September. The larvae proved easy to catch in the River Blackwater during April.

LARGE RED DAMSELFLY Pyrrhosorna nymphala

Again one of the four species of damselfly for which the presence of larva was confirmed in April. Exuvia were noted and both sexes seen on the wing on the 3rd May. Population numbers are down on previous years. The surveys highest count was only 19, but Alex Twyford had a count of 37 on the 28th May. No further sightings were made after the 2nd July.

EMERALD DAMSELFLY Lestes sponsa

No recorded sightings for 2001.

COMMON BLUE DAMSELFLY Enallagama cyathigerum

Again Alex Twyford was first to report the appearance of this species on the 12th May, numbers steadily increased as the month progressed and copulating pairs were seen from the 30th May. The population count peaked at 795 on the 27th June; numbers hovered around the 300 mark until the 20th August and by the end of that month were declining rapidly. An odd male was still to be seen hanging on, on the 30th October. From the all time high population figures recorded in 1999 & 2000 the 2001 numbers more closely resemble those of 1998. This is the first year that the current annual survey technique has recorded any Common Blue Damselflies as present during October. I am indebted to those of you who recorded the number of CBDs seen on the hide charts. The correlation between our respective counts was quite close.

AZURE DAMSELFLY Coenagrion puellao

Another species whose larva was confirmed as present by Bob Merritt. This species appeared for the first tune on the wing in the form of a single male on the 18th May. The population survey never achieved double figures, however Alex Twyford did achieve an 80 count on the 28th May The species was observed copulating and ovipositing on floating vegetation on the most north-westerly part of Colebrook Lake North. Ovipositing takes place with the male remaining attached to the female (in tandem) thus denying her to any other male. The last sighting was on the 1st August, again recorded by Alex.

RED-EYED DAMSELFLY Erythromma najas

Another species who's observed numbers barely made double figures. It was first observed on the 30th May when four were seen, further sightings occurred twice in June, once in July and twice in August. On the last occasion both males and females were present. This was also the highest count of the season with twelve individuals. Adult males spend much of their time over water and away from the bank, as only transect 1 actually touches the waters edge and then only for a distance of approximately 100 meters the opportunity for observing this species is limited. Off transect when water pH was being sampled to the east of Goose Island red-eyed damselflies were frequently seen. Horseshoe Lake's lily pad was again a Mecca for this species. Chris Hall who had free range across the reserve for his aquatic botanical survey recorded at least twelve members of this species over a two-day period in September.

DRAGONFLIES Anisoptera

FOUR-SPOTTED CHASER Libellula quadrimaculata

There were no independent sightings of this species during 2001. It was only recorded during the year's survey as present on site on three occasions. Single specimens on the 30th May & 3rd July, with two on the 11th June.

DOWNY EMERALD Cordulia aenea

This is the second consecutive year that Downy Emerald dragonflies have been seen at Moor Green. They were seen in May, June & July, all sightings were at the north west corner of Colebrook Lake North. On the 23rd of May a single specimen was found as it emerged from its larval stale, photos were taken and the exuvia recovered. The remains of a dead Downy Emerald were found in a spiders web local to the emergent point some days later. Sightings on any given day never exceeded two in number. An independent sighting of a single male was recorded by Alex Twyford on the 14th July.

BLACK-TAILED SKIMMER Orthetrum cancellatum

Immature specimens appeared at the end of May and continued to be observed until the 19th June. The population of mature insects peaked during the first week in July with a count of 30. A second smaller population peak was observed during the last week of the same month. The last population survey sitting was on the 28th August. The numbers recorded for the year were the highest to date.

Bob Merritt's April dip produced only one dragonfly larva and it was a Black-tailed Skimmer. Chris Hall recorded single sightings over both Colebrook Lake North & Grove Lake on the 5th & 6th of September respectively.

KEELED SKIMMER Orthetrum coerulescens

A single immature Keeled Skimmer was observed during a work party on the 21st June in the vicinity of the scrape in front of Colebrook hide. There are breeding sites on two sides of Moor Green where this species thrives at Bramshill and Owlsmoor.

EMPEROR DRAGONFLY Anax Imperator

The Emperor Dragonfly was only observed on site during July and then only twice, three were seen on the 3rd July and one on the 16th, all were males.

BROWN HAWKER Aeshna grandis

This species was twice seen ovipositing in the river. Numbers were slightly down on previous years; at no point did we reach double figures. 5 individuals being the largest single sighting spread over the two River transects. Members using the hide charts recorded very few sightings and then only in August & September. The survey data indicates their presence on site from the first week m July through to the very end of September.

GOLDEN-RINGED DRAGONFLY Cordulegaster boltonii

Following last years clarion cry "Our best year yet" this species failed to make an appearance at Moor Green.

BROAD-BODIED CHASER Libellula depressa
No recorded sightings this year at Moor Green.

MIGRANT HAWKER Aeshna mixta

The numbers for this species held up well this year, first appearing on the 1st August its presence was noted right through till the 22nd October. Twice numbers peaked at 18 individuals, once on August the 28th and again on the 27th September. Both sexes were present with copulating pairs to be seen on the wing.

SOUTHERN HAWKER Aeshna cyanea

Alex Twyford told me that the best time to see this species at Moor Green was in the early evening. This is the sites best year to date for this species with recordings on the hide charts for September & October. They were first seen on a survey walk during the third week in August and a single female was present on transect 4 on the 30th  October. The largest number of sightings on a single day was 5 individuals. Both sexes were present but never seen together. Elsewhere in the valley the numbers were up and many specimens were photographed.

COMMON HAWKER Aeshna juncea

This not so common insect was not seen at all during the course of any population survey visits.

RUDDY DARTER Sympetrum sanguineum

Numbers were down on last year but it was still the second best year to date. Present from the second week in August, one male was still to be found on the 30th of October. The population peaked at the end of August, beginning of September, but never reached double figures on any given day. The hide charts recorded two examples both on the same day, the 9th of September.

COMMON DARTER Sympetrum striolatum

There was a steady emergence of this species during the last week of June, first week of July. Good numbers of exuvia were found, as were the corresponding newly emerged insect. The number present dropped dramatically in mid July only to recover as the mature adults returned to the water to breed around the second and third weeks in August. The numbers, though down on last year, are comparable with those of 1998 & 99. A total of 14 males, females and copulating pairs were recorded on the last day of the years survey i.e. 30th October. Steve & Sheila Farmer reported the presence of several pairs of darters on the wing on the 9th November.

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CHAPTER 7

Mammal Report for 2001

Recorder Katrina Slocombe

Roe deer continue to be the most obvious mammal on the reserve and nearby fields but the FMD outbreak prevented observation of any young roe in the early summer period. Stoats are occasionally seen on the surrounding footpaths but the water vole, as our most endangered mammal, has again been absent from reserve and river. This is not unexpected due to the continued presence of mink: as reported in the August 2001 Newsletter, work party members observed a mink on Long Island under the upturned Moor Green boat where it was consuming a fish. The anti-mink fence around Tern Island may deter the mink and encourage it to go elsewhere for more 'easy meals'!

Although no small mammal surveys were possible during the period, partly due to FMD, it is hoped that populations are being maintained, certainly hunting by owls on the site throughout the year would suggest that they are continuing to source the reserve grasslands for their mammal prey. The presence of harvest mice is evident from several breeding nests of woven grasses discovered on work party days.

Steve Bailey is continuing a series of bat surveys throughout the Blackwater Valley and results will be presented to members, as they become available.

Surveys and observations will continue in the coming year and members are encouraged to send all sightings of wild and feral mammals to Katrina Slocombe, 28 Green Lane, Blackwater, Camberley, Surrey. GU17 9DH or pass them to any member of the committee.

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CHAPTER 8

Reptile Report for 2001

Peter Scott

This is more a statement of intent than a true report.

As most members will be aware, in February this year we built a reptile hibernaculum about 20 metres back from the north shore of Colebrook Lake North. This is intended to encourage population growth of this animal group, small numbers of which (mostly grass snakes) have been seen on site from time to time. Clearly we should follow this up with some effort to monitor reptile numbers, if only to check whether our installation has been effective. To that end, I have 'been volunteered' as the Group's reptile recorder.

A number of small sheets of corrugated iron have been distributed along the north banks of Colebrook and Grove Lakes, to (hopefully) act as attractive basking sites and to form a focus for surveys.

In addition to making systematic surveys of regular sites, I will be keeping records of 'casual sightings' anywhere on the reserve or the surrounding paths. Therefore I should be grateful if members would let me know of any reptiles they see. The details that I should (ideally) like to know are:

• date and time of sighting;

• species and numbers seen;

• location - e.g. "close to Colebrook Hide", if possible including a grid reference;

• observer's name;

• any other comments - e.g. sex of the animal (difficult to tell for most species without a very close look, of course), behaviour (basking, foraging,...).

However, any report, no matter how incomplete, will be welcome. Even "'some sort of snake (species unknown)" is useful information.

Please send reports by post, phone or email to Peter Scott:

Address:      5 Globe Farm Lane, Blackwater, Camberley, Surrey, GU17 0DZ
Telephone:   01252 878205
Email:          ppscott(at)aol.com.

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CHAPTER 9

 A Survey of Aquatic and Wetland Plants, August - September 2001

Chris Hall

The on-going botanical surveying and monitoring at Moor Green has been continued with a survey of the aquatic and wetland plants, carried out by Chris Hall in August 1 September 2001. This follows up the 1991 survey and provides the opportunity to assess the botanical and conservation value of the wetland plant communities.

Overall the survey shows that, under the current management regime, the flora of the site continues to develop and improve and it is now a locally, and could soon be a nationally, significant site. Chris has identified one, possibly two, national Biodiversity Action Plan priority species, four that are regionally scarce and a further six which are locally significant. The survey has also highlighted the continuing issue of alien species on the reserve, Crassula helmsii in particular.

The following is a summary of the major findings of the survey. The full report is held in the Moor Green Lakes Group library.

Crassula helmsii is the most abundant alien species on the reserve and the one which poses the greatest threat to the native flora. It became naturalized in Britain in 1956 and began to spread significantly in the 1970s. Since then it has spread rapidly, especially in South East England, where it is of great conservation concern due to its ability to quickly dominate shallow waters and to smother native vegetation. Several of the uncommon species at Moor Green, including pillwort, waterwort and needle spike-like are at risk. It was first recorded on the north margin of Colebrook North Lake in 1991 when it was already locally well established It is now abundant around this lake and has spread to the other two lakes as well. The creation of scrapes for waterfowl also creates ideal habitat for C helmsii to colonize. It is spread by waterfowl, on footwear and on machinery. It is widespread in the Blackwater Valley, the Basingstoke Canal and other wetlands in the region. Even if it were successfully eradicated at Moor Green it would probably re-colonize from nearby sites.

Table 1:  Aquatic and Wetland Plant Species - SPECIES LIST

Table 2:     Total number of aquatic and Wetland plant species

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CHAPTER 10

BEETLES AND SPIDERS

Bob Merritt
Introduction Ken Crick

Bob was going to provide Moor Green with a report on his findings but owing to a hoax computer virus scare, which caused a lot of grief for him and his computer, this has proved impossible to achieve. However prior to his computer problems he did supply us with a comprehensive listing of those Beetles & Spiders he found on our Reserve.

He visited the reserve on both the 25 & 27 of April recording 199 different insects with approximately 110 new to our known species list. Several of the spiders could be identified to genus only owing to their immaturity. They are included in the list where it is clear they are additional species, albeit incompletely identified.

Several of the beetles, Bob felt, needed double checking by another authority and subsequently two amendments were made. These appear as hand written changes to the original text. [incorporated in web version]

From a personal standpoint it is gratifying to have an independent record of Dragonfly & Damselfly larva all of which I have claimed in the past to be breeding on site.

We are indebted to Bob giving his time and specialist knowledge to the reserve, for free, especially as he has to travel from Chesterfield in Derbyshire.

Moor Green Lakes Nature Reserve: details of visit by R. Merritt on 25th and 27th April 2001.
(first draft)

Table 1. Location details, and date of visits

Table 2. Locations, with species and their national statuses

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CHAPTER 11

REPORT FOR 2001 on the REED BED PROJECT

Steve Farmer

The extraction of gravel by RMC Aggregates (Southern) Ltd. from the Manor Farm site, immediately to the west of the Moor Green Nature Reserve, is now well under way. As the gravel extraction is completed the land will be progressively restored. This will take about 10 years to complete. Although the details have not been finalised the initial plans are well advanced. The major pail of the site will be restored as a nature reserve with smaller parts returned to agriculture or used as amenity land It is envisaged that the nature reserve will include three large reed beds with another large shallow lake with reedy margins. The existing Colebrook Cut will be reinstated but on a slightly different course. Water from this Cut will be fed via sluices through the reed beds.

During the next couple of years the Moor Green Lakes Group, in co-operation with RMC will set up a small pilot reed bed. This will be used to investigate which methods of reed propagation will be most suitable for planting up the new reed beds. Several methods are available such as sowing seed directly, raising plants from seed in pots for planting out or taking stem cuttings. The most suitable planting medium will also be established. The pilot reed bed will be set up at the southeast corner of the Manor Farm site, close to the river and just west of Colebrook South Lake. A temporary water supply will be drawn from the diverted Colebrook Col The pilot reed bed is unlikely to be available for tests to start for at least a year.

In the meantime a Reed Bed Project lead by Ken Crick and Steve Farmer, has already been set up. The first objective has been to establish a reliable source of reed seed. These seed will be used to raise plants for the pilot reed bed. Ideally they should be obtained from a local source. During the late autumn and winter panicles of ripe seed of the common reed (Phragmites australis) were collected from 7 different sites. Two of these were very local, being the small reed bed close to the Colebrook hide and the Watersports Lake near Moulsham Lane. Seed were also collected from Fleet Pond, Lakeside Park near Ash and Greywell Fen. In addition seed were collected from two sites much further away, at Arundel in Sussex and Charmouth in Dorset.

Samples of 100 seed were extracted from single panicles. The seed were soaked in cold water overnight. The seed were then sown on the surface of pots of steam sterilized garden loam. The pots were put m a heated propagating box for periods between 8 and 19 days. The soil was kept saturated by standing the pots in containers of water. The propagating box was maintained at a temperature between 18 and 31C (most of the time between 21 and 28C). Germination of viable seed was usually achieved between 1 and 8 days.

A total of 33 samples from the 7 sites were tested. The germination rate varied markedly from zero to 47% for an exceptionally good sample from Arundel. Combining the results for each of the sites showed that the best 3 sites were Arundel, Fleet Pond and Lakeside Park (in descending order of average germination rate). A further test was then conducted using larger samples extracted from a large number of panicles (not used in the previous trials) for each of these three sites. These results showed that Fleet Pond seed had a higher germination rate than Arundel seed with Lakeside Park again lying third.

Finally a trial was conducted using the 5 best individual panicle samples to establish whether the previous results were repeatable. The germination rates were lower in all cases suggesting that the viability of the seed had started to deteriorate in storage.

This series of trials has yielded a number of useful conclusions. The best samples of seed were obtained from large reed beds such as Fled Pond and Arundel. This may reflect the abundance of pollen available for pollination. The final set of trials suggested that the seed may begin to deteriorate unless kept cold and dry, so that storage in a cold, well ventilated garden shed may be necessary.

The next stage in this project will be to raise a small number of pots of seedlings in shallow troughs of water to find out how long it takes to raise plants which are large enough to be planted out in the pilot reed bed. We also intend to try to raise stem cuttings during this summer. Hopefully we will then be in a position to start trials in the field in about a year's time.

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APPENDIX A

 PROFILE OF THE RESERVE

The Moor Green Lakes Reserve lies partly within the area administered by Wokingham District Council and partly within the Borough of Bracknell Forest. The River Blackwater, which forms the boundary between the counties of Berkshire and Hampshire runs close to the southern boundary of the reserve. To the north is Finchampstead Ridges, an area administered by the National Trust. A map of the reserve appears at Appendix I.

The reserve covers an area of approximately 36 hectares (90 acres), the majority of which lies within the flood plain of the River Blackwater. It contains three lakes formed out of flooded gravel pits which are bordered by areas of grassland, planted coppice and wildflower meadow. Two of the lakes, Colebrook Lake North and Colebrook Lake South, are separated by an elongated island through the centre of which runs the old water course of the Colebrook Cut. The third lake, Grove Lake, lies immediately to the east separated by a narrow strip of land. Within the lakes are several gravel-capped islands and gravel beaches.

An important feature of the reserve is the presence of sluices, at the exit of the Colebrook Cut and from Colebrook Lake into the River Blackwater, which allow the level of the water in Colebrook Lakes North and South to be controlled within certain limits. By this method, muddy margins can be exposed ahead of the main spring and autumn passage of wading birds.

Overall management of the reserve is under the control of a Steering Group comprised of representatives of RMC Aggregates (Southern) Ltd, Blackwater Valley Countryside Service and the Moor Green Lakes Group. Practical day to day management and the collection, recording, assessment and dissemination of information about the reserve is undertaken by the Moor Green Lakes Group, which was established in 1993. The group committee members are listed in Appendix H. The necessary costs of the Group not covered by membership subscriptions are met by RMC. Membership is open to all with an interest in the reserve, its wildlife and its management,

Public access to the reserve is restricted to the viewing hides provided by RMC which overlook respectively 'Colebrook Lake North and Grove Lake (see map at Appendix I). Unfortunately vandalism has meant that the hides cannot be left permanently open but members of the public may use the hides whenever they are in use by members of the group (who have access at any time). The Colebrook Lake hide incorporates a viewing window for observers in wheelchairs. When the hides are locked, views over the scrapes adjacent to the hides can be obtained from the screened viewing points alongside -the hides. Views across the reserve can also be obtained from points along the footpath, which runs along the western and southern sides of the reserve.

The main access to the reserve is from Lower Sandhurst Road where a car park has been provided (Ordnance Survey grid reference SU805628). The shortest access to the Grove Lake hide is from the Rambler's Cat Park at the entrance to the Horseshoe Lake Water Sports Centre off Mill Lane (grid reference SU820620).

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APPENDIX B

EVERSLEY GRAVEL PITS (INC MOOR GREEN LAKES RESERVE)
 
ANNUAL BIRD REPORT 2001

LITTLE GREBE Resident and winter visitor. A good breeding season with five pairs rearing a total of at least 11 young. One pair bred on the reserve. A maxima of 18 were recorded on Sept. 15th.
Monthly maxima:

GREAT CRESTED GREBE Common resident. A maxima of 20 were recorded on Jan. 16th. A total of five pairs were present during the summer, three pairs successfully rearing a total of 3 young.
Monthly maxima:

CORMORANT Common winter visitor that oversummers in small numbers. Recorded in all months with maximum count of 47 on Dec. 12th
Monthly maxima:

LITTLE EGRET Scarce visitor. Two records; One on Jul. 17th (MW) and presumably the same bird on Jul. 20th (GR). Recorded in three of the last four years reflecting the increased numbers in southern England.

GREY HERON Common resident.
Monthly maxima:

MUTE SWAN Common resident and winter visitor. Two pairs bred rearing a total of 8 young.
Monthly maxima:

GREYLAG GOOSE Regular visitor. Recorded between Apr.7th and Sept.2nd with a maximum of four on Apr. 14th.

SNOW GOOSE Common resident, with birds from the nearby free flying flock regularly visiting the site. In the early and late winter periods up to 17 (including 4 first-winters) and 16 (including 1 first-winter) birds were present respectively. Although birds were present on the site in summer there was no evidence of breeding.

CANADA GOOSE Abundant resident. The maximum count was of 221 on Dec.22nd.
Monthly maxima: