MGLG - 2004 Annual Report

In last year’s introduction I mentioned that some of the ‘infrastructure’ of the reserve, such as fences, was showing its age and needed a substantial input of effort and money. Also, vegetation growth was spoiling certain habitats, notably the scrapes. I never expected that, just one year later, we would have made such improvements in these areas.

That we have done so is almost entirely due to our good fortune in being able to use a grant from the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund (ALSF) to employ contractors. Sue Dent describes the work done with this grant, as well as our usual work programme, in chapter 2. Sue is unduly modest about her own contribution to this work. The ALSF money would not have been used so productively without her efforts in drawing up job descriptions, liaising with bidders and letting the contracts.

RMC Materials Ltd., the site owner, was taken over during the year by CEMEX, a Mexican-owned cement and aggregates company, which is why this new name appears at various points in the report. The company is currently is in a state of flux while the new managers familiarise themselves with British and European regulations and working practices. We must hope that their commitment to the reserve will not be diminished.

One task that CEMEX has completed during the year is the replacement of sluices, etc, for the control of water flow through the lakes. We are optimistic that the improvements, together with the work carried out with the ALSF grant, will help us to maintain habitat quality, particularly for wading birds around the scrapes.

During the year, Chris Rose resigned from the post of treasurer after many years of service to the group (having also been membership secretary in earlier years). Bruce Archer has stepped into this role. Chris has kindly agreed to continue to collate our annual report for the time being. Sheila Farmer resigned as membership secretary at the end of the year after three years in the post, and Katrina Slocombe relinquished the role of mammal recorder. Brendan McCartney and Ian White have come forward as their respective replacements. We are grateful to all of them for their work on our behalf, both past and present.

Our wildlife recorders have done their usual thorough (and often time-consuming) job of producing the various chapters of this report, which presents a picture of the reserve maintaining its place as a valuable ‘home’ for numerous species. The changes over the years in the relative numbers of different species make fascinating reading. I hope you will find it interesting and enjoyable.

It has been very busy and exciting year at Moor Green. As well as our regular site management tasks, the site has benefited from an Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund (ALSF) grant. Keeping up with the regular tasks while planning and implementing the grant work was quite a challenge but one that the team at Moor Green has risen to - admirably. I would like to start by thanking everyone who has contributed this year: the Moor Green Lakes Group committee and volunteers for all their hard work; CEMEX for their backup, support and finance and the users of the site for their patience and forbearance. I hope that the extra work didn’t spoil your enjoyment of the reserve: it should be very beneficial in the long run.

Thanks also to the volunteers who help to organise and run the tasks, especially Peter Scott for his help with planning and scheduling tasks and to Peter, Simon Weeks and Tony Elston for leading the Sunday tasks. In recent years Steve Farmer has done excellent job of recruiting volunteers and encouraging people to turn up on the day. He has now handed over the reins to Simon Weeks who is carrying on the good work.

Tern and Plover Islands were cleared as usual and a start was made on reducing the amount of bramble and scrub on Long Island.

Finally thanks to everyone who keeps an eye on the reserve and lets us know if things are amiss or cattle are straying. It is much appreciated and a great help. Please keep in touch.

This year Moor Green Lakes Nature Reserve received a grant for £38,000 for habitat and access improvements on the site.

The funding was part of a grant from the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund (ALSF) which supports projects that benefit areas that have been affected by mineral extraction. The funding for Moor Green is part of a grant entitled ‘Building for Nature’, which was awarded to the SouthEast England Development Agency (SEEDA). As well as the practical work at Moor Green the grant included the development of a web site on Mineral Extraction and Biodiversily which can be found at www.mineralbap.com.

Overall the grant has given us an opportunity to tackle some large jobs on the reserve, invest in infrastructure and make substantial improvements both to the habitats of the reserve and the access to it.

Top of the reserve ‘wish list’ was a connection between Long Island and the mainland. Being so big it has been practically impossible to manage Long Island in the way we would like with access only by boat. In particular it isn’t possible to get any large machinery onto the island. Putting a bridge in at the eastern end of the island was considered but we were concerned about putting in a permanent access to the island. It was decided to purchase a pontoon system that would span the gap but that we could move at the end of each work session and moor by the island.

The pontoon is 12 metres long and made of 54 ‘Cubisystem’ modular blocks. It gives a good stable access and has already demonstrated its value in facilitating work on Long Island. It is hoped that it will also be possible to use the pontoon for access to Plover and Goose Islands.

Since it was created in 1997 the scrape outside Grove Hide has very much split into 2 halves. The southern end has gradually covered with vegetation (not ideal for bird watching) while the northern half has remained bare, largely because the water in it has been found to have roughly the pH of lemon juice (and hence contains little food for wading birds).

The two halves of the scrape have been separated from each other with a bund. The level of the northern half has been lowered and two gaps have been made in the bund separating it from the lake. This has allowed water to flood the scrape and has already substantially raised the pH. Most of the vegetation has been removed from the southern half of the scrape.

The scrape outside of Colebrook Hide had gradually become dominated by vegetation that it was impossible to control by hand. It was also felt that creating a greater variety of water depths and a number of small islands rather than one long bund would increase the value of the scrape for feeding birds. All vegetation was removed from the surface of the scrape and bunds, and the main bund between the scrape and the lake was broken up into three islands. The scrape was also widened and a further island created in the centre.

Using our new access to Long Island contractors tackled some of the backlog of scrub bashing including clearing vegetation from 3 of the scrapes.

As part of the overall project CEMEX have funded the clearance of the ditch behind Grove Lake. This had stopped functioning at all and was flooding the internal path and the fields behind the reserve. As part of the process we have thinned the line of alders along the back of Grove Lake. Two 15m sections of the ditch were also widened to encourage marginal vegetation and these will be managed in future years to control bramble and scrub encroachment.

This is an area of the ecology of the reserve that is little known and Dave Williams of Surrey Wildlife Trust has carried out a survey of the reserve. His report is not complete but early results indicate small populations of wood mouse, bank vole, common shrew and pygmy shrew.

Moor Green is in a fortunate position as Ken Crick has been surveying the quality of the water for a number of years as part of his work on dragonfly and damselfly populations on the reserve. A Lab Bench Photometer has been purchased which will allow an improved analysis of water quality to be made including levels of dissolved oxygen, phosphate and nitrate. This equipment will also be available for use on other sites in the valley.

This is a companion guide to the ‘Dragonflies of the Blackwater Valley’ that was produced two years ago. It is hoped that it will encourage local people to get out and explore the countryside of the Blackwater Valley and to use and value their local greenspace. It is written by Peter Martin, an expert on butterflies of the valley. The book is now available from BVCP for £3 including P&P.

The biggest single element of the grant work is the re-surfacing of 400m of footpath from Colebrook Hide to the bridge over the River Blackwater. The path has been resurfaced at a higher level and with a camber and it is hoped that this will provide a dry, firm surface throughout the year. The path on either side of the river bridge has been raised so that there is no longer a significant step up onto the bridge.

The grant has renovated the fencing around the whole reserve, hopefully giving it another lease of life - keeping the cattle in and the dogs out. This has included:

There has been an on-going problem with motorbikes using the paths of the reserve and this grant has provided the opportunity to address the problem. The existing motorbike barrier has been replaced with one which motorised wheelchairs are able to get through. At the same time a ‘horse stile’ has been installed across the bridleway. This is essentially 2 sleepers on end that horses and bikes can step over but motor bikes cannot.

A similar system has been installed just south of the bridge over the River Blackwater - which we believe is the main access route for motor bikes onto the site.

This grant has given us a great opportunity to make some real progress on the reserve - and achieve some things from our ‘wish list’ that would not otherwise have been possible. Some of the jobs are one-offs that hopefully will need little or no attention in the near future. With the habitat work such as the scrapes and ditches their progress will be monitored and it is hoped that it will be possible to maintain them in good condition with volunteers or by occasional use of contractors.

During the year 132 species were recorded of which 65 were present in suitable breeding habitat in the summer, including one new breeding species. One new species was added to the site list, Slavonian Grebe, bringing the total number of species recorded to 204.

In the early winter period there was a site record count of 279 Gadwall on Jan.17th. This continues resurgence in numbers over the last few winters. Other duck numbers were as expected, although Wigeon were down a little with a peak count of 395. Up to three Little Egret visited the site in early January, representing the first multiple occurrence. Goosander again used the site regularly for roosting, although daytime numbers were slightly down. Egyptian Geese were on eggs during February, making them amongst the earliest breeders and the first such record for the site. Two Red Breasted Mergansers were also noteworthy, being the first record for some years.

Spring was heralded by a relatively early Willow Warbler on March 22nd, when Buzzards began to put in more regular appearances. The first evidence of wader passage was a March Oystercatcher and this was to begin a good spring for the species. Highlight of the month was several sightings of Caspian Gull, a newly recognised race of Herring Gull from the East. The month closed with another record of two Red Breasted Merganser. During April there was a good wader passage with plenty of variety including Jack Snipe, 5 Whimbrel, and Bar Tailed Godwit, the first on the deck for many years! Other notable April records included Little Gull and a singing Grasshopper Warbler. May was even better for quality with a fine summer plumage Spotted Redshank, more Little Gulls, a Nightjar and Osprey.

Generally for most species it was a successful breeding season. Little Ringed Plovers again bred successfully on and off the reserve while a pair of Redshank valiantly raised one young despite consistent harassment from predators. Lapwing were also moderately successful for the second successive year. The reserve was again dominated by the expanding gull colony that increased in size from 8 pairs last year to approximately 80! Nevertheless the Common Terns continued to thrive, rearing at least 23 young. Mandarin continued to do well in nestboxes and natural holes. Gadwall bred successfully for the third year and Tufted Duck did moderately well, rearing four broods. Barnacle Geese bred on the reserve, and Kingfisher and Grey Wagtail were successful in their traditional sites on the river. Buzzard and Hobby were seen regularly on the site during the summer and both probably bred nearby. In June there was a Red Kite and a few records of Little Egret, the first ever summer records.

In late summer/autumn the highlight was probably an obliging Wood Sandpiper that stayed for nine days, invariably in the Colebrook scrape. Other waders included a brief staying Ruff, Greenshank and Ringed Plover. September’s highlight was undoubtedly four records of Osprey involving at least two birds, including the first multiple occurrence, and a record count of 34 Egyptian Geese. Autumn closed with an excellent record of Sandwich Tern that sadly only lingered for 15 minutes in October. The year closed with some notable December records including an unseasonal Black Tailed Godwit, seven Pintail and two Brent Geese, but pride of place goes to the first site record of Slavonian Grebe that largely gave obliging views on CLS but did leave on a Friday night!

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.

A quantitative survey of the meadows on the North and West sides of Colebrook Lake North was undertaken using a method based on National Vegetational Classification Methodology. This method has been used since 1997.

Ten random samples (1 x 1 m) were surveyed on 16th July 2004, five on the North side and five on the West side of the Lake.

In each of the sample squares the species present were identified and quantified on the abundance present –

Table A gives the frequency and abundance of the species found in the samples squares while Table B lists other species noted in the immediately surrounding areas.

As in previous surveys black knapweed, ox-eye daisy and ribwort plantain were abundant and there were increased amounts of bird’s-foot trefoil, common mouse ear and lesser stitchwort. On the North side there was more wild carrot and more selfheal on the West side. Several new species were recorded including scarlet pimpernel, eyebright and goatsbeard. Eyebright was an unexpected find. Goatsbeard had been seen adjacent to the path in 2003 and was found in one plot this year.

Among the grasses Agrostis continued to be abundant and there was an increase in ryegrass.

Again there was little evidence of tree or shrub invasion in the sample areas although bramble continues to increase in the surrounding areas.

Seventeen of the 23 species in the original seed mix were found in the sample squares and two more in the surrounding area.

The number of species found in the survey of the meadow areas of Colebrook Lake North has remained fairly consistent over the past eight years with the exception of 2003.

The reduction in 2003 was probably due, as reported in the 2003 Annual Report, to the season and the abundance of rank growth which made some species difficult to find and identify. Up to now the survey has been postponed until the bird nesting season was largely over to avoid bird disturbance. This makes it more difficult to identify those species whose flowering is over, particularly if the grasses are flourishing. It is, therefore, proposed to survey earlier next year.

Thanks are due to Irene Draper, Doreen Dye, Lettice Tanner and Marjorie Trendall for their help with this survey.

	LATIN NAME	COMMON NAME	COLEBROOK LAKE NORTH
			North Side	West Side
S	Achillea millefolium	Yarrow	III (2-5)	0
	Anagallis arvensis	Scarlet pimpemel	I (1)	0
S	Centaurea nigra	Black knapweed	IV (1-5)	V (4-9)
	Cerastium fontanum	Common mouse-ear	IV (1-3)	V (1-4)
	Cirsium	Thistle	I (1)	II (2)
	Crepis capillaris	Smooth hawksbeard	I (1)	0
S	Daucus carota	Wild carrot	IV (1-7)	II (1)
	Euphrasia officinalis	Eyebright	I (1)	0
	Filago vulgaris	Common cudweeed	II (1)	0
S	Galium verum	Lady’s bedstraw	III (1-7)	I (7)
	Geranium dissectum	Cut-leaved cranesbill	0	II (3-5)
	Geranium pratense	Meadow cranesbill	0	I (2)
S	Hypericum perforatum	Perforate St.John’s wort	II (1)	0
S	Hypochaeris radicata	Common catsear	II (1)	0
	Lathyrus pratensis	Meadow vetchling	I (3)	0
S	Leucanthemum vulgare	Ox-eye daisy	V (4-8)	III (1-2)
S	Lotus corniculatus	Bird’s-foot trefoil	IV (4-5)	III (1-8)
	Lychnis flos-cuculi	Ragged robin	0	I (1)
	Matricaria spp	Mayweed	I (1)	0
S	Medicago lupulina	Black medick	III (1-4)	I (3)
S	Plantago lanceolata	Ribwort plantain	V (1-8)	V (2-9)
	Polygonum aviculare	Knot grass	I (1)	0
	Prunella vulgaris	Selfheal	0	III (1-5)
	Ranunculus acris	Meadow buttercup	II (1)	I (1)
	Ranunculus repens	Creeping buttercup	II (1-3)	IV (1-3)
	Rubus fructicosus agg	Bramble	II (1-4)	0
S	Rumex acetosa	Sorrel	I (1)