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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION TO THE THIRTEENTH REPORT OF THE

MOOR GREEN LAKES GROUP

Peter Scott

The various chapters of this report, prepared by our wildlife recorders, indicate that the reserve is maintaining its status as an attractive habitat. Naturally some species show declines, but these are balanced by increases elsewhere. It is a cliché that ‘this is no time for complacency’, but we can be reasonably pleased with the current situation.

If this is to continue, it is essential that we maintain (and possibly enhance) the mix of vegetation. The work parties play an essential role here, so that only the heaviest jobs have to be undertaken by outside contractors. In chapter 2, Sue Dent describes the work done last year. Much was achieved, but there is always more that could be done. The work programme can only become larger as we begin to tackle jobs on the adjacent Manor Farm site as restoration proceeds there. The Sunday work groups, though successful, were somewhat smaller last year than in the previous couple of years, so more volunteers would be welcome. If you are able to lend a hand, even if only occasionally, please contact Simon Weeks so that he can keep you informed of forthcoming tasks.

Many members contribute records of their wildlife sightings and the recorders give due credit in their reports. Please keep it up! This information is vital to our assessment of the effects of our work and to indicate where action may be needed.

Although CEMEX’s management systems still seem to be a little unsettled, there has been no substantial change to its commitment to the reserve. One important job that it undertook was unblocking the outlet pipe in the south-west corner of Colebrook Lake North. Although the new sluice installed earlier had been expected to solve our problems in controlling water levels, it soon became a clear that a blockage was making it ineffective. It turned out that tree roots had grown into the pipe. These have now been cleared and a manhole installed to make future maintenance easier.

As Appendix G shows, there has been just one recent change in committee membership. Brendan McCartney was unable to continue as membership secretary and has been replaced by Keith Littler. I am very grateful to them both, and to all other members, for their efforts.

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CHAPTER 2

SITE MANAGEMENT REPORT APRIL 2005 TO MARCH 2006

Dr Sue Dent

Countryside & Access Officer

Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership

General Site Management 2005

The Islands

Long Island has been one of the management priorities for this year. For several years now it hasn’t been possible to spend enough time on the island to keep up with the intended management. As a result large areas have become dominated by dense bramble which was threatening to swamp the whole island. There are also six ‘scrapes’ around the island, which have become very overgrown, in one case virtually disappearing completely.

This year we have had the new pontoon bridge to get to and from the island and this has made a great difference. Not only is it much quicker to get people to and from the island, allowing us to tackle the clearance of the scrapes, but we can get small machinery across and this has allowed us to make real inroads into the bramble and scrub.

As so much has changed since the site Management Plan was written, we are carrying out a review of the management of Long Island which can then be incorporated into the next revision of the Reserve Management Plan. We plan to make the island a priority for the next couple of years and hopefully we should be able to make the most of this, potentially, very useful piece of habitat for the reserve.

Tern, Plover and Sandpiper Islands were cleared as usual this year. Clearing the islands is hard work for the volunteers, but it is manageable and it does seem to create the type of habitat that many breeding birds, such as the terns, require.

Plantation Viewing Slots

The cutting of viewing slots along the southern edge of the reserve has continued this year, continuing the pattern of rotation that has now been in place for three years. Re-growth of trees that have been coppiced in the last couple of years has been quite poor, almost certainly because of a combination of deer and cattle grazing. If the ‘rotation’ is going to be successful it is important that the trees are able to regenerate quickly and so mesh tree guards have been put up around many of the trees cut this year, and some of those still struggling from last year. Hopefully this will give them a chance to keep ahead of the browsers.

Bramble and Scrub -  as usual

Over the rest of the reserve the bramble remains a theme. The areas that were cut with a tractor a couple of years ago have done well and an annual cut is keeping the re-growth under control. The routine of clearing the lake edges also continues and seems to be working well. 

Cattle

Once again a small group of cows grazed the site in the autumn. They were a different group this year and, while they did roam around the boundaries, they didn’t manage to find the escape routes that the previous group used on several occasions last year.

'Alien’ species'

Crassula remains around the site without perhaps getting rapidly worse. It was noticeable how quickly it spread back across the scrape outside Colebrook hide, which had been completely cleaned out in spring 2005. We hope to do some spraying in the autumn to try and keep it in check and the volunteers have been raking it out of scrapes, which works reasonably well so long as it isn’t too dense and heavy.

This year for the first time an attempt was made to tackle Himalayan Balsam, mainly along the river edge to the south of the reserve. This was part of a wider ‘Pink Peril Pull’ throughout the Blackwater Valley and we hope to repeat it again this year.

Conservation Volunteers

As always the management of the reserve is only possible because of the hard work and support of a dedicated band of volunteers, both from the Moor Green Lake Group and the Blackwater Valley Countryside Volunteers. Without their support and enthusiasm it simply would not be possible to manage the reserve as we do.

The Moor Green Lakes Group have been out for 7 Sundays from September to March and this year the group took on extra work cutting some of the viewing slots and did 4 mid-week tasks. Overall they have done 87 days of practical work, with an average of 8 people out on the Sunday Tasks. Special thanks go to Peter Scott, Simon Weeks and Tony Elston who have led the Moor Green Lakes Group tasks. This has been backed up by the Blackwater Valley Tuesday group who have done 8 tasks and 137 days.

Which all comes to 224 days of volunteer effort, or over £13 thousand pounds worth of work.

Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund grant, an update

It is now over a year since the work funded by the ALSF grant was completed and it has had a real impact on the site and its management.

• The pontoon has been a great success. It has been regularly used through the winter and is providing just the improved access that we had hoped for.

• The new stiles and gates at the access points are working well and would seem to be keeping motor bikes off the reserve. One was slightly damaged but was repaired and there has been no (?) re-occurrence.

• The new footpath surface is settling in well.

• The book on the Butterflies of the Blackwater Valley, which was funded as part of the grant, has been produced and is available to buy from BVCP.

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CHAPTER 3

REPORT ON BIRDS 2005

Recorder: Ian Brown

During the year 132 species were recorded of which 66 were present in suitable breeding habitat in the summer. One new species was added to the site list, Whiskered Tern, bringing the total number of species recorded to 205.

In the early winter period waterfowl numbers were consistent with those of recent years for most species except Coot, which were dramatically reduced. Cormorant numbers continued to increase with a site record count of 98 in January. Up to four Little Egret visited the site in early year, being firmly established as a regular visitor. Goosander again used the site regularly for roosting, although daytime numbers were slightly down. Other records included the now regular wintering Pintail, occasional Golden Plover, Peregrine and finally, Buzzards were in evidence in all months for the first time.

Spring arrived in late March with the earliest ever Common Tern on 24th! Wader passage started mid month with Curlew, a long staying Oystercatcher (the first of at least eight birds in year), returning Little Ringed Plovers and Jack Snipe. A Ruddy Duck took up residence on Grove, remaining for six weeks. During April there were seemingly interesting sightings each day! The month started with a very early Reed Warbler (2nd) several Whimbrel, two Mediterranean Gulls (including a ringed bird, see Appendix B for details), Peregrine, five Little Gulls in one group, a singing Grasshopper Warbler, and late in the month two excellent records of Short Eared Owl (same bird?) after a 17 year absence. Ringed Plover were frequently on the site at this time. May was to get even better with the undoubted highlight of the year, a fine summer plumaged Whiskered Tern, that whilst being elusive a times proved very popular amongst birders, putting in several visits during a six day spell. Other birds included two Arctic Terns, a Black Tern, more Whimbrel, another Little Gull, Oystercatchers, Mediterranean Gull, Osprey and a long staying Snipe in breeding habitat till early June.

It was a relatively poor year for breeding waders with Little Ringed Plover and Lapwing rearing small numbers of young together with Redshank falling due to predation. Tufted Duck, Mandarin and Gadwall all fared much better. Black Headed Gulls continued to expand and thrive whilst Common Tern numbers remained stable, with at least 25 young reared. Egyptian Geese also continued to thrive after breeding for the first time last year, rearing 8 young from two broods. Other species that had a good breeding season, either on the reserve or nearby, were Little Owl, Buzzard, Hobby, Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail and Skylark. On the debit side Great Crested Grebe failed to rear any young and there were no spring records of Lesser Whitethroat.

Mid summer started with some excellent records in July (often a less productive month!), a pair of eclipse Garganey and a remarkable group of 15 Black Tailed Godwits, with further records of two singletons before the end of the month. A Wood Sandpiper was a short stayer mid month whilst a long staying Oystercatcher ensured the best year ever for the species. August’s highlight was a brief staying Arctic Tern whilst September was brightened by an Osprey and Red Kite. October traditionally produces some good birds and this year it was the third site record of Black Necked Grebe. The newly installed Owl boxes were occupied by a Barn Owl (till year end) and an influx of Bramblings began.

The year ended with a good build up of geese involving several species, a site record count of 138 Teal, more Pintail, a Ruddy Duck and a group of 13 Golden Plover with Lapwings.

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

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CHAPTER 4

BOTANICAL SURVEY 2005

Recorder Dr Delphine Hoyle

In addition to the annual quantitative survey of wild flowers on the North and West sides of Colebrook Lake North carried out on 25 May 2005 three further surveys were undertaken.

A survey of grasses (led by June Chatfield) was conducted on 2 June using approximately the same 1 m quadrats as for the wild flower survey. A survey of the recently coppiced woodland next to Colebrook Cut was conducted on 16 August and of the Corner Wood on 25 August. The results of the woodland surveys are given in Table C together with the wild flowers found outside the sample squares

The meadow survey followed the usual method. Ten random samples (1 x 1 m) were surveyed on 25 May 2005, five on the North side and five on the West side of the Lake. (See map at Appendix I).

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

In addition the frequency of occurrence was also recorded -

The abundance and frequency of the wild flowers found in the sample squares are given in Table A.

The survey was carried out a little earlier this year before the grasses took over making it a. little easier to identify the plants. Black knapweed, common mouse-ear, ox-eye daisy, bird’s foot trefoil, ribwort plantain, lesser stitchwort and red and white clover were all abundant. There was more perforate St John’s wort, sheep’s sorrel and common vetch on the North side and ragged robin and common sorrel on the West side

There was little evidence of tree or shrub invasion on the squares.

Nineteen of the original sown species were found in the squares and in the surrounding area.

Table A

Note:  S = Sown species

Table B