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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION TO THE SIXTEENTH REPORT OF THE

MOOR GREEN LAKES GROUP

 Peter Scott

As shown in the following chapters, our wildlife recorders and conservation volunteers have again done a good job for the group and the reserve.

For the second successive year, summer weather was generally poor. This clearly had a detrimental effect on the numbers of some animals seen, notably butterflies. Nevertheless, bird numbers were well up to the usual levels, the number of species breeding on the site being a record. This success was rather offset by the failure of some species to raise many young, gulls and terns having a particularly hard time.  Predation by mink is suspected.  Our efforts to trap these unwelcome visitors have, so far, been in vain.

Colin Proudley has continued his surveys of moths, instigated last year. Despite the weather, Colin managed a number of ‘trapping evenings’, for one session being helped by the Berkshire Moth Group. This was very successful, as reported in chapter 10: the reserve list of moth species now rivals that for birds.

Contributions from outside the group are always welcome and we are grateful for the bird-ringing efforts of Tim Ball, Paul James and Karen Tucker of the Reading and Basingstoke Ringing Group. This is the second year they have done this and their efforts are reported in chapter 4.

Some of our recorders, having filled their roles for many years, have indicated a wish to reduce their survey efforts. Add to this our general wish to extend our surveys westwards to include Manor Farm and (eventually) Fleethill Farm as the restoration of those sites proceeds, and it is clear that we need more volunteers to help with this important aspect of our work. If you can help, please contact the relevant recorders: interest, rather than great expertise, is our need.

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CHAPTER 2

Moor Green Lakes Nature Reserve

SITE MANAGEMENT REPORT

APRIL 2008 TO MARCH 2009

 Dr Sue Dent

Countryside & Access Officer

Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership

General Site Management 2008/9

Islands

Plover Island.  A jetty has been constructed to allow the pontoon bridge to be used to connect the island to the mainland. The bramble on Plover Island has also been treated with herbicide which has helped considerably with clearance but there is still a considerable cover. 

Long Island, grassland management concentrated on the northern side of the island this year and some clearance of scrapes.

Tern Island has really benefited from being treated with a general herbicide in late summer. The result has been less vegetation in the summer and this year a relatively easy job clearing the vegetation and very little bramble left. We now won’t spray again until the bramble shows signs of taking hold again.

There is an on-going problem with erosion around the island which is encouraged by the high levels of the lake. This may be helped once it is possible to control the level of water in the lake but this is unlikely to be possible for some years. In the meantime sandbags are being used to help to stop the mink fence from being undermined. This seems to need doing each year, but it does seem to be effective.

Grass / scrub

This year a new group of Irish Moiled cattle grazed the reserve in the autumn, with four cows, three calves and a rather magnificent bull called Clarence. They did a good job of clearing the grass and seemed to settle down well.   The volunteer groups have done sterling work this year clearing scrub, bramble and the willow and alder around the lake edge, clearing most of the northern shore of both Colebrook North and Grove Lake.

Plantations to the southern edge of the Reserve

The rotational cutting of blocks in the plantation continued this year. The use of tree guards to protect the newly coppiced trees from deer grazing is working well and there is good re-growth after just one season. The guards can then be reused and moved on to the newly cut blocks. Up two ten blocks are cut each year and left to gradually re-grow. This acts as a ‘coppice’ rotation around the southern edge of the site, with a triple benefit of providing scrub habitat, stopping a tall wood developing and providing views onto the lake at regular intervals

Other Reserve matters

Viewing screen.  The Blackwater Valley Countryside Trust set up a project with SC Johnson to install a viewing screen that looks out across Colebrook South from the footpath.  SC Johnson funded the materials for the hide and it was installed by a team of their volunteers.

Moor Green bridleway. This year the BVCP received a grant of £53,000 from Natural England through Defra’s Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund. This funded three access improvement projects in the Valley, including re-surfacing 700m of Bridleway 49 which runs south from the Lower Sandhurst Road car park to the river.  The total value of the project was £75,000. The bridleway improvement was made possible by generous match funding from:  Wokingham Borough Council, Cemex UK, Blackwater Valley Countryside Trust and Finchampstead Parish Council. 

Conservation Volunteers

As always the conservation volunteers have made it possible to keep up with the management of the reserve. In total there have been 253 volunteer days at Moor Green this year representing at least £13,000 worth of work. This is a tremendous effort but new volunteers are always welcome: there is always more that can be done.

The Moor Green Lakes Group has done 6 tasks this year although even this dedicated group were stopped by the snows in early February.  Overall they contributed 76 days of practical work and we were very pleased to welcome 9 new volunteers over the season as well as 25 ‘regulars’.  Special thanks to Peter Scott, Simon Weeks and Tony Elston who help with organising and leading the Moor Green Lakes Group tasks.  

Moor Green is always a very popular destination with the Blackwater Valley Tuesday group who did 9 tasks with an average of 17 volunteers on each task.  The BVCP Countryside Ranger Tim Mockridge who had led the group for five years left this year to work for the National Trust at Frensham Little Pond.  Stuart Croft started in December and has very quickly picked up the reins.

Special thanks also to Simon Weeks who acts as Site Liaison Officer and checks the cattle while they are on site.

Manor Farm. The trial plantings on the new reedbed areas have carried on this year. The success of planting from previous years has been variable and they are slow to become established. The ground and water north of the river is very acidic and this may be slowing down the speed at which the reed establishes. Fortunately the existing reed beds on Moor Green are proving to be reliable donor sites and appear to be recovering as quickly as they are harvested.

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CHAPTER 3

 REPORT ON BIRDS 2008

Recorder: Ian Brown

During the year 136 species were recorded of which 70 were present in suitable breeding habitat in the summer. This is the highest total ever recorded (cf previous highest of 67 in 1996, 2006 & 2007) and is probably largely reflective of the site management plan and the diversity of habitat created through a programme of extended gravel extraction. On the plus side was the first ever confirmed breeding of Grey Heron with one pair successfully rearing two young. Sand Martin bred successfully for the first time since 2003 and other recent additions to the breeding list such as Greylag and Egyptian Geese, continued to thrive although on the debit side Yellowhammer was down to one pair. The site list remained at 209 species recorded.

In the early winter period waterfowl numbers were generally at expected levels but exceptional numbers of Shoveler used the site resulting in a record count of 183 in February. Highlights included Jack Snipe, returning Barn Owl, good numbers of Goosander roosting and a brief staying Red Crested Pochard in February. Peregrine was a regular visitor during this period continuing their range expansion. Little Egret’s were again regular visitors and a handful of Golden Plover were recorded.

Spring began with the first returning waders in mid March with Little Ringed Plover, Redshank and Jack Snipe recorded before the months end. Early April was notable for good numbers of fine summer plumaged Brambling, two Ospreys and the first appearances of Red Kite. From mid month passage really began with Whimbrel, Mediterranean Gulls, Little Gulls, a very good passage of White Wagtail, Water Pipit and a Firecrest. In addition at least one, possibly two singing Nightingales graced the site for the first time since 1994! May is traditionally one of the best months in the year and 2008 was no exception, with a good wader passage including more Whimbrel (including a group of 8), Turnstone, Sanderling, Oystercatcher and the sites sixth Temminck’s Stint. In addition, there was a very good passage of Black Terns, Arctic Tern briefly plus Grasshopper Warbler, Whinchat and Yellow Wagtail.

The breeding season was one of mixed success with waders doing poorly overall. Redshank failed and Lapwing plus Little Ringed Plover raised few young. Waterfowl generally did much better with 32 Tufted Duck reared and Mandarin did moderately well as did Egyptian and Greylag Geese. Black Headed Gull and Common Tern again largely failed for the third year in succession with Tern Island again suffering predation, with Mink the favoured culprit.  Barn Owls did not succeed but this reflected poor weather, limited prey availability and general failure elsewhere in the wider region. Other species that had a good breeding season either on the reserve or nearby were Sand Martin, Little Owl, Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail and Skylark.

Wader passage started in late June featuring Black Tailed Godwit and Dunlin. July and August brought Greenshank, Whimbrel, Oystercatcher, up to 13 Green Sandpipers, several Black Tailed Godwits plus regular records of Shelduck. Highlight of the autumn was the third site record of Sandwich Tern, and passerine passage included Yellow Wagtail, Wheatear and Spotted Flycatcher. September saw 2 Whinchats, a Tree Pipit, more Yellow Wagtails and a record count of 138 Egyptian Geese (less than ten years ago they were of less than annual occurrence!) In October there was a long staying Little Stint, up to 38 Golden Plover, Caspian Gull, Osprey and Peregrine.

The year ended with more Golden Plover, returning Little Egrets, good numbers of Goosander, Jack Snipe, Barn Owl, a few Brambling, but the highlight was undoubtedly an immature Hen Harrier that graced the new workings and CLN for two consecutive December days enabling many to catch up with this previously elusive species.

Again my thanks go to the band of observers who submit records especially including those who provide observers names on the log sheet (it is helpful if there is a need to follow up on any record).

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CHAPTER 4

MOOR GREEN LAKES RINGING PROJECT 2008 REPORT

Tim Ball, Paul James, Karen Tucker

Following the successful start to our ringing project in 2007 we decided to continue in 2008, and we decided to join a colour ringing project run by Cotswold Water Park Ringing Group (CWPRG). The aims of this study are to gather data on the survival, movements and inter-changes between colonies in the south of England. There have already been reports of two different CWPRG Black-headed Gulls at Moor Green in previous years and there would appear to be a very good prospect of rapidly collecting useful data.

Typical recovery rates from metal rings are only around 5% for Black-headed Gulls and colour ringing provides much more information and can build up quite detailed life histories of individual birds. Colour rings are significantly more expensive than metal rings and grants were applied for and gratefully received from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and Wokingham District Council.

Unfortunately the 2008 season was disastrous for Black-headed Gulls. Some late work on Tern Island disturbed the Gulls and meant they didn’t start laying until quite late in the season. Consequently our first, and as it turned out only, ringing trip was made on 19 June – some 15 days later than the first trip in 2007. When we reached the island we discovered that the heavy rain earlier in the month had been disastrous and there were just 2 surviving chicks from about 100 nests. These chicks were too small for the colour rings and were just ringed with metal rings. A number of nests still had eggs and hopes that these were still being incubated were dashed over the following days as no new chicks were seen and the two ringed chicks also quickly disappeared.

The weather had also affected other breeding birds on Tern Island – there was no sign of the Little Ringed Plover pair or Redshank pair that had been noted earlier in June and the estimated 10 pairs of Common Terns had only managed to raise three chicks – these were well grown on 19 June and were ringed and ultimately fledged.

On a much brighter note we have had two recoveries from the 79 chicks ringed in 2007 (of which no more than 74 fledged):

          EW49055       Ringed                     15/06/07

                             Destroyed -              24/01/08       Risca, Newport, Caerphilly

road casualty                               (158 km, W, 223 days)

          EW49056       Ringed                    15/06/07

                             Unknown                 16/06/08       Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire, Indre-et-Loire,

France (452 km, SSE, 1 yr 1 day)

          There are no details of how this bird was found in France, presumably it was found dead

 or shot!

Whilst it is disappointing that these birds didn’t live very long survival studies have show that only about 44% of Black-headed Gulls reach 2 years old – but after that they can live a very long time – the British record from ringing is nearly 28 years! These recoveries mirror results from CWPRG colour ringing which show a spread of sightings from Cork to Cheshire, Calais and Cornwall.

Hopefully 2009 will be a much better breeding season and we hope to use our initial stock of colour rings then. That should mean that the 2009 report will have even more information than this one.

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CHAPTER 5

BOTANICAL SURVEY 2008

Peter Scott

Quantitative surveys of the meadow areas on the north and west sides of Colebrook Lake North have been undertaken since 1997. The method used is based on the National Vegetation Classification. Ten one-metre-square quadrats are identified, five on each side of the lake. In 2007 two visits were made, in May and July.  All ten quadrats were surveyed each time. In 2008 two visits were made, in June and August.

In each of the sample squares the species present were identified and quantified by the area of the quadrat they covered -

In addition the frequency of occurrence was also recorded -

Table A gives the frequency and abundance of the thirty-five species other than grasses (which were not surveyed) found in the quadrats. This is ten fewer than found in 2007. The most frequent and/or abundant species were mostly the same as in 2007: Black Knapweed, Lady’s Bedstraw, Cut-leaved Crane’s-bill, Oxeye Daisy, Lesser Stitchwort, Ribwort Plantain and Red Clover.  An increased abundance of Common Mouse-ear was noted, while Smooth Tare and White Clover were less abundant (though still quite common).

Table B lists, in column B1, other species noted in the surrounding areas. Two other sites were also surveyed.  These were the Colebrook Cut Wood and the Corner Wood (near the river). The additional species found at these two sites are given in columns B2 and B3.  Species listed in Table A are repeated in Table B only if they were found in one or both of the two woods.  The 38 species listed in this table is 12 fewer than the 2007 equivalent.

The fact that the two surveys were both conducted about one month later than the 2007 equivalents may account, in part, for the decrease in the number of species listed in Table A and column B1 of Table B. The team remarked that many plants were ‘past their best’ and difficult to identify among the dense grass. The number found in Colebrook Cut Wood was also much reduced from the previous year, probably because Stinging Nettle has become very dense there, suppressing other species. The Corner Wood, where the path south of Colebrook hide meets the riverside path, is less dominated by nettle, and the number of species found there was similar to 2007.

One particularly pleasing ‘find’ was  a rare record of an orchid on the reserve. Several plants of Broad-leaved Helleborine were discovered in the Corner Wood, and members reported others growing at various places alongside perimeter footpaths.

I am grateful to Pauline Crick, Irene Draper, Doreen Dye, Steve and Sheila Farmer and Delphine Hoyle for their help with the surveys.

Table A.  Quadrat Surveys 

Note:  S = Sown species

Table B.  Plants Recorded in other locations

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CHAPTER 6

REPORT ON BUTTERFLIES FOR 2008

Recorder Sue Proudley

No butterflies were recorded at Moor Green during February and March 2008. The first butterflies to be recorded were: - 2 Brimstones, 6 Peacocks, a Red Admiral and a Small Tortoiseshell on 4th April.

In April, Brimstone and Peacock numbers were down by more than 50% on the previous year; Orange Tips by 75%. Only one Red Admiral was recorded. Speckled Wood and Comma numbers also showed a slight decrease. There were 2 Holly Blues and one Green-veined White. It was good to find one Small Tortoiseshell as they are getting very scarce.

In May Speckled Wood numbers rose to 21. There were a few more Orange Tips, 5 Holly Blues, 7 Peacocks and only 2 Commas. Brimstone numbers remained at 10.

8 Large Skippers were recorded in June and one in July. Just 2 Small/Essex skippers were recorded in July.

A single Small Copper was seen in August and again in September. 2 Common Blues were recorded in September while Holly Blues were recorded in April, May, July and August.

2 Purple Hairstreaks were seen in July but there were no Green Hairstreaks.

Despite the dismal summer weather Meadow Browns peaked at 35 in July, Gatekeepers at 29

and 23 Ringlets.

Good numbers of Speckled Woods were seen from April to October. Commas were seen from May to October but only in single figures.

No Marbled Whites were recorded in 2008. There were no Clouded Yellows or Painted Ladies.   

The last butterflies recorded were 2 Red Admirals, 2 Commas, and 5 Speckled Woods on

8th October.

The list of species observed on the reserve in 2008 is as follows:

MOOR GREEN BUTTERFLIES

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CHAPTER 7

REPORT ON DRAGONFLIES AND DAMSELFLIES FOR 2008

 Ken Crick

Unfortunately this year there were only 6 site survey visits; the core of the flight season for Dragonflies was lost due to personal injury. The results published below are a combination of the data from members’ observations and the 6 survey visits.

Work parties have had access to the new workings and Steve Bailey has reported 100+ Four-spotted Chasers and Black-tailed Skimmers over the Manor Farm site. On the 1^st July, Stuart Croft provided for identification purposes, a dead female Emperor Dragonfly from the Manor Farm site. My thanks go to Chris Rose, John Dixon, Ian Brown, Steve Bailey , Stuart Croft & JW/RW for their contributions.

ODONATA CHECKLIST

2008

DAMSELFLIES Zygoptera

*A brief netting session, on the 7th May, in the River Blackwater produced 11 larvae

DRAGONFLIES Anisoptera

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CHAPTER 8

REPTILE REPORT FOR 2008

 Peter Scott

Reptile recording on site has two components:

• Regular inspections of ‘basking sheets’ (and their surroundings) in two areas:
  a) six sheets within 50 metres of the hibernaculum near Colebrook Lake North;
  b) six sheets on the north shore of Grove lake, five new sheets having been added to the only one remaining from previous years;

• Casual reports of sightings anywhere on the reserve.

Regular inspections

Ten sheet-inspection visits were made between April and September. All sheets were checked each time.  Only three snakes were found in all those visits, all of them under the same sheet near Grove Lake. The results are summarised in the following table: 

Summary of surveys of reptile basking tins

This is by far the ‘leanest’ year for reptile sightings since systematic surveys began in 2002. The total lack of reptiles at the sheets on the north bank of Colebrook Lake is particularly disappointing. There was no obvious change from the previous year in site or weather conditions that might explain the abrupt decrease.

Casual reports

Only one reptile (a grass snake swimming in the river) was reported, the lowest number ever noted by members. 

Summary

With only small numbers of reptiles being seen even in ‘good’ years, it is difficult to know whether this decrease is just a rather extreme example of year-to-year variation, or reflects a real population decline. Time will tell. 

I am grateful to Ian Hornby who reported the grass snake in the river. Please take the trouble to note your sightings on the forms in the hides.

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CHAPTER 9

2008 REPORT ON NEST BOXES 

Bruce Archer

Forty-seven nest boxes were monitored with eleven visits between 10th February and 14th June 2008 taking 28 hours in the field. Because this involves ladder work, two people are required for safety reasons. I am indebted to Les Thorn, Chris Gent and Robert Godden for their help with the monitoring.

Five of the nest boxes are on the Manor Farm site (new workings), the remaining 42 being on the Reserve and along the bridleway. 30 are woodcrete tit boxes, of which 29 were occupied, 15 are large wooden boxes, of which 8 were used by nesting birds (Grey Squirrels occupy some of these) and 2 are open-fronted boxes neither of which were used this year.

The above Table gives the annual summary for 2007 and 2008, with mean dates. It shows that Great Tits did better this year at the expense of the Blue Tits. With 78mm of rain in both April and May, conditions were far worse that last year, affecting the supply of food. This probably accounted for the 2008 dates being consistently later than in 2007.

The table at the end of this report shows data for each nest giving the statistical analysis of the results and the survival rates for each species. In 2008 a total of 318 eggs were laid in the boxes being monitored and 208 birds left the nests; this is 22 less than in 2007.

Blue Tit

Eight boxes were occupied by Blue Tits: first egg dates were between 5th and 29th of April. The clutch sizes were between 3 and 17 eggs - a total of 86 in all. Only 37 young hatched and 36 fledged. One nest was predated and 4 deserted, including the clutch of 17. One deserted clutch (box 31) was replaced and successfully fledged in June. Although there was no hard evidence, the clutch of 16 eggs which resulted in 14 fledged young was probably the result of two females sharing the nest and feeding duties; it was the only nest where all the hatched young were fledged.

Great Tit

Twenty one boxes were used by Great Tits in 2008; the first egg date was between the 5th April and 4th May. Two nests were predated and 3 deserted; one of the deserted nests (box 03) was successfully reused. 183 eggs were laid, of which 137 hatched and 121 fledged. Great Tits were also seen nesting in some of the bat boxes.

Mandarin Duck

Five of the large wooden boxes were used by Mandarin Ducks in 2008 to lay 44 eggs and produced 35 young. Because, like all ducks, Mandarin young leave the nest upon hatching, there is no means of knowing how many survive to fledge. Young from nests in natural sites were also present on the workings to the west of the Reserve. First egg dates were between 28th March and 2nd May. 44 eggs were laid and 35 young were hatched. Two nests were deserted, one with one egg and another which contained 5 Mandarin eggs and a Stock Dove egg. Box 39 contained 17 eggs from two ducks as a result of “egg dumping”. Many of the large boxes not used by birds showed signs of Squirrel occupation.

Stock Dove

Stock Doves lay only two eggs in a nest, but can nest from February until October; so the monitoring through spring was inevitably incomplete.  Only 4 boxes were used by Stock Doves during the monitoring period and just one of these was successful. First egg dates were from 1st April to 25th April. A pair of Stock Doves nested in the Barn Owl box north of Colebrook Lake – 2 dead young were present on 9th June when the box was inspected.

Barn Owl

The Barn Owl boxes were checked on 9th June by a licensed inspector. The box by Colebrook Lake was in use by Stock Doves. The Manor Farm (new workings) box was occupied by an adult Barn Owl, but no sign of breeding. In late February, Barn Owl feathers were discovered along the roadside in the vicinity of the west Barn Owl box. Many Barn Owls are killed while hunting the roadside verges – this may have been one of a pair using the box.

Kestrel

Kestrels probably bred in the top section of the Barn Owl box on the Manor Farm site. Three eggs were found on the 9th June visit and one or two juvenile Kestrels were present throughout the summer and autumn.

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CHAPTER 10

REPORT ON MOTHS FOR 2008

Recorder Colin Proudley

Once again the weather played havoc with our attempts to moth trap at Moor Green Lakes. Richard Eagling and I only managed four evenings. We have to pre-plan our evenings to take in domestic considerations, if the weather is bad on the day, no trapping.

Three sessions were in the same locations as 2007, the north end of Colebrook North Lake. This gives us a comparison of yearly catches. We trapped once in April, May, June and August.

The August and last session for the year, we were joined by the Berkshire Moth Group.

This was a most successful evening. We ran eight traps, four in the North of Colebrook North Lake, two being in the car park area and two on the North fence line. The other four being near the hide and the bird feeding area to the west of the lake. We caught 1035 moths of 97 species.

The Moor Green Lakes Moth List increased by 77 species in 2008. This increase was made up of 49 macro moths and 28 micro moths. The full list for the lakes, now totals 196 species, of these 20 are of local status and a single National Rare B. The moth being the Webbs Wainscot.

The moth trapping at the lakes is ongoing.

Richard Eagling and I intend to continue trapping as often as we can in 2009. We are hoping for a fine spring and summer. I think we are about due a good year.

All moths caught were released after being identified.

Anyone interested in joining us, even if it is just to watch, please contact Colin Proudley 01252 875536 for dates and times. Who knows you might get hooked on trapping.

The complete list follows this report.

Moor Green Moths

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APPENDIX A

 PROFILE OF THE RESERVE

The Moor Green Lakes Nature 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 CEMEX Ltd., Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership, Wokingham District Council 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 G. The necessary costs of the Group not covered by membership subscriptions are met by CEMEX. 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 CEMEX 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 viewing 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 Car 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 2008

LITTLE GREBE Resident and winter visitor. During the breeding season two pairs were present rearing two young.

Monthly maxima:

GREAT CRESTED GREBE Common resident. A maxima of 18 were recorded on Nov.22nd. A total of five pairs were present during the summer but only one pair reared one young.

Monthly maxima:

CORMORANT Common winter visitor that over-summers in small numbers. Up to 27 roosted on the site during the winter period.

Monthly maxima:

LITTLE EGRET Regular visitor with increasing frequency. In the early year 1/2 birds were recorded on 12 dates until Feb.6th. In the late year recorded from Aug.15th till the year end, 1/3 birds were recorded on 27 dates.

GREY HERON Common resident. One pair successfully reared two young. Birds were on eggs from Feb.2nd, with young hatching in the week beginning 15th March. The first confirmed breeding record for the site.

Monthly maxima: