Maer
Lake...
This stunning
freshwater wetland reserve was jointly purchased
with the Cornwall Wildlife Trust in 1993 and has
become an extremely important reserve for
breeding, feeding and roosting birds. Maer Lake
consists of 22 acres of wetland grazing meadows,
which lie on the northern side of Bude town at
Grid Ref SS208075 and are a short distance from
the sea. Depending on rainfall, anything between
two and fifteen acres can lie under water, and
around two acres are covered in flag iris.
The reserve is internationally acknowledged as
an important resting and feeding site for
migrating birds. Spring highlights have included
Spoonbill, Temmink's Stint, Marsh harrier and
Citrine wagtail. In autumn, birders have been
delighted with Wilson's Phalarope, Semi-palmated
Sandpiper and Red-necked Phalarope. Rarer winter
visitors have included Bewick's and Whooper
Swans, Long-tailed Duck and Black Brant. During
the summer of 1995, Black-headed Gull nested on
the reserve with two young being reared.
The reserve is also interesting botanically,
with Bog Bean, Elecampance and Pink Water
Speedwell being present. It is also an excellent
dragonfly site with Migrant Hawker regular in
the autumn.
A Management Team from the CBWPS and CWT meet
regularly to monitor the reserve and implement
the management programme.
Maer Lake has always been known as The Pool by
local people in Bude, and indeed this name seems
to have given the settlement of Maer its name.
It was first recorded in an Assize Roll of 1284
as la Mere and John Norden shows the pool on his
16th century map and names it The Mere. Mere is
an old English word, still commonly used for a
pool. It appears to have been an area of wet
grazing shared by the farmers of the adjacent
tenements in the post medieval period. I have
been bird watching at Maer for only thirty five
years(!)
Originally, I also
regarded the pool as a summer grazing meadow
which flooded in Winter, or at times of extreme
rainfall. The sluices that we have installed
have changed the character of the reserve,
greatly benefiting species like Lapwing and
Golden Plover which find the security of
roosting on the flag iris islands surrounded by
water much to their liking. A major concern when
doing management work with heavy machinery has
been not to change the depth of water in the
reserve. The shallow standing water has now over
a period of years created a thick rich silt
which is ideal for feeding waders, and it is no
surprise to find that considerable numbers of
wintering Dunlin have found this ample food
supply.
At the annual Management Meeting held on March
14th 2005, we discussed a wide variety of
topics. The Environment Agency has proposed a
major flood prevention scheme for the Flexbury
area of Bude, this will involve a new floodbank
being constructed at the rear of the houses
bordering the reserve. The Society and Cornwall
Wildlife Trust have been fully consulted at
every stage of the development of designing this
scheme, and at the time of writing we feel
confident we can come to an amicable agreement
to cause the minimum of disturbance and physical
damage to the Reserve. Depending on finance
being available we would expect this scheme to
proceed in either the summer of 2006 or 2007.
We purchased Maer in
1992 and the following year we cut two major
channels through the Flag Iris to assist
viewing, over the ensuing years these have
started to grow in and narrow. We now need to
deal with this problem and get an excavator on
to the site this summer (weather permitting),
and we have agreed a budget with CWT to deal
with this. CWT have also kindly agreed to
replace a twenty metre stretch of fencing which
is in poor condition on the road boundary. The
Society is extremely grateful to Callum Deveney
the Reserves Officer and his staff for this
contribution. Also to Tim Dingle and Anne Barks
and all at the Tamar Branch of CWT who have been
such stalwarts in supporting the Reseve, from
paying for management work to supplying
machinery. My thanks also go to Society members
Rex Braund and Brian Craven for their much
appreciated help and advice.
The Reserve goes from
strength to strength. Golden Plover numbers
exceeded 4000 at one stage this past winter, and
at least eight Jack Snipe were present at the
same time. These were both record counts for
Maer. On the morning of February 22nd 2005 a
Bittern was booming at 06:30 and then seen
feeding in a ditch later in the day.
Black-tailed Skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum
emerged at the Reserve last summer in
considerable numbers. It is hard to imagine
during a cold and icy spell, that beneath the
ice, that complex life cycle is functioning and
waiting to burst into magnificent flight in the
coming summer.
From Bude Town Centre,
cross the golf course using Crooklets Road, near
the tennis courts turn right and travel a short
distance north again across the golf course.
Cross Downs View Road and turn right at the Maer
Lodge Hotel. After a short distance, the reserve
is on the right side of the private road.
Viewing is strictly only from the private road
above the reserve. Due to extremely limited
parking, park in the nearby public road and walk
the short distance to the road overlooking the
reserve. No hide exists at the present time.
Graham Sutton
