Maer Lake facts for kids

Maer Lake is a special nature reserve located right next to the town of Bude in Cornwall, England. It's a unique area with wet meadows and open water, making it a very important place for birds that spend the winter there.

What is Maer Lake?

Maer Lake is a freshwater wetland area. This means it's a place where the land is often wet, like a marsh or a swamp. It has both grassy areas that are sometimes flooded and parts with open water.

People first wrote about this lake way back in 1284, calling it "La Mare." For many years, local farmers used the wet grassy areas for their animals to graze. In 1993, two groups, the Cornwall Wildlife Trust and the Cornwall Birdwatching and Preservation Society, bought the land together. They now work to protect and manage this important natural space.

Why is Maer Lake Important for Wildlife?

The reserve covers about 8.9 hectares, which is roughly the size of 12 football fields. It's a crucial stop for many birds as they travel, and it's also a safe home for birds that stay through the winter. These birds include waders (birds that walk in shallow water) and wildfowl (like ducks and geese).

To make sure there's always enough shallow water for these birds, a special gate called a sluice was built. This sluice helps keep the water level just right. Between 1 and 6 hectares of the reserve can be covered in shallow water. This permanent shallow water creates a thick, soft mud that is perfect for waders to find their food.

Who Lives at Maer Lake?

Many different bird species have been seen at Maer Lake. Some of these include the European golden plover, wigeon, jack snipe, lapwing, dunlin, redwing, water rail, marsh harrier, and black-tailed godwit.

Besides birds, the reserve is also home to interesting plants. About 1 hectare of the area is covered with bright yellow flag iris and cheerful marsh marigold. You can also find plants like bog bean and pink water-speedwell growing here.

Visiting Maer Lake

To keep the birds safe and undisturbed, access to Maer Lake is limited. This helps protect both the birds that live there all the time and those that are just visiting. You can still enjoy watching the birds and the beautiful scenery from the lane that runs above the reserve.