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Friends of Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve
Nature Trail – What do I eat?
Don’t miss our next Nature Trail! This Nature Trail – What do I eat? is on Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve from Saturday 24th August to Sunday 1st September. Find the 35 trail boards dotted around the reserve. Answers… Read More
The Redwing....![]()
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The Redwing is usually a winter visitor, arriving from Scandinavia in late autumn, often travelling as mixed flocks with the larger, but less numerous fieldfare, and is the UK's smallest true thrush. Look for the creamy stripe above its eye and the orange-red flank patches. They roam across the UK's countryside, feeding in fields and hedgerows, rarely visiting gardens, except in the coldest weather when snow covers the fields. Only a few pairs nest in the UK, up in the highlands of Scotland, round here these birds are highly nomadic and will move around the countryside in search of fruit-laden trees, bushes and shrubs. They are quite skittish and will often take cover if disturbed, but when settled are a joy to watch as they gobble down berries.![]()
Key features to look out for![]()
Redwings are slightly smaller than the Song Thrush ![]()
Dark brown above, with red flanks and underwings ![]()
Bright stripe above the eye ![]()
We usually have good numbers of redwings around the area, and they are really keen on hawthorn berries, so they are often seen on our drifts of hawthorn trees, but, as I mentioned above they are skittish, so you need to travel quietly! Yet again I have drawn extensively from the excellent RSBP Bird Pages, you can find out more about Redwings by following this link. Please let us know if you see any out on your walks by adding a comment to this post![]()
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Redwing Bird Facts | Turdus Iliacus
www.rspb.org.uk
This winter visitor is the UK's smallest thrush, but still manages to reach our shores all the way from Scandinavia. Find out more about these birds.
Happy New Year!![]()
We have really loved walking the reserve this Christmas and introducing our family and friends to the new Nature Trail. Every single one of them has been so impressed and delighted with the new signage. Now they want to come back as the seasons, and the signs, change! And that surely is the greatest thing about a nature reserve, it never stays the same! No matter how many times you walk it, there will always be something new to see, but you do have to be out there to see it…..
Our salt marsh is very sheltered from our prevailing south westerly winds, but as Darragh went northwards the winds turned to the north on Sunday morning and the waves built up .... fortunately after the high tide had passed and the late afternoon was glorious
This is a "wetland" nature reserve, so we like to see the wet meadow flooded. But sometimes the water drains away a bit too fast. ![]()
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So to benefit dragonflies and other invertebrates, NSC's contractors have dammed the scrapes in the South Pools field. They will still drain out but should hold water for longer. As well as being good for insects, this will also be good for wading birds. ![]()
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You can see this best by the Wet Meadow panel (no. 12), which is at the estuary end of the Seasonal Path. Beware though, this is a wet and muddy path! ![]()
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#helpingnatureatportburywharf #helpingnature
Cutting reeds at North Pools - play the short video to see how it was done.![]()
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There is a dual purpose to cutting the reeds here. It benefits the visitors by reopening views of the water and island. It also helps to create a reed-mosaic of different ages. This mosaic is important in conservation management as difference species have varying requirements. ![]()
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NSC's contractor with a tractor cleared some of the reeds, but couldn't reach those close to the water. So the Portbury Wharf Volunteers, armed with scythes and rakes, finished the work. There were even two brave volunteers who donned waders to reach the reeds in the slightly deeper parts of the water! 👏![]()
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Cutting the vegetation in the field to remove woody and persistent vegetation was also necessary. This will allow the local farmer to access more areas of grass to cut for hay next summer. It might look bare now but the flower and grass seeds will be lying dormant ready to sprout into life next spring. ![]()
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#portburywharfnaturereserve #portburywharfvolunteers #helpingnatureatportburywharf
A mouse has taken up residence in the old wooden, MAP BOX by Wharf Lane Car Park. Well, we all need somewhere cosy to spend winter! ![]()
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It appears the mouse has shredded the contents to make itself a nice, comfy nest . . . a perfect way to recycle our maps!![]()
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You can find UN-shredded maps in the leaflet holders attached to the legs of all three of the metal entrance signs. The monthly spotting cards are there too. They are also available from Portishead Library.![]()
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If you prefer a digital copy of either the maps or spotting cards, you can download them using the QR codes on the leaflet holders.![]()
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#portburywharfnaturereserve #portburywharf
Have you seen the Bug House yet?![]()
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We have included a Bug House as part of the nature trail. We hope this will increase both the summer nesting and the winter hibernating opportunities for invertebrates on the reserve. You can find it by the Insect Patch (panel 4).![]()
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Did you know? Over 75% of all animals on the planet are insects. They are hugely important for pollinating plants and as part of the food chain.![]()
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Over the summer, solitary bees have been seen nest building in the hollowed logs and bamboo canes. During winter it will be a cosy place to hibernate.![]()
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Thanks to Industrial Modern Furniture for making and installing this Bug House and to volunteers for filling it full of natural materials to create cosy holes and crevices for insects.![]()
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#wetlandstrail #wetlandstrailuk #helpingnatureatportburywharf
*** New WETLANDS TRAIL has arrived at Portbury Wharf ***![]()
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Not sure what wildlife is on the reserve at this time of year? Then why not try the new nature trail? See what species you can identify from the 12 winter panels.![]()
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This is a changeable trail, as both the panels and squares are swappable. So look out for the "What am I?" squares coming soon . . . ![]()
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To find out more visit www.wetlandstrail.org![]()
#wetlandstrail #wetlandstrailuk
It was such a lovely, sunny afternoon on the reserve today and the South Pools especially were looking great. NSC have been digging out some of the reeds to increase the water area and the rain has done its job to fill it up. Several Common Snipe were making the most of it.
Look out for these when you next take a walk on the reserve.![]()
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This fibrous growth is usually found on wild roses like the Dog Rose. It is easy to spot, especially in autumn when it matures and turns red.![]()
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It is a hard, woody structure with an outer covering of soft moss-like leaves. It is called a gall and is the winter home of the larvae of a tiny gall wasp, Dipoloepis rosae.![]()
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In the summer the adult gall wasp lays eggs in a developing rosebud, stem or leaf. When the larvae hatch they secrete chemicals which cause abnormal growth creating multiple chambers and food for the larvae.They will winter inside the gall and emerge as fully grown adult gall wasps in spring. The galls are not harmful to the rose.![]()
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It is not just the Dog Rose which offers this “insect overwintering” service. There are more than 900 insects that form plant galls from wasps and beetles to flies and mites. Look hard and you will find other galls on the nature reserve such as the Silk Button Spangle Gall, Apple Gall, Knopper Gall and Marble Gall which are often found on Oak Trees.![]()
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However, this red-breasted, rose gall is one of the most distinctive and comes with a lovely descriptive name . . . the Robin’s Pincushion Gall.
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Last Updated: October 29, 2019 by fpwnr
Mini Nature Trail in Portishead Library
Just in time for half term we have set up a mini nature trail in Portishead Library. Can you identify the seeds we have put in the foyer? Pick up a tick card and find the 6 seed… Read More