Contact us at
info@fpwnr.org
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.
Been monitoring rainfall etc for 11 years now and never seen such a high rainfall forecast. In old money it’s about and inch and a half - today.
The brazen sun of summer has started to fade from our skies; to become more gentle, more polished, more subtle. Its work in the fields and hedgerows is largely accomplished for the year, the joy and frivolity of wildflowers have passed to leave so many different forms of bounty for the winter ahead. Some will be gone in a trice, whilst others, like hawthorns, and rose hips, will last deep into the hungry months of winter to welcome and nourish our returning fieldfares and redwings from Scandinavia. Goldfinch will gorge themselves on thistledown and the seeds of greater napp weed. Warblers and their fellow travellers from way up in the north will stock up for the journey down to France then onward to northern sub-Saharan Africa. Blackbirds are busy stuffing themselves full of blackberries and service berries whilst they jealously guard their own patch of berries from interlopers. Even so, foxes, badgers and deer will also be foraging the brambles and even the most bombastic blackbird can do little to fend them off!![]()
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Autumn is a season of change. Our wildlife knows deep in their bones and DNA that winter is coming and now, more than at any other time, they are planning ahead, readying, preparing themselves for cold nights when even if they roost together, the outliers may still perish. Winter is a time of challenge and reckoning for wildlife around the world, and it is only the canny ones who make it through to spring. Nature still operates on the principle of survival of the fittest.![]()
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So, it will come as no surprise for you to realise that today I have been investigating the hedgerows for fruits and seeds, and there really is a huge variety out there. Have a look when next you walk across our wonderful wild spaces. Summer maybe over, but the highlights of autumn and winter can rival anything seen in the summer.
Sometimes wildlife can be easy to spot but not always . . .This Little Egret is fast becoming a regular in Portishead Hole. Its white plumage makes it easy to spot on the mud but look closely and you will see something else too! A very special bird with a beautiful call, long legs, a curved beak and plumage which blends it into the background . . . a Curlew.
What’s Happening
The clocks have gone back and November has arrived!
Enjoy your walks around the nature reserve at this lovely time of the year. This is when birds arrive from Arctic countries to make the most of our warmer winters.
On this page (last updated 2 November):
What to look out for this month
NOVEMBER – What to look out for
Welcome to November! The clocks have gone back, so dusk comes early in November. The first frosts will arrive and the trees are rapidly losing their leaves….but it’s a good time for wildlife spotting. Winter visitors are streaming… Read More
Spotting Cards
See if you can spot these on the reserve.
Click spotting cards to see all available months.
Volunteering Dates
If you fancy helping with some physical work on the reserve you might want to join one of the warden’s volunteering mornings. We meet at Wharf Lane Car Park at 9.30am.
Any questions and to receive regular updates please email the warden:
mia.calderan@glendale-services.co.uk
Celebrating our Dog Rangers
The dog ranger this month is Hugo!
Our Portbury Wharf Dog Ranger Scheme is to acknowledge and to encourage dogs and their owners to protect the reserve, the salt marsh and its wildlife.
NEWS
Our new Wetlands Trail has arrived!
This brand new Wetlands Trail has been installed at Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve soon. To find out more click on Wetlands Trail.
Try it out!
Sustainable access on Portbury Wharf Salt Marsh
Thank you to all for taking care of our salt marsh and staying on the landward side of the posts. Restricting access to the top of the salt marsh has made an incredible difference and given this precious habitat and its wildlife residents a chance to recover and flourish. Well done everyone!
From our 2023 archive . . . New boundary marker posts
Enjoy your walks at Portbury Wharf Salt Marsh along the newly marked sustainable route at the top and bottom of the sea wall. Listen out for the curlews too – they were serenading us when we installed the posts that mark the boundaries of this route. There is still ample room by the sea wall to have a wander, admire the sea views while at the same time protecting the salt marsh beyond and its wildlife. This is all part of an initiative with Natural England to create sustainable access at the top of the salt marsh.
We have also established 3 study areas to record the recovery of damaged areas of the salt marsh. We will share the results from this study with you as the project progresses on our Salt Marsh Study page.
See also Could your New Year’s resolution help a local salt marsh? (on this website) . . .
. . . or follow the link to the North Somerset Times website.
Do you love butterflies?
If you are interested in getting involved in butterfly counting this year do get in touch and email us info@fpwnr.org. You don’t need to be an expert as you will be paired up with someone knowledgeable so it is a great opportunity to learn more.
New to website
Recent Pages:
Wetlands Trail – added April 2024
Salt Marsh Study – added November 2022
Portishead Salt Marshes Day – added June 2022
Spotting Cards – added March 2022 and updated monthly
NSC to adopt the nature reserveadded February 2022
Willow Trees – added February 2022
Lapwing – added December 2021
A whole new salt marsh section, check it out – added July 2021
Curlew added April 2021
Frogs (and other amphibians) have been active and so have we – they now have their very own page – added February 2021
Winter Trail added December 2020
Bird Migration added September 2020
Learn about insects on our Have Fun Learning page added June 2020
Wigeon added January 2020
Dunlins added December 2019
Portbury Wharf Salt Marsh added 15 October 2019
Portbury Wharf Plants updated 10 October 2019
Ivy added September 2019
Hinkley Connection Project added September 2019
Nature Trails added September 2019
Please support us added September 2019
Dragonflies and Damselflies updated August 2019
Dragonfly Spotting Tips added July 2019
Dragonfly Survey added July 2019
Portbury Wharf’s Roe Deer added in April 2019
Recent Posts:
NOVEMBER – What to look out for
Welcome to November! The clocks have gone back, so dusk comes early in November. The first frosts will arrive and the trees are rapidly losing their leaves….but it’s a good time for wildlife spotting. Winter visitors are streaming… Read More
OCTOBER – What to look out for
Welcome to October! We are well into the autumn and this can be a lovely time of year with lots going on. Birds While the summer birds have gone south to find warmer climates, the winter birds are… Read More
SEPTEMBER – What to look out for
September is here! By the meteorological calendar, the first day of autumn begins on 1 September and ends on 30 November. So autumn is officially here. The weather may be sunny and warm at times, but nature is… Read More