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.
Wildlife Monitoring
Wildlife monitoring plays an important part in conservation. If you know what is around, and what isn’t, you can make the right choices in land management. So we are counting the wildlife here at Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve.
Orchid Surveys
In 2018 we carried out orchid surveys with the warden and found Bee Orchids, Marsh Orchids, Common Spotted Orchids and Pyramid Orchids along the rhyne edges and in the Sanctuary.
Dragonfly Surveys
Portbury Wharf is a great place for dragonflies and damselflies! So comprehensive dragonfly surveys have been carried out in both 2018 and 2019 with an impressive 20 species recorded. You can read more about this on our dragonfly survey page.
Bird Surveys
Calling all lapwing lovers!
We need people to count lapwings on the reserve. The lapwing is on the red list of birds of concern so it is important to know how many visit the reserve, especially in winter. For a bit more information about this gorgeous bird see our lapwing page.
If you are interested in spotting lapwings there is a counting sheet below to print out and take to the reserve.
Other birds
We also conduct monthly bird counts, so we can record the number of winter and summer visitors as well as the resident birds. If you would like to help, please get in touch. Experienced watchers will be on hand so you do not need to be an expert.
This is a short video taken at North Pool during our January 2020 wildlife count.
What we do with the surveys
We send the results to regional / national conservation groups so they can compile with other counts to give a broader picture.
It also seems like a good idea to add our counts to the website. Consequently, over time, we will be able to see at a glance how each species at Portbury Wharf is doing.
Here is an overview of some of the bird species recorded at North Pool.
Spotting Card
We have created a Spotting Card to help us record the bird numbers. You can download it if you want to do your own count and email us the results.