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info@fpwnr.org
Friends of Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve
Have you heard about the *FREE* 90 minute Connect3 Nature Wellbeing Walks taking place at Portbury Wharf every 2nd Monday of the month (starting 10th February)?![]()
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To find out more and sign up visit the organiser's Mudita Salus CIC website www.muditasalus.co.uk/connect3.
A closer view of the hunkered down snipe with head tilted, perhaps watching for the Marsh Harrier?
The Snipe and Lapwing on the edge of North Pool today were keeping a wary eye out for the Marsh Harrier.
I've been out and about this weekend, taking some pictures of our local coastal wetlands. The two days were very different, light wise, but there was still lots to see out there. ![]()
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January was a wet month, but almost half our rain fell on two days so rain only fell on 12 days - its just that on two days there was a lot! We accumulated 94 mm of rain in the month just up the hill from The Royal
There was a new moon earlier this week and, as ever, a few days after both a new and full moon, the high tides peak. This morning thr good news for International Wetlands Day (and weekend!) is that the wet is getting very close! This morning at about 0949 the high tide will reach a height of 13.37 m, which means it's right up the salt marsh so you will find lots of wildlife has been ushered into close proximity. Mice, shrews and voles will ofetn beenm seen scampering into the undergrowth along the top of the sea wall, and lots of waders and waterfowl will be hunting the water margin for asty morsels as they float up out of the highly specialised grasses and plants that live out there.![]()
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With all this wildlife pushed together at the top of the salt marsh it would be great if you could keep your canaine comapnions on leads along the sea wall for a couple of hours - Thanks in Advance, and enjoy your walk!
Did you know it's World Wetlands Day on 2nd February? This is a global celebration of Wetlands and will highlight the significant contribution wetlands make to both diversity and sustainability. When managed well, wetlands play a crucial role in moderating the effects of climate change. We - Friends of PWNR – are doing our bit by promoting the new Wetlands Trail that has been installed across the most relevant parts of our local wetlands. . There are 12 permanent posts in the Wetlands Trail. Eleven are installed by the key habitats on Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve and one post (No. 9) is on the Ecology Park. They tell you about each of the habitats and show you the creatures that you might see there. All the posts are easily accessible on well developed footpaths, so there’s no need to head off piste! You should also keep an eye on our webpages for news of when the seasonal speciality boards get swapped over. The Nature Trail is going to change every few months!![]()
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You can find out all about the Wetlands Trail by going to this web page: www.portburywharfnaturereserve.co.uk/wetlands-trail/
What a lovely day to try out the Wetlands Trail at Portbury Wharf!![]()
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Do you have a picture of the Wetlands Trail that you would like to share?![]()
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#wetlandstrailuk
On such a wet and windy day we thought we would try to bring an instalment of the World Wetlands Day trail to you. . . . fingers crossed this video clip works!🤞 Let us know if you want to see more from the trail.
Its wet and windy out there today, so I am going to hazard a guess that there aren't that many of us out on the Reserve this morning. What a difference a day makes! Yesterday was so lovely. We walked to the Lake Grounds for a change of scenery, and were delighted to see so many water fowl on the lake. The male Tufties and Mallards are in their wooing plumage, dandying about and generally making a nuisance of themselves, whilst the mature swans are getting back together with their partners and rekindling their relationships. There's a lot of neck arching going on down there! Swans mate for life and both take an active part in raising the cygnets, but after that they drift apart for a few months downtime- maybe they head off to a different part of the world but then they tend to return to their old territories and in spring, they start all over again! (BTW, the younger swans may not pair up for their first 2 or even three years) The crows on the sea front are so tame these days. They just fluff out their feathers, hunch their shoulders, and leave you to leave them alone! And finally, as soon as there is any sunshine, the robins all head up to the top of a tree yo shout out that this is their patch! "Gerrorf my laaand!
The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) were ringing birds in the sanctuary when they found an immature sparrow hawk in their nets! I am hoping they will be posting a couple of the pictures they took on here when they get home! You can find out more about these high performing raptors at the BTO's species page ![]()
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BTW, it was their car, with permission, by the Tower Hide this morning (Sunday)![]()
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www.bto.org/understanding-birds/birdfacts/sparrowhawk
Water voles
The water vole has been described by Britain’s Wildlife Trusts as “Britain’s fastest declining wild mammal” so we are very lucky to have them here. The greatest threats to water voles are thought to be loss of habitat and attacks by mink which can kill an entire colony.
Water voles are protected in the UK under the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act.
To thrive they need undisturbed freshwater surrounded by lush vegetation to eat. They excavate tunnels into the river banks where they nest and have their young between March and September. The tunnel entrances can be both above and below the water.
Water Vole stats
Is it a water vole or is it a rat?
Water voles are about the size of a small rat and can easily be mistaken for a rat. However they have a much more rounded body, chubbier face and blunter nose. Their tail is shortish and furry while a rat’s tail is bald and longer than its body. The ears are different too, a rats ears are easy to see unlike the water vole’s which are furry and almost hidden. Water voles are like corks, very buoyant, so when they swim they are high up in the water.
Where am I likely to see a water vole at Portbury Wharf?
The best place to see them is in the rhynes, the water filled ditches throughout the reserve. You might see one in the rhyne running alongside Water Vole Lane, the path heading towards the Severn Estuary. Listen out for a “plop”, this is the sound of one diving into the water.
|Click here to see Water Vole Lane
Help keep our water voles safe
They have many predators but the most dangerous is the mink. Hopefully Portbury Wharf remains mink free but let us know if you see one.
We can make sure we do not disturb them and keep our pets away from the water. They feed on the plants growing alongside the rhynes so it is important not to trample on their next meal.
Two videos to watch
The first video was filmed at Portbury Wharf . . .
. . . and the other is an excellent Quick Guide to Water Voles from http://watervole.org.uk.
Posts related to Water Voles
Keeping water voles safe
Keeping water voles safe at Portbury Wharf is very important. So the warden and his Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve Volunteers have been busy repairing the hurdles alongside the rhynes. You may have noticed them along Water Vole Lane,… Read More
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