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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
Its very grey out there but we still had lovely walk across the reserve this morning. We focussed on the new information panels that are part of the Wetlands Trail that has recently been put together. You can find a guide to the Wetlands Trail here www.portburywharfnaturereserve.co.uk/trail_downloads/winter_wetlands_mobile_2.pdf
Willow Trees
A World in our Willows Trees
Don’t underestimate our humble willow trees – they are home to a rich and diverse habitat.
A single willow tree supports thousands of different organisms from bacteria in the soil, to fungi, frogs, insects, small mammals and birds to large mammals, raptors and owls.
Willow trees are dioecious meaning that each tree is either male or female. Holly, poplar and ash are other trees that have separate sexes. So to produce seeds there will need to be a tree of the opposite sex in the vicinity for successfully pollination.
Willows rely on insects for pollination and in return insects rely on the willow for food. There are over 450 species of plant eating invertebrates that benefit from the willow. This includes 162 different butterflies and 104 different species of bees and wasps. It is one of the most important plants of late winter and early spring when there is little food around. Perhaps for insects the male tree is the most beneficial. The female flowers only produce nectar but the male flowers produce both nectar and pollen.
Willow Trees provide an early harvest for insects
In late January and February, depending on the species of willow, the catkins (the flowers) reveal themselves. Like cat’s fur the male catkin are soft and silky hence the name pussy willow. The insects search out the sweetly scented nectar at the base of each catkin.
Nectar is a good source of energy for insects. Packed with carbohydrates this sugary water gives insects the energy to fly. So this is a vital food for insects that need a quick burst of energy. That’s why you will see queen bumble bees that have just come out of hibernation buzzing around willow trees.
Nature’s larder doesn’t stop here. These silky “pussy willow” catkins will soon be dripping with golden pollen. Pollen is protein packed and good for reproduction. So bees will feed it to their young so they grow strong and healthy.
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