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Nature Reserve
Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve This is a 150 acre nature reserve on the edge of the Severn Estuary between Portishead and Royal Portbury Dock. It was in 2008 that Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve was first conceived to offset… Read More
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What’s Happening
It’s May and everything is coming to life! Spring is well under way and looking very green. The winter birds have flown up north to nest on the edge of the Arctic and our summer birds are flying… Read More
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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…. Read More
Learn MorePortbury Wharf Wetland
Wetlands are very important places and Portbury Wharf is no exception
Watch our slide show to see why:
For more facts about wetlands and World Wetlands Day visit www.worldwetlandsday.org
It's a monster tide this morning; 14.5/6 forecast with a westerly wind bringing it even higher onto the sea wall. It is overtopping the steps out of Portishead hole so some seawater will be getting into that end of the rhyne at the back of the seawall - that is what it's therefore. The seawall path is impassable for the next hour or so, and will be very muddy thereafter. Do please avoid putting yourself in danger along there
I’ve been putting together a Facebook page to report on what we see on the Spanish steps. Have a look and follow the page if you want to keep up to date on our wildlife
It was dry and sunny this morning so we ventured a little further afield to our sister reserve at RSPB Newport Wetlands, just over the water between the steel works and the sea. ![]()
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That wind was cold! and penetrating! ![]()
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But we had a lovely walk through the reed beds and pools. I say "sister" because both reserves have the same origins. Coal fired powers station fly ash was built up into huge heaps over the years and levelled off from time to time. Then the power stations on both sides of the Bristol Channel closed and the hugely toxic remains were landscaped, sequestrated, and planted with native species to get the ball rolling. And as they are so close to each other (as the dunlin flies), we must share so many species and habitats. I think we should build some stronger links with our neighbours - don't you (although my idea that we build a foot bridge between the two seems like a non starter!🤣 (But they still have a lot more pylons than we now have!) There's a nice cafe and shop too!
I'm just guessing, but let me go out on a limb here and say that I don't think many of us are out on the Reserve this morning? It's a tad wild and wooly out there, but from where I sit I can look through the gathering gloom (and its 10 in the morning!) across Portishead Salt Marshes to the reserve. Its not walking weather! ![]()
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We have had wind gusts in our sheltered garden up to 25 mph and already accumulated 11 mm of rainfall since midnight. But, as our bird feeders are sheltered on our balcony they are attracting a lot of attention from the residents of East Woods!![]()
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Stay Dry!
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These two had just left the Reserve, and were heading over the lock into the marina and I was just so taken with how well the photo turned out I thought I would share it here as well. Today was a 14.15 m tide; well up the old sea wall!
I’ve been lucky enough to have had a few walks through the reserve this month; first of all I went off in search of wax wings- but with no luck. They are around in the area, but I just didn’t time my visit well. On another occasion I just went for a walk with my binoculars and camera on a lovely almost springlike day and even got to spend some time in the hides that overlook North and South Pools. ![]()
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At first I was struck by how little there was to be seen on the South pools, but I sat and watched for a little while; scanning the margins of the reeds and rushes to get my eye in. And, do you know, it was all there! I just had to see it. In the end I saw over 28 species of birds, a fox, a few squirrels and a lone roe deer going across the back of the North Pool reed beds. There wasn’t anything of particular note, nothing spectacularly rare or elegant, just our local wildlife quietly going about its business, getting on with life, the universe and everything (if you know, then you know the answer too!) I was struck by how much was actually out there when I was able to take the time to watch, and to really look - closely. I had binoculars, but most of what I saw revealed itself to me without me really having to use them. It can be quite hard to stop, to look, and to really watch what is out there. If you just walk through the reserve, then you are going to get lots of great exercise, but you’re unlikely to see what’s out there. Wildlife watching and vigorous exercise are almost mutually exclusive; there really isn’t a lot of overlap, so every so often, ditch the exercise regime and take a moment for some quality time, some wellness time. There is really nowhere better than to do it than out in our wonderful reserve. I sat quietly in the hides, listening to the various ducks calling, listening to the breeze under the door and, in the distance, the susurration of the traffic on the motorway. The noise didn’t so much serve to intrude on the quietness as much as it provided a contrast to the tranquility, a reminder that being in the moment and being at rest is incredibly valuable, therapeutic and - well, wonderful! Make the most of your walks on the reserve, by every so often pausing, to sit a while.To shoot the breeze, or at the very least, to listen to it!![]()
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As well as the goldfinch in the first photo, there are (L to r) peewits, shelduck, tufted duck and wigeon in the second one. “Peewits”, because I’m from the north and that’s what we call them up there!
Each month our Dog Rangers get to feature on posters put up around the reserve (Thank you Mia!), around the Marina (Thank you Guy!) and on the high street (Thank you Scott!), but I thought it would be nice to also feature the poster on here as well, for those who may not get to the Reserve as often as they used to. This month we feature not one Dog Ranger of the Month, but four! ![]()
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Sign your four legged friend up as a Dog Ranger by scanning the QR Code on the poster. You can check out all our Dog Rangers here: www.portburywharfnaturereserve.co.uk/dog-rangers/latest-dog-rangers/
What better way to spend an hour than to sit by your back window and count the birds you see whilst having a leisurely cup of coffee! (Other beverages are available)![]()
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IT'S THE BIG GARDEN BIRDWATCH WEEKEND!! ![]()
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follow the link for all the details![]()
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www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happening/big-garden-birdwatch/submission