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Friends of Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve
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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
What’s happening in December! It’s December already! Now is the time to look out for all the winter birds arriving from the arctic regions to spend a warmer winter with us. To see what’s about check out the… Read More
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Wetlands Trail
Portishead Wetlands Trail at Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve Have you tried it yet? This trail changes often! The WINTER trail is up NOW Winter is here and so are the Winter Panels! Download a digital map /… 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
Happy Halloween from the spooky silhouette of the Cormorant! 🎃🪶![]()
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Often seen drying their wings, they have a very distinctive pose and even up close are a little other worldly! @davewhite60 @davewhite60photos ![]()
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#Halloween #happyhalloween #birding #naturereserve #HalloweenFest #HalloweenSpecial
Part of PWNR, The Sanctuary, is not accessible to the public but makes up an important part of the conservation work being done at the reserve. ![]()
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Last weekend @au_erithacus and other ringing licence holders caught 99 birds in a mornings ringing in the Sanctuary - including this fiesty Firecrest 🔥🧡![]()
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All birds are ringed under BTO licence and regulations. ![]()
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#birdringing #btobirds #naturereserve #Firecrest #britishbirds #ukbirds #birdwatching #somersetlife #northsomerset #portisheadlife #portishead ![]()
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You might want to get a cuppa....![]()
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Lots of you have noticed that there are some people still walking out on to the Salt Marsh, despite the posts (physical, not social media!) telling people to stay in the area between the posts and the top of the seawall. People have posted on here or on other local pages, as well as suggesting in person, that we need to do something more about it.![]()
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Well, let me first say that the posts, but up by us at the behest of Natural England, have actually worked really well. The pathways that had been trampled into the salt marsh have healed over very well, although they still have some way to go, and we reckon that we have been successful in getting the vast majority of people to stay out of this Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). ![]()
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But, you are right, there is apparently more to be done and clearly some people do not respond well to a kind word and an explanation of the damage they contribute to and the fragility /importance of the salt marsh. ![]()
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But in fairness to The Friends of Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve, you do have to realise that we don’t have any remit, or authority to actually bar people from what is actually a legally protected area. Having said that, unauthorised entry into a SSSI is an offence and you could end up in court. Likewise with removing wildlife from a SSSI, and here I address very specifically the people who of late have been struggling down the marsh with masses of fishing kit, day or night, light or dark to fish. Not only is fishing illegal in a SSSI, it is downright dangerous in this particular one!![]()
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We don’t want to ”get heavy”’ about this, and we do not want to escalate our responses by involving either Local or National Agencies that do have the authority to impose what could be significant penalties on offenders, so can we please make the following statements -![]()
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No one is allowed to go beyond the line defined by the posts at the base of the sea wall![]()
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Dogs are not allowed to roam free beyond the post line. ![]()
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You may not see it, but they do disturb the wildlife that lives there.![]()
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Fishing is not allowed anywhere on the Nature Reserve, the Ecology Park or the Salt Marsh.![]()
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Yes, this does actually apply to you, not to just everyone else! ![]()
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It would be a shame if the actions of a few people spoilt things for everyone else. Please feel free to share this across any local groups you may belong to. ![]()
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Thank you
I could hear the Curlew making a lot of noise this morning and then realised why! Such a shame.
We’re lucky with the nature reserve to be close to the estuary and have so much bird life. As the bird migration begins, with our summer visitors leaving (like this common whitethroat) and the winter species arriving, we can expect to see some new faces at the pools!![]()
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As always let us know what you see ☺️![]()
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📸 Photo by @davewhite60 ![]()
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#birdwatching #britishbirds #ukbirding #birdmigration #bristolbirds
What have you spotted from the hides recently? ![]()
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Exciting to hear that a red-backed shrike made an appearance today! ![]()
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#naturereserve #getintonature #birdwatching #birdhides #ukbritishbirds
School's back but you’ve still got little ones at home? ![]()
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The Wilbur trail at the nature reserve is a great way to spend a morning. See if you can spot all 12 Wilbur water voles! 🕵🏻🐭![]()
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Has anyone done the trail already and found all 12? ![]()
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#portishead #naturereserve #daysoutforfamilies #kidsdayout #naturetoddlers #forestschool
Many thanks to Mia, the PWNR warden for this excellent video of roe deer by the South Hide taken last week. The deer in full shot has clearly got their eye on Mia and is proabably suggesting that she wants her own space! Its not often that you see them in such full voice, so there may have been a youngster in the area, as well as the one in the background (you have to spot it's ears flicking!