Contact us at
info@fpwnr.org
Friends of Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve
It's all about the WILDLIFE at Portbury Wharf . . .
Click the button to find out about our wildlife
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 officially summer so find out what is about in June . . . We have turned the corner and gradually life seems to be on its way back to normal. Please still be respectful of others and maintain… 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
Time to get your camera / phone out and celebrate what you love about Portishead . . . and there is plenty to love!Photo competition!![]()
For all you keen photographers out there, we would love to see your snaps - see details below.![]()
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Thank you and good luck!![]()
Portishead Town Council
Yesterday we did our first Dragonfly survey of the year on the reserve. June is very late to be starting, but the weather in May was so bad that the dragonflies have just not been hatching out - preferring to stay safe and warm as larvae under water!![]()
The special find of the day was a rare migrant species last seen on the reserve two years ago, a Red-veined Darter. It was on the South Pool and we did wonder whether it had actually hatched here from eggs laid 2 years ago. Will there be more in the coming weeks?![]()
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Numbers are still low for the time of year, but our list included: Azure, Blue-tailed and Large Red Damselflies and for dragons: Hairy, 4-Spot Chaser, Broad-bodied Chaser and singles of Emperor and Black-tailed Skimmer.![]()
Hopefully, given more warm weather, the numbers and variety will now start to pick up. What new species will we see this year?
***Important Notice***![]()
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From Monday 7th June Wharf Lane footpath will be closed for about 6 weeks. ![]()
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So you will not be able to reach the hides via Wharf Lane. This is due to the trenching work between the substation and the port land. See more details below.A reminder that the Wharf Lane footpath will be closed from Monday 7th June for six weeks. There will be no public access to the substation area of the reserve during this time due to the scale of the works and to keep everyone safe.![]()
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This next phase of National Grid works at Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve will involve trenching across the rhyne and the path from the substation to the neighbouring port land.![]()
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The closure will also include the path around the substation (from Wren Gardens) and the end of the seasonal path. There will not be any through route across the nature reserve. Access to the North Pools hides, however, will remain from the old sea wall. The South Pools hide will be out of use during this time. All other paths around the site and Ecology Park will remain open, as will the Wharf Lane car park. See map below.![]()
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Apologies for any inconvenience this will cause.![]()
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The works are planned for six weeks but we’re working closely with Balfour Beatty and Weston Power Distribution and we’ll reopen the section sooner if we can.![]()
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This work has been coordinated so not to impact on school holidays wherever possible.![]()
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For more information about the works you can contact National Grid:![]()
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📧 hinkleyconnection@nationalgrid.com![]()
💻 www.hinkleyconnection.co.uk![]()
📞 0800 377 7347 (24 hour)![]()
✉ Freepost, H POINT CONNECTION
As well as this upsetting spectacle of a dog loose in the South Pool we have received more reports of dogs chasing the swans in the Ecology Park pools by Fennel Road and Robin Place. ![]()
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There is a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) here banning dogs from the water and breach of a PSPO is a criminal offence!![]()
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Please report any incidents you witness to the police on 101, and on-line via www.n-somerset.gov.uk/pspo (click on "Dog Control" and then "Report a Dog Related Issue" at the bottom of the Dog Control page).
When you visit the nature reserve have you ever wondered what is deep, very deep beneath your feet? ![]()
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While this short video refers to the neighbouring salt marsh what lies below is the same . . .
Whimbrel are still around in the estuary. They are passing through on the way to their northern breeding grounds on the tip of Scotland and beyond. It can be hard to tell them apart from their bigger cousin, the curlew. Here is a great video from the BTO British Trust for Ornithology to help with that.
BTO Bird ID - Curlew and Whimbrel
youtube.com
Curlew is a familiar wader, found in wild habitats around the UK. In April and May numbers of their smaller cousin, Whimbrel, will be moving through towards ...
At high tide yesterday there were a mixture of Whimbrel and Curlew on the North Island- 22 in total - all of which have Red - endangered status - from a conservation viewpoint. These birds would normally have been on the saltmarsh but came inland because of the flooding. This demonstrates why we must protect the saltmarsh. It may look fairly empty as you walk along but it is not. We want to encourage more such visitors and experience what it feels like to have such rareties visit us . Please do not allow your dogs to run free out onto the marsh. Protect the wildlife
This is a special place!You might already know that our salt marshes and mudflats are Sites of Special Scientific Interest. But did you know that they are also part of the Severn Estuary Special Protection Area, a Special Conservation Area and RAMSAR site?![]()
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That is because the Severn Estuary is one of the most important estuaries in the UK for overwintering wildfowl and waders and is of international importance. ![]()
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Each winter, well over 70,000 birds use the estuary's salt marshes and mudflats. Its waters support vast numbers of invertebrates, crabs, mussels and the like and more than 100 species of fish. The estuary is a vital route for migratory fish such as Atlantic salmon, sea trout and eels.![]()
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So it is a special place in many ways, mud and all!
A good bird tally of 46 species during a walk around the reserve this morning. Highlights were 2 Yellow Wagtails near the S Pool (the first I've ever seen on the reserve), big numbers of Swallows and House Martins fresh in with a least one Swift and Lesser Whitethroat and Common Whitethroat singing alongside Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Reed Warbler and Cetti's Warbler. ![]()
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Spring is springing out all over - despite the cold north wind!