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Look out for these when you next take a walk on the reserve.![]()
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This fibrous growth is usually found on wild roses like the Dog Rose. It is easy to spot, especially in autumn when it matures and turns red.![]()
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It is a hard, woody structure with an outer covering of soft moss-like leaves. It is called a gall and is the winter home of the larvae of a tiny gall wasp, Dipoloepis rosae.![]()
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In the summer the adult gall wasp lays eggs in a developing rosebud, stem or leaf. When the larvae hatch they secrete chemicals which cause abnormal growth creating multiple chambers and food for the larvae.They will winter inside the gall and emerge as fully grown adult gall wasps in spring. The galls are not harmful to the rose.![]()
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It is not just the Dog Rose which offers this “insect overwintering” service. There are more than 900 insects that form plant galls from wasps and beetles to flies and mites. Look hard and you will find other galls on the nature reserve such as the Silk Button Spangle Gall, Apple Gall, Knopper Gall and Marble Gall which are often found on Oak Trees.![]()
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However, this red-breasted, rose gall is one of the most distinctive and comes with a lovely descriptive name . . . the Robin’s Pincushion Gall.
Been monitoring rainfall etc for 11 years now and never seen such a high rainfall forecast. In old money it’s about and inch and a half - today.
The brazen sun of summer has started to fade from our skies; to become more gentle, more polished, more subtle. Its work in the fields and hedgerows is largely accomplished for the year, the joy and frivolity of wildflowers have passed to leave so many different forms of bounty for the winter ahead. Some will be gone in a trice, whilst others, like hawthorns, and rose hips, will last deep into the hungry months of winter to welcome and nourish our returning fieldfares and redwings from Scandinavia. Goldfinch will gorge themselves on thistledown and the seeds of greater napp weed. Warblers and their fellow travellers from way up in the north will stock up for the journey down to France then onward to northern sub-Saharan Africa. Blackbirds are busy stuffing themselves full of blackberries and service berries whilst they jealously guard their own patch of berries from interlopers. Even so, foxes, badgers and deer will also be foraging the brambles and even the most bombastic blackbird can do little to fend them off!![]()
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Autumn is a season of change. Our wildlife knows deep in their bones and DNA that winter is coming and now, more than at any other time, they are planning ahead, readying, preparing themselves for cold nights when even if they roost together, the outliers may still perish. Winter is a time of challenge and reckoning for wildlife around the world, and it is only the canny ones who make it through to spring. Nature still operates on the principle of survival of the fittest.![]()
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So, it will come as no surprise for you to realise that today I have been investigating the hedgerows for fruits and seeds, and there really is a huge variety out there. Have a look when next you walk across our wonderful wild spaces. Summer maybe over, but the highlights of autumn and winter can rival anything seen in the summer.
Sometimes wildlife can be easy to spot but not always . . .This Little Egret is fast becoming a regular in Portishead Hole. Its white plumage makes it easy to spot on the mud but look closely and you will see something else too! A very special bird with a beautiful call, long legs, a curved beak and plumage which blends it into the background . . . a Curlew.
Huge contrast between todays and yesterday's weather! We had a wonderful walk down to the Lake Grounds Yesterday, but got rained off after only two holes of golf today! BTW, I have named the egret Hilary as that was who first spotted it on the reserve a few days ago. Nature's bounty is everywhere as our resident bird population fatten up for the winter ahead.
The ivy flowers are buzzing with pollinators at this time of year. Look out for them on your next walk and count how many different bees, hoverflies, wasps and other insects you see. I lost count! If you get lucky you might even see butterflies feeding on the ivy nectar too.
Plenty of activity in Portishead Hole, just outside the lock gates . . . I lost count at over 70 Redshank. Always a great sight at this time of year, but they weren't alone . . . a Little Egret came along too.![]()
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Keep an eye out for them on the North Pools, especially at high tide when the salt marsh and mud banks are underwater and they are looking for somewhere to rest up.
You never know who might be out and about on the reserve . . . like this roe deer having a gander at the visitors.![]()
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A young Marsh Harrier was spotted by the South Pool last weekend too, so keep your eyes peeled and let us know what you see.
It's the beginning of July and I have just been down to the Seawall notice board to change the Dog Ranger of the Month Poster. This month Patch is on duty! Whilst I was down there I could hear curlew trilling out on the Portishead Salt Marshes. I think this is one of the most evocative sounds I have ever heard. Have a listen next time you are along the sea front. Haunting isn't in it!![]()
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We are always looking to recruit more Dog Rangers; the duties aren't exactly demanding and we welcome local dogs who may not even walk on the Salt Marsh and Reserve. I have attached this month's poster. You will see a QR Code that will take you to our sign on page - come and join us!
Insects
More insects on the planet than anything else!
Insects are really important that’s why there’s a National Insect Week just for them! Some make honey, some make silk, some pollinate plants and some are food for other creatures. So the world cannot survive without them.
But there are millions of them. So to help you sort out the moths from the butterflies here is a worksheet and an insect quiz.
On this page:
Insect Quiz
Maybe you can answer some of the questions below?
Which came first dinosaurs or insects?
What is an insect – ie how many legs does it have, does it have a skeleton?
They do not have a backbone (spine) so are classed as invertebrates. Their skeleton is on the outside of their body and is called an exoskeleton.
Are all invertebrates (creatures without a backbone) insects?
How many species of insects are there?
It is thought that 90% of all creatures on the planet are insects. That is a lot of insects! Just in the UK there are about 27,000 insect species. See how many different insects you can find on the nature reserve.
Do insects have wings?
Do grasshoppers have wings?
Did you know grasshoppers can jump vertically to a distance of 10 times their length and horizontally to 20 times their length. So a 5 cm grasshopper can jump one metre. . . see more interesting facts at http://justfunfacts.com/interesting-facts-about-grasshoppers/
How many wings does a bee have?
Do you know how many times an insect flaps its wings?
Well they are all so different. The slowest is probably the butterfly with 5 – 10 wing beats per second while the midge is said to flap its wings over 1000 times per second!
There are many more butterflies than moths. True or false?
This is a well camouflaged Hawkmoth . . . see fascinating moth facts at:
Insect Worksheet
A good time to look for insects is in the spring and summer months. Take this worksheet with you to the reserve to see how many you can find.
Other pages so you can find out more:
To see other worksheets have a look at our Young Friends section.