Contact us at
info@fpwnr.org
Thanks to Councillor Nicola Holland for coming along to offically launch the new Salt Marsh Noticeboard.![]()
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The noticeboard takes pride of place at Portbury Wharf Salt Marsh. It is located at the entrance to the salt marsh near to Portishead Marina. The salt marsh is a Site of Special Scientific Interest but few people know about this fragile habitat. So Portishead Town Council and the Friends of Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve have been working together to change this. Portishead Town Council paid for one of its redundant silver notice boards to be refurbished and installed, while the Friends of Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve have created a series of panels to display the amazing facts about the salt marshes. ![]()
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The salt marsh is a wildlife refuge as well as helping to protect our local and global climate. Did you know that salt marshes are much better at burying harmful carbon than rain forests? Do you know what's under the mud and why the Severn Estuary is so important? There’s a lot to learn about our salt marshes and how we can all help to protect them. If you can't wait to find out, you can get a sneak preview on the Friends of Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve website www.portburywharfnaturereserve.co.uk/salt-marsh/.![]()
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Hilary Kington of the Friends of Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve said: “We have a biodiversity crisis as well as a climate crisis. So championing and protecting the salt marsh and its wildlife is a win win scenario. If every community takes care of its green and wild spaces, it will add up to a big difference globally. We owe it to future generations to safeguard these precious places."
An important announcement from NSC, who are taking over ownership of Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve.We have agreed to take over the ownership of Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve in Portishead.![]()
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The 116-acre site is a popular recreational and wildlife area which provides a buffer between the port and the Ashlands housing development. ![]()
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By adopting the site we have secured the future of the nature reserve for future generations. ![]()
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We have also secured £75,000 from developers Persimmon towards ongoing maintenance costs.
With halloween only a couple of days away we thought you might like to know a bit more about our not so scary bats. ![]()
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You can also find out more at www.bats.org.uk/about-bats/what-are-bats/uk-bats.![]()
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While Young Friends may like to visit our Halloween webpage to find out about our owls, spiders, bats and poisonous plants www.portburywharfnaturereserve.co.uk/halloween/![]()
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Happy Halloween everyone.![]()
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Portishead Parent
The lovely Boat Folk at Portishead Marina have put up some of our salt marsh information display boards around the marina. We are working together to spread the word about our great salt marshes and wildlife.
The ‘SPLASH’ has landed in Swan Lake.![]()
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This eye-catching artwork, designed and sculpted by Cod Steaks in Bristol was originally installed in one of the North Pools. Now it has been moved to a much more prominent position on Swan Lake just down from Robin Place.![]()
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It is moulded and cast in clear resin and designed to enhance the environment without disturbing the surrounding wildlife and nesting birds.![]()
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A special thanks to Mags (@mags_mega_pix) for letting us share her lovely photo of this cygnet crowned with the splash. Perfect timing Mags! Swans are royal birds owned by the Queen and this youngster certainly looks good wearing a crown!
September Wildlife - Post 3![]()
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Have you spotted either of the darter dragonflies yet? Well here is another one for you to watch out for this weekend . . .![]()
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It is the Migrant Hawker. You might see it whizzing past as it "hawks" for insects along the hedgerows. When it is not hawking it likes to rest on low vegetation.![]()
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The photos are of a male which is dark with blue spots and yellow flecks along the abdomen. It also has blue eyes! The brown-eyed female has a brown abdomen with yellow spots though can occasionally have blue spots too.
September wildlife - Post 2![]()
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The second dragonfly to look out for in the autumn is the Ruddy Darter. It is slightly smaller than the Common Darter with a 'waisted' abdomen. Males are bright red. Females are very similar to female Common Darters but have all black legs.
September Wildlife - Post 1 ![]()
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Although dragonflies are beginning to die off now their larvae, or nymphs, are still very much alive in the ponds and rhynes. ![]()
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However, there are three species that you can still look out for in September. The first is the Common Darter . . . ![]()
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You will often see them perched on the tip of a prominent twig or fencepost. From here they will dart out to catch flies before returning to the same perch – hence their name!![]()
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If you ever get close enough you might notice the cream or yellow stripe on their black legs! The females have a light yellow thorax and abdomen turning darker brown with age while the males turn a red colour as they mature. ![]()
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Still to come Ruddy Darter and Migrant Hawker . . .
By the meteorological calendar, the first day of autumn begins on 1 September and ends on 30 November. So autumn is officially here. ![]()
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While we still hope for some sunny and warm days, nature is already preparing for the hardships to come. Fruits and nuts are ripening, many animals are fattening up for hibernation or migration - some have gone already!
Thank you to everyone who came along to the very first Portishead Salt Marshes Day on Saturday.![]()
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There was such a lovely atmosphere and plenty of information to be shared about our amazing salt marches.😀
What’s Happening
November is here
. . . a time to watch out for the arrival of the winter birds. Keep your eyes peeled for wildfowl, waders and winter thrushes.
On this page (last updated 6 November):
Even if you missed the first ever Portishead Salt Marshes Day in August you can find out loads at our new salt marshes hub
What to look out for this month
NOVEMBER – What to look out for
Welcome to November! The clocks have gone back, so dusk comes early in November. The first frosts will arrive and the trees are rapidly losing their leaves….but it’s a good time for wildlife spotting. Winter visitors are streaming… Read More
Celebrating our Dog Rangers
This months dog ranger is Max. To find out about our wildlife friendly dogs see our dog ranger page. You and your dog could make all the difference to our wildlife by following four simple guidelines.
Wildlife Counts
Both the Warden and the Friends carry out wildlife counts. You need to know what wildlife is visiting the reserve so you can manage the land effectively. These counts also feed into national wildlife records. There are at least two counts per month. You can read more about the Friends’ wildlife counts and download a spotting card on our Wildlife Monitoring page.
Next “Friends” count:
We will let you know when things open up again and we can once more invite people along. Usually anyone is welcome to join us whatever your level of experience as it is a great opportunity to learn about the wildlife and pick up spotting tips. Please contact us beforehand to confirm meeting place.
Helping the warden
The reserve is managed by North Somerset Council. The Council employs a warden who is responsible for maintaining the nature reserve and with so much to do he needs volunteers. All sessions run from 09:30 to 12:30 meeting at the Wharf Lane Car Park (BS20 7TD). Tools, gloves and refreshments are provided.
The next Volunteer Community Work Sessions:
PS You can get in touch with the warden directly via Portbury Wharf Community Volunteers Facebook page.
Hinkley Connection Project
To protect the migratory birds which spend the winter here all work which might disturb these birds will cease between September and April.
To read about the pylon work project taking place on the nature reserve please see Hinkley Connection Project.
Previous briefings:
Hinkley Connection Update June 2021
This update relates to the footpath closure on Wharf Lane for 6 weeks between 7 June 2021 and 16 July 2021. Access to the North Pool hides remains open from the old sea wall along the salt marsh. Please… Read More
Hinkley Connection Update November 2020
This update relates to the continuation of work at Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve. This is a briefing we have received from the Community Relations Team of the National Grid Hinkley Connection Project. We are posting these briefings so… Read More
Hinkley Connection Update April 2020
This update relates to the continuation of work at Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve and the extra safety measures being taken during the Covid-19 pandemic. This is a briefing we have received from the Community Relations Team of the… Read More
Hinkley Connection Update February 2020
This update relates to closures and restrictions at Sheepway. This is a briefing we have received from the Community Relations Team of the National Grid Hinkley Connection Project. We are posting these briefings so you are kept up… Read More
Hinkley Connection Update September 2019
This update relates to the measures being taken to protect the environment and ecology of the reserve. This is a briefing we have received from the Community Relations Team of the National Grid Hinkley Connection Project. We are… Read More
New to website
Recent Pages:
A whole new salt marsh section, check it out – added July 2021
Curlew added April 2021
Frogs (and other amphibians) have been active and so have we – they now have their very own page – added February 2021
Winter Trail added December 2020
Bird Migration added September 2020
Learn about insects on our Have Fun Learning page added June 2020
Wigeon added January 2020
Dunlins added December 2019
Portbury Wharf Salt Marsh added 15 October 2019
Portbury Wharf Plants updated 10 October 2019
Ivy added September 2019
Hinkley Connection Project added September 2019
Nature Trails added September 2019
Please support us added September 2019
Dragonflies and Damselflies updated August 2019
Dragonfly Spotting Tips added July 2019
Dragonfly Survey added July 2019
Portbury Wharf’s Roe Deer added in April 2019
Recent Posts:
Salt Marsh Noticeboard
Thanks to Councillor Nicola Holland for coming along to offically launch the new Salt Marsh Noticeboard. The noticeboard takes pride of place at Portbury Wharf Salt Marsh. It is located at the entrance near to Portishead Marina. The… Read More
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NOVEMBER – What to look out for
Welcome to November! The clocks have gone back, so dusk comes early in November. The first frosts will arrive and the trees are rapidly losing their leaves….but it’s a good time for wildlife spotting. Winter visitors are streaming… Read More
OCTOBER – What to look out for
Welcome to October! We are well into the autumn and this can be a lovely time of year with lots going on. Birds While the summer birds have gone south to find warmer climates, the winter birds are… Read More