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My First walk on the Wharf for sometime. I saw lots of these Damselflies today, plus a few Dragonflies which were far to busy to catch on camera.
***FURTHER UPDATE*** - Hinkley Connection Team have been in touch to let us know that the bridleway/footpath will also be closed tomorrow morning, Thursday 14 May. They apologise for the overrun.
Hi everyone, the Sheepway to Wharf Lane bridleway will be closed for a day from this morning . . .
Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve - Hinkley Point C Connection Project
hinkleyconnection.co.uk
Work at Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve As part of the Hinkley Connection Project, we are working with Western Power Distribution (WPD) to make changes to the local electricity distribution network. Our work at Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve includes removing some of the existing pylons, replacing them...If you take your daily walk near the estuary, keep a look out for some jet setters. Some birds are international travelers and whilst we are locked down they are still flying high.
These whimbrels made a pit stop in Portishead this week on their way from Africa to their northern nesting grounds. Most are heading to Iceland but some will nest in the Shetland and Orkney Isles and northern areas of Scotland.
Hopefully they will have a productive breeding season before heading back to West Africa in the autumn. It is thought that they may make this return trip in one go. That is about a 3000 mile non-stop flight, quite some feat! See more at www.bou.org.uk/mendez-whimbrel-migration/.
Whimbrels are very similar to the more familiar curlew but slightly dumpier with a shorter bill. If you get close enough you might see their distinctive dark crown with central pale stripe and another stripe above the eye. They are sometimes called the "seven whistler" as their repeated whistles can often alert you to their presence.
Hope you see one, they won't be around here for long.
Whilst out walking the other day, i spotted this guy on the nature reserve . He is losing his winter coat and getting ready to put his lighter summer wardrobe to good use. Ironically - look at the pic that i got 2 years ago to the day
How to help our spring wildlife🐣
Our wildlife is making ready for their young. At this important time we can all do two simple things to help; KEEP TO THE PATHS and KEEP OUR DOGS ON LEADS. This will safeguard many species.
DO YOU KNOW?
Our skylarks, lapwings and other birds that nest on the ground have a tough time protecting their eggs and chicks. They already face attack from other birds and foxes so can do without us trampling their camouflaged nests. The skylark has an iconic, heart warming song. If we encourage a healthy population here then future generations will also hear skylarks.
The female roe deer will soon be having their young. Once the kids are born the does (females) will leave them hidden on the salt marsh and the reserve. They will only return occasionally to suckle them. It is when the kids are alone that they are in most danger. Both foxes and loose dogs could easily injure or even kill them.
Of course many of you will know that our swans have previously suffered attacks from both foxes and dogs. So please do not let your dog swim in the water or get close to swans.
This simple measure will also protect our dwindling water voles. They live in the rhynes and waterways and will be fattening up after the winter. The vegetation on the banks is their lunch and they eat a lot of it! It also keeps them hidden from predators. So it will help if we all stay away from the water and don’t trample down the bank.
We and our dogs can be pretty scary to the wildlife. Dogs can even scare some of the human visitors too by running up to them. So please be kind and keep your distance and keep dogs under very tight control, preferably on a lead.
Social distancing is protecting us and distancing will protect our wildlife too. Give it a go so all life can flourish at Portbury Wharf!
PS Thanks to B. Schmidt from Pixaby for the roe kid photo
I can't get out on to the reserve regularly from Pill at the moment and I'm missing out on surveying the first Dragon and Damselflies. However my garden pond has provided some consolation this week - a number of Large Red Damselflies and, on Saturday, a beautiful male Broad-bodied Chaser hatching out on the irises.
An April sun rising between dockyard cranes as geese fly overhead. A memorable photo taken at Portbury Wharf last year.
Making friends - thanks for sharing John😃Not in reserve, Newfoundland Way/Portbury Ditch today. Spring
Portbury Wharf Plants
Wild Flowers, Plants and Trees
Portbury Wharf plants can be stunningly beautiful. They are also vital to the ecosystem being an important source of food and shelter for all sorts of wildlife.
At Portbury Wharf wild flowers grow around the ponds and along the banks of the rhynes and there is a flower meadow in the Sanctuary. As it is a predominantly wetland habitat, plants that prefer this sort of environment thrive here. Though don’t overlook the hedgerows which are home to many pollen and berry producing trees and plants. Where you see flowers and berries you may also see wildlife, so look closely.
This is just the beginning of a list of Portbury Wharf Plants. So we will keep adding to this page to build up a comprehensive list of the plants here.Page updated 4 October 2019
Berries Nov-Apr
Ivy (Hedera Helix) an evergreen ecosystem
This is a very important plant for wildlife providing shelter and food in autumn and winter!
Ivy is so important it has its own page . . .read more
Ox-eye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare)
Ox-eye daisy or Moon Daisy is a familiar and attractive grassland perennial. It grows up to 60 cm and has large white flowers from June. It is our largest native member of the daisy family and thought to be the origin of the children’s petal-pulling game “loves me, loves me not”.
A mature plant can produce up to 26,000 seeds which can remain viable for many years. So it has the ability to spread relatively easily and as a result is considered invasive in more than 40 countries.
Reference and further reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leucanthemum_vulgare
Dog Rose (Rosa canina)
Look out for the bright red rose hips in the autumn hedgerows. They are the seed pods of the wild Dog-rose. It has sweetly scented pink or white flowers that appear in June and July with rose hips ripening in autumn.
Reference and further reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_canina
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Height 20cm to 1m. Flowers have strong sweet scent. Food source for many beneficial insects. Attracts predatory insects such as ladybirds and hover flies which eat pests, so used as a companion plant. Birds such as starlings line their nests with yarrow. So all in all a great plant for wildlife.
Reference and further reading https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achillea_millefolium