Contact us at
info@fpwnr.org
Friends of Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve
We are counting down to the first ever Portishead Salt Marshes Day in just over 2 weeks (Saturday 14 August). ![]()
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We have been working hard behind the scenes creating graphics to tell the fascinating story of salt marshes. ![]()
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Portbury Wharf salt marsh is crucial to the success of the nature reserve as wildlife moves freely between the two habitats.![]()
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We hope to see you there.
***WHARF LANE update***![]()
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The Hinkley Connection Team have now finished the work in Wharf Lane and it has now been reopened.
Save the date for the first ever Portishead Salt Marshes Day!![]()
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We are celebrating our two salt marshes at Portbury Wharf and Battery Point.![]()
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The Friends of Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve are organising this event in collaboration with Plover Rovers - Talking the Coast. ![]()
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Plover Rovers are a science communication charity focusing on bringing marine science and coastal communities together. ![]()
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We are also delighted that Curlew Action will be coming to talk about Saving the Curlew. Curlew Action are dedicated to raising the awareness of the decline of the Eurasian Curlew across the UK and Europe.On Saturday 14th August we will be celebrating our Salt Marshes with Portishead Salt Marshes Day. ![]()
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The event will take place alongside the path between Portishead Marina and Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve between 11.00am – 5.00pm.
You can find out more at www.portburywharfnaturereserve.co.uk/salt-marshes-day/![]()
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So put the date in your diary and come along and say hello.
Roe deer are frequently seen on the nature reserve but has anyone else seen muntjac deer here?Well i have been going to this Reserve for many a year but have never seen one of these chaps before . A muntjac deer walked less than 6 feet from the north pool hide and was in fact so close that my lens would not fit him all in . he bolted - needless to say - but is this a first?
Two Long-tailed Ducks were still present on the North Pool this morning, having been first spotted by Chris Clarke on Friday. ![]()
It is really unusual to see these birds this far south at this time of year - they should be busy nesting in Iceland or Scandinavia! ![]()
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They are a male and female in their first year, so they probably paired up on their breeding grounds, but failed or were too young to breed and so headed south rather earlier then normal.![]()
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My bridge camera was not up to the task of getting a decent shot (though it is recognisable!) when I was there on Friday, but perhaps some of the others who have been to see them might like to add some better photos!![]()
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Don't forget that if you want to visit the either the Tower hide or the North Pool hide to see them, the only access is from the sea wall at the moment.
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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PLEASE NOTE - The deadline for entries is now Extended until 30th June.![]()
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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).
Portbury Wharf’s Birds
Home > Portbury Wharf’s Wildlife > Portbury Wharf’s Birds
Portbury Wharf’s birds – there are so many. We have the usual garden and hedgerow birds but because we are on the coast we also have lots of visiting wildfowl and waders.
According to the RSPB, 1 in 4 UK birds are now on the Red List of Conservation Concern as numbers have dropped considerably. Eighteen of the birds that we regularly see among Portbury Wharf’s birds are on this red list with another 23 on the amber list (not quite as bad as the red list). Click here to read about the red and amber lists.
What to look out for at Portbury Wharf
Below is what you might see on the reserve, or close by, but of course this is not exhaustive. There will always be unusual visitors to keep an eye out for like avocets and bitterns. We have divided the lists seasonally so you know what you are likely to see and when.
What you may see at anytime of the year
What you will only see in the spring or summer
What you will only see in the winter
NB birds marked with * or ** may also be “Passage” birds ie passing through at other times of the year
We will be adding photos and more information about each bird in due course. Though with so many species this will be a labour of love and will take a little while to detail all of Portbury Wharf’s birds. So please be patient with us.
You can download our A5 spotting card to take with you to the reserve. You will find it on our Wildlife Monitoring page.
Birds you could see at any time of the year
(Chloris Chloris)
They have a fizzy wheezing call.
(Aegithalos caudatus)
Oystercatcher
One of the slightly easier birds to identify is the Oystercatcher The Oystercatcher is a black and white bird with a bright red beak, red eye and pink legs and feet. It is quite a noisy bird with… Read More
The Summer Birds
These birds fly from Africa and beyond to spend the summer here. They will nest and raise their families before flying back to warmer climates for the winter.
* these are Passage birds ie on their way through in spring and summer.
The Winter Birds
These birds fly from northern and arctic regions to spend the winter here. So they will escape the worst of the cold harsh conditions to spend a relatively mild winter here. In spring when the arctic temperatures rise and the light increases they will fly back north to nest.
Read more
This bird is the most threatened of all our birds.
Dunlin**
Read more
Wigeon
You can hear it in this clip:
** these are also “passage” birds ie on their way through in spring and summer
Bird Posts
Oystercatcher
One of the slightly easier birds to identify is the Oystercatcher The Oystercatcher is a black and white bird with a bright red beak, red eye and pink legs and feet. It is quite a noisy bird with… Read More
January – What to look out for
Happy New Year! Although it is a shiny new start to the year, sadly we are in another lockdown . . . . . . but our winter birds are still flying free along our coast and on… Read More
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Murmuring starlings or whispering dunlins?
It was twilight. The stars had faded away but it was not yet sunrise when hundreds of pairs of wings purred past my shoulder. What were they? Where had they come from and where were they going? I… Read More
Gordano Valley Lapwings
This morning at sunrise I watched 18 lapwing lift off from the North Pool. Once upon a time you would have seen flocks of a hundred strong. Sadly over the last 20 or so years, numbers have fallen… Read More
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Winter Birds
Look out for the winter birds: From August onwards lots of birds migrate here to escape the harsh northern winters. These winter birds will stay until the spring before heading back up to breed so in the meantime… Read More
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