Contact us at
info@fpwnr.org
Friends of Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve
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.😀
Today is Portishead Salt Marshes Day!![]()
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Come and say hello.![]()
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We will be by the path between the Marina and Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve between 11.00 am and 5.00 pm. The What3Word location is w3w.co/wonderfully.forwarded.balconies
A week to go before the first ever Portishead Salt Marshes Day!![]()
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We hope you can come and say hello next Saturday 14th between 11.00 am - 5.00 pm. ![]()
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We will have lots of fascinating information plus hands-on art and science. See www.portburywharfnaturereserve.co.uk/salt.../ for more . . .
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.
Portbury Wharf’s Mammals
Portbury Wharf’s mammals include water voles and roe deer. We have others of course.
Foxes, badgers and a variety of smaller creatures such as field mice, voles and shrews are on the reserve. But here we are focusing on the increasingly rare water vole and the not so rare roe deer. In fact the roe deer, perhaps the most charming of our native deer, are quite numerous so you are actually more likely to see roe deer than foxes or badgers.
Water Vole
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Roe Deer
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Related posts featuring Portbury Wharf’s Mammals
Roe Deer Antlers
Roe deer antlers regrow each year Only the male roe deer have antlers. Each year, in late autumn they shed their antlers and grow new ones. It doesn’t take long, after casting off the old ones, before these… Read More
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Keeping water voles safe
Keeping water voles safe at Portbury Wharf is very important. So the warden and his Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve Volunteers have been busy repairing the hurdles alongside the rhynes. You may have noticed them along Water Vole Lane,… Read More
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