Contact us at
info@fpwnr.org
Friends of Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve
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.😀
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.
What to look out for this month
Here is a month by month guide to the key wildlife that you might hope to see during each month of the year.
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
SEPTEMBER – What to look out for
September is here! By the meteorological calendar, the first day of autumn begins on 1 September and ends on 30 November. So autumn is officially here. The weather may be sunny and warm at times, but nature is… Read More
AUGUST – What to look out for
Whilst for us August is the height of summer, for much of our wildlife it’s almost the beginning of autumn. The breeding season’s over, lots of plants are ripe with fruit and some bird species are even starting… Read More
JULY – what to look out for
July is the start of high summer. The flowers and insects are at their best and busiest, but many of the birds will have finished nesting. In July and August many birds are winding down and moulting into… Read More
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JUNE – what to look out for
June is the month when the meadows and verges are full of flowers and the breeding season for the birds is in full swing. The emergence of butterflies, damselflies and dragonflies, which has been a bit slow in… Read More
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MAY – what to look out for
Listen out for cuckoos in May. Cuckoos fly all the way here from Africa and beyond to lay their eggs in other birds’ nests. Did you know it is only the male bird that calls “cuckoo”? A cuckoo… Read More
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March and April – what to look out for
While some winter birds are yet to fly back north to their nesting sites, spring fever is definitely on its way. March and April is such an exciting time of year with plenty of spring wildlife to look… Read More
February – What to look out for
Look out for FROGS and TOADS! This is their mating time and they are on the move. February and March is the time when we are most likely to see them as large numbers converge on their… 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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December – What to look out for
IT’S DECEMBER! December is the month of CHRISTMAS and that makes it hard to avoid references to mistletoe, robins, holly and ivy! Let’s learn more about these Christmas symbols which you might spot on a walk around the… Read More
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