Day 33 Is it a frog, is it a toad ........

It's the last weekend of the holidays so why don't you make the most of it and go outside, run around, feel the wind in your hair, the rain or sun on your face (you never know which it will be these days!), cartwheel on the grass and jump around!

If you're looking for somewhere to go, you could try Stockwood Open Space, with it's open grassland, woodland, hedges and ponds, it's a haven for wildlife and a playground for young adventurers. Look out for frogs, toads and newts around the ponds, particularly if it's wet when you go. Not sure how to identify a frog from a toad? Then use Froglife's identification guide to help you. Pondering over what type of newt you have found? Then check out the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation group's website to help clarify your smooth newt from your palmate newt.

If you explore the woodlands then keep your eyes open for tawny owl pellets. Owls, like other birds of prey, cannot digest all of their food so they compress the feathers, fur and bones of their prey in their gullet and regurgitate it as a pellet. Tawny owls, who like to live in the woods, produce grey, loosely packed pellets about the size of a thumb and these can be found below feeding spots such as a tree stump or fence post. If you do find one, soak it in a little water and prize it apart with a cocktail stick or toothpick. You can then be a detective and discover the bones of whatever little creature has been the owls last meal. It could be a vole or mouse, maybe a shrew or even a bat. A good guide to dissecting owl pellets can be found here, see how many animals your owl had for his tea. Did you know...that when tawny owls make their twit twoo sound, it's actually a male and female calling to each other?

Finally, why not take some photos or draw some pictures whilst your out and about, you could take them into school when you go back and tell your class all about your adventures. Hope you had a great holiday!

Day 28 Have a hoot at Portbury Wharf

Visit our wonderful nature reserve at Portbury Wharf tonight for an evening walk with the warden, Bernie D'arcy for a chance to see owls, bats, foxes, and perhaps even a water vole.You'll need to book a place but the walk is free to everyone. Craig Vale said of the last walk: "thanks to Bernie for a lovely evening, we were even lucky enough to see some owls in flight." 

Portbury Wharf is unusual in that it was created as a condition of planning permission being granted for the adjoining Port Marine housing development. Bernie D'arcy (warden) and Neil Hutton (community officer) were employed in 2010 and work on the reserve to maintain and develop the wetlands habitat for wildlife and provide opportunities for the wider community to discover and learn more about the reserve. Large pools, ditches, marshland and of course, the estuary, provide invaluable habitats for species such as water voles and otters, migrating birds and invertebrates including the rare, hairy dragonfly.

Find out more about all the different species that can be found at this lovely wetlands reserve here, find out about the fantastic breeding barn owls here and follow Portbury Wharf on facebook to get news about family events, wildlife sightings and more.