A guide to birding sites on the Gower Peninsula near Swansea. The
beautiful Gower peninsula offers some of the best birding in Wales and
was the first area to be awarded an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
(AONB) in 1956.
The best birding sites are described on this website as well as some lesser known ones.
Burry Inlet
To the north lies the Burry Inlet which forms the mouth of the River
Loughor. This estuary is best known for its large concentrations of
wading birds especially Oystercatchers, over 10,000 at times. It also
attracts a wide variety of other species both in winter and on passage.
Worms Head
At the far west end of the peninsula lies the rocky promontory of Worms
Head. It is separated from the mainland at high tide but is open for a
few hours either side of low water .The cliffs are home to a few
species of Auks and is a good place to watch for passing Shearwaters
and Sea ducks.
Oxwich NNR
In the south of Gower lies Oxwich Bay N.N.R hemmed in by limestone
hills. This bay has a dune-lined beach backed by reed beds and marshes
with several mid-sized pools. This site is the only reliable place on
Gower for Bitterns.
Blackpill Beach
On the western outskirts of Swansea, Blackpill has become quite famous
for the finding in 1973 of Britain's first Ring billed Gull. Since then
this site produces sightings annually of this and many more rare birds.
