Wildlife spotting
From wading birds to rare wildflowers – there’s plenty of wildlife to spot at Oxwich Bay, and across Gower…
Oxwich National Nature Reserve
Behind Oxwich Bay beach is the Oxwich National Nature Reserve – a system of sandy dunes, woodland, marsh, and extensive reed swamp. It provides a home for many species of wildflower, as well as insects, birds and bats. The reserve is managed by Natural Resources Wales – more information can be found by clicking the button below.
At the rear of the reserve, on the other side of Oxwich Marsh Road, is a bird hide, which can be accessed via a boardwalk. Here you might spot ducks, water rails, little grebes and moorhens on the water.
Boat trips from Oxwich Bay
Activity provider Gower Coast Adventures offer guided boat tours from Oxwich Bay to Worm’s Head, taking in the stunning scenery of the coastline and the chance to spot a variety of marine wildlife!
Jellyfish, Atlantic grey seals and even dolphins have been spotted during their trips, which run throughout the spring and summer seasons.
Explore our woodland
Turn right out of our front door and in a couple of minutes you will have reached Oxwich Woods, which is managed by Oxwich Bay Hotel owner Ian Williams.
This woodland is home to a rich variety of trees, shrubs and flowers, including ash, sycamore and dogwood trees, as well as seasonal displays of wild garlic, bluebells and the iconic hart’s tongue fern, together with rare species such as purple gromwell and butcher’s broom.
From the blog:
Best Autumn/Winter Wildlife Spots on Gower
There’s plenty of wildlife action on Gower during the autumn and winter months – you just have to know where to look!
Take a look at our top picks, on the blog now…
Wales' Biodiversity in Numbers
Over 75% of Wales’ coastline is currently designated as a protected area
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The Wales Coast Path runs through 11 National Nature Reserves & dozens of Sites of Special Scientific Interest
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Cardigan Bay is home to Europe’s largest population of bottle-nose dolphin
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The Gower became the UK’s first area of outstanding natural beauty in 1956
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South Wales is home to the second tallest sand dunes in Northern Europe
Photo and facts from Wales Coast Path
Image credits: Atlantic Grey Seal – IMG_2515-6.jpg by Joanne Goldby on Flickr, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 | Blog image – Amanita muscaria by Alexandre Dulaunoy on Flickr, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
