Birdwatching Sites Gloucestershire & Bird Of Prey Centres
Welcome to my guide to birdwatching in Gloucestershire, the Cotswolds and the Forest of Dean, an area with an excellent choice of habitats to watch British birds and the opportunity to see some rare species.
To whet your spotting appetite, you can see or photograph the following in Gloucestershire or the Forest of Dean.
- Nesting area of the Peregrine Falcons at Symonds Yat Rock
- Wildfowl at Slimbridge Wetlands Trust, which has a visitor centre and lots of migratory birds.
- You can see kingfishers and herons when walking the banks of the local rivers.
- Woodpeckers at RSPB Nagshead
Bird Watching Locations
RSPB Nagshead
Nagshead is a nature reserve near to Parkend in the Forest of Dean. This is a great place to see a variety of species in their natural habitat throughout the seasons.
The site includes ample car parking, toilets, a visitor centre and viewing points or hides to help you observe. RSPB Nagshead’s visitor centre is open at the weekend from Easter until September. The site is open from dawn until dusk for visitors. Entrance is free, but donations to the RSPB are very welcome.
Nagshead is especially good for woodland birds. In spring, look out for Pied Flycatchers and Redstarts, while Wood Warblers can also be heard and seen through spring and summer. The reserve is home to all three British woodpecker species, along with Nuthatches, Treecreepers and Crossbills. Goshawks are another highlight, particularly during the winter months.
Breakheart Quarry Birdwatching
Breakheart Quarry near Dursley is a fantastic place to go birdwatching. Some species you can observe include:
- Nuthatch
- Kestrel
- Blackcap
- Bullfinch
- Chaffinch
- Goldfinch
- Woodpeckers, including the green woodpecker and great spotted woodpecker.
- Jay
- Pheasant
- Raven
- Tawny Owl
- Willow Warbler
- Wood pigeons
- A variety of tits, including the great tit.
Cannop Ponds in The Forest of Dean
Cannop ponds are home to lots of wildlife, including birds of prey, songbirds and wildfowl. Look out for pairs of mute swans, mandarin ducks, and reed warblers on the water. @aboutglos has spotted buzzards in the trees and flying in the area towards The Sculpture Trail near the Speech House Hotel.
Symonds Yat in The Wye Valley
The area near Symonds Yat, including the viewpoint, is a great place for birdwatching. You’ll see many bird species as you explore the area. The birdlife is fantastic, with opportunities to see birds of prey circling above the river. I’ve seen owls, buzzards, and peregrine falcons near the River Wye. To see nesting peregrine falcons from the Symonds Yat viewpoint is a must. Take binoculars to see them, and read the signs to learn more.
Stenders Quarry Birdwatching
The Stenders Quarry Nature Reserve is a 7-acre Site of Special Scientific Interest. They designate the site as an SSSI for its important geological features, although the reserve also has a diverse selection of plants and animals.
For birdwatching, there are plenty of opportunities to see the greater spotted woodpecker, goldcrest, and many other common birds. The reserve is also home to a variety of snails and butterflies, including the Marbled White Butterfly.
Newent Lake Birdwatching
Newent Lake is on the former grounds of Newent Court and is a fantastic place to go birdwatching and wildlife spotting. The lake is home to a variety of freshwater fish and birds. Birds you can easily spot at Newent Lake include mallards, coots, moorhens, kingfishers and herons.
The trees surrounding the lake are home to nuthatches, robins, great spotted woodpeckers and more.
Gloucestershire Visitor Centres
Places to visit to learn about birds, including sanctuaries for birds of prey and many other conservation sites.
WWT Slimbridge
The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust in Slimbridge is a very educational place to visit to learn about a variety of birds. The reserve is home to migratory birds, including ducks, geese, and swans. WWT Slimbridge is in a beautiful location between the Severn Estuary and the Gloucester-Sharpness Canal.
The site is a great place for families and anyone interested in wildlife, with a strong focus on education. You can get up close with some resident birds and even feed some. The habitat is beautiful, and they even have a section where you can paddle into the reeds to be one with nature.
The centre is ever-changing as new species arrive and leave throughout the seasons. Some highlights of visiting are
- Sand martins and swallows in March.
- Common cranes settle down to nest in March
- Cuckoos in April
- Kingfishers nest and lay eggs in April; the site has a dedicated hide to observe a kingfisher if lucky.
- Migrating birds, including ruffs and a variety of sandpiper species, migrate here in the summer.
- In August, teals arrive for winter, along with many other arrivals.
- In winter, at dusk, you can watch starlings do their usual acrobatics over the site.
The Falconry School
The Falconry School in Gloucestershire is a small establishment dedicated to demonstrating best practices for caring for, handling, and flying birds of prey. The school has a great reputation, so much so that students have come from all over the world to learn about training and managing birds of prey.
The Barn Owl Centre
Located just outside Gloucester, the Barn Owl Centre is a rescue centre that specialises in owls. This charity supports barn owls in all aspects, including supplying owl boxes to customers across the UK.