Places to see birds

About Swindon and the surrounding area

At first sight Swindon and the surrounding areas of North Wiltshire and Kennet appear to hold little attraction for birds and birdwatching. This is far from the truth, and without travelling outside of this area you are able to visit sites where birds can be readily seen at any season of the year.

Within Swindon there are several Country Parks and Reserves providing good locations to find breeding birds and also a range of habitats from lakes through woodland and even downland.

In the North Wiltshire area there are a many good quality reserves provided by the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust. The Braydon Forest, an area of land within the Swindon, Cricklade and Malmesbury triangle supports a number of such reserves offering hay meadows, woodland and water based habitats.

Carry on north to the Wiltshire/Gloucestershire border and the Cotswold Water Park provides a wealth of birwatching opportunities.

In Kennet can be found the large expanse of Savernake Forest, and together with the local rivers and canal this area can provide birding opportunities at any time.

This section of the website will provide a birdwatcher with an opportunity to explore the local area, with an identified connection to explanatory websites where such exist. Whilst we cannot cover all known sites in the immediate locality we hope that you will be able to find some quiet spot that you can return to throughout the year.

If you are able to help us by proposing local sites that can be included on this website please let us know. The only restriction is that any site we feature should have good public access for all, whatever their ability or disability.

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