Rural Swansea Spring Wildlife Trail

Start your Spring Wildlife Trail at Lliw Reservoir in rural Swansea. It’s a 2 mile walk around the Lower Lliw Reservoir and another 2 mile walk up to the Upper Lliw Reservoir. Grab your binoculars and keep your eyes peeled for herons and lesser black backed gulls, great crested grebes, red kites and you may even hear some woodpeckers drumming in the trees. The path leads around the reservoir…so you can enjoy the sculpture trail and you may even spot an otter the the stream!

Keep an eye out in the ponds too for tadpoles and frog spawn. And not forgetting the lovely range of plants and flowers here at the Reservoirs. Gorse is in flower in Spring, with a lovely coconut smell! Look out for buzzards and stone chats, which are small birds that sit high in the trees. Stone chats are named for their call, which sounds just like two small stones being hit together!

If you’re feeling particularly energetic, you can head via the path to the Upper Lliw Reservoir, a walk of around 45-50 minutes and keep going up to Mynydd Y Gwair for some fantastic views. It’s also a great place for spotting Skylarks!

After your adventure at Lliw Reservoirs, head to Penllergare Valley Woods for a piece of homemade cake and a cuppa or luxury hot chocolate (complete with whipped cream and marshmallows), delicious!

This Victorian estate of Penllergare was previously the home of John Dillwyn Llewelyn the renowned horticulturist, pioneering photographer and astronomer and consists of over a hundred hectares of mixed woodland, two lakes, seven miles of peaceful ancient woodland walks and over five hundred years of Welsh history. The site is also known for its spectacular waterfall on the River Llan, which meanders through the estate.

Keep your eyes peeled near the lakes for grebes, moorhens, grey wagtails and if you’re lucky, you may even spot a kingfisher or heron!

There’s a lot of mature woodland here too…listen carefully for blue tits, robins and chiff chaffs who are lucky to call this beautiful place their home.

Penllergare Valley Woods is also home to an eclectic mix of plants and flowers, including the lesser celandine, part of the buttercup family and one of the first flowers you’ll see in Spring.

A photo of a walking bridge in Penllergare valley woods

Time to rest your tired feet after all that walking? Head to nearby Nomad Bar and Kitchen in Gowerton for small plates and tapas in a cosy and friendly atmosphere! Nomad Bar & Kitchen stocks a large range unique food and drinks from small-scale, high-quality producers not usually found on the high street.