RSPB West Sedgemoor

An excellent location for bird watching, the RSPB manages 43 hectares of woodland and 542 hectares of hay meadows and pasture at West Sedgemoor. This reserve, designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest, forms part of the Somerset Levels and Moors, one of England's largest remaining wet meadow systems. Large numbers of wading birds breed here and the winter floods attract Bewick's swans, and thousands of teal, wigeon and lapwing. West Sedgemoor is also important for its insect and plant life. In the summer the low-lying fields, to the north of Swell Wood, are rich in wild flowers, and sedges thrive in this, the largest remaining area of agriculturally ‘unimproved’ wet meadows in England. The woodlands at Swell Wood are ancient in origin and support many bird species, including the largest colony of nesting grey herons in south-west England and, more recently, little egrets. Dormice live in the hazel coppice, and wildflowers such as bluebells cover the woodland floor in spring. Guided walks through the year.