The Wildlife Trust SW Wales Swansea Group
LightNews LightNews
banner
wtswwswanseagroup.bsky.social
The Wildlife Trust SW Wales Swansea Group
@wtswwswanseagroup.bsky.social
220 followers 180 following 160 posts
We are wildlife enthusiasts organising nature walks + talks in the Swansea area of South Wales. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
Join us! https://www.welshwildlife.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/395133178511075
#Wildlife #Swansea #Gower #Abertawe #Nature #WTSSW
Posts Replies Media Videos
wtswwswanseagroup.bsky.social
A near-capacity audience enjoyed Dr Dan Forman's fascinating talk last night "Wildlife ER" about the work of the Gower Bird Hospital. Ethos: Keeping Wildlife Wild.
Report here bit.ly/3WSmPIQ
An audience collection for the hospital and donation from the Swansea group totalled £228!
A collage of images from the talk. Dr Dan Forman talking about the wild animal injuries which need treating. Six very young hedgehog orphans clustered around a fifty pence piece for scale. The brood of orphaned goosander chicks which Dan referred to in his talk which, in the absence of mum, had to be "taught" to preen their feathers.
November 12, 2025 at 4:13 PM
wtswwswanseagroup.bsky.social
A big 'thank you' to fungi enthusiast Teifion Davies and all who came along to his "Fantastic Fungi" talk last night. He told of the crucial role fungi play, breaking down organic matter and revealed the Swansea area has the "deadliest woodland in Wales" because it has so many poisonous fungi!
October 22, 2025 at 8:33 PM
wtswwswanseagroup.bsky.social
Our Fungi Foray led by Teifion Davies in Clyne Valley Woods, Swansea at the weekend was a great success. Species found included clustered bonnets, hedgehog fungus and clouded funnel fungus.
Thanks to Teifion and all those who came along!
#Fungi #Mycology
Teifion Davies demonstrating how smell is often a clue when identifying fungi. Hedgehog fungus Clouded funnel fungi having emerged from leaf litter.
October 14, 2025 at 10:53 AM
wtswwswanseagroup.bsky.social
We enjoyed an excellent guided walk with Stuart Hemsley-Rice at Penllergaer Valley Woods yesterday. We had a full brief of the brilliant conservation going on + fit inished nicely with views of dipper and grey wagtails on the river. Thank you Stuart!
#Penllergaer #PenllergaerValleyWoods #Swansea
Waterfalls at Penllergaer Valley Woods People listening to Stuart Hemsley-Rice in sunshine on the edge of woodland View of the river which runs through Penllergaer Valley Woods, showing woodland on either side.
October 6, 2025 at 8:47 AM
wtswwswanseagroup.bsky.social
A mycological mystery on #UKFungiDay - at least, it is to us! Seen growing on fallen timber at the Wildlife Trust's Gelli Hir nature reserve, Gower.
is it a fungus? Or a lichen? Or a fungus on lichen? Pale lemony-green with black spots. Thoughts please #mycologists ?
What look like pale lemony-green florets of fungi with black spots on them, growing on the bark of old fallen timber.
October 4, 2025 at 9:23 AM
wtswwswanseagroup.bsky.social
Nearly 1,000 trees have already been ordered to be planted late autumn. Reserves manager Paul Thornton aims to nurture a mosaic of habitats - brilliant for biodiversity!
View from the reserve to the Gower commons showing a little of Trust’s Gelli Hir woodland reserve. View of grassland a row of trees grown from an old hedgerow. View of a marshy rushy meadow with yellow common fleabane blooming in the foreground. Woodland on the horizon.
September 3, 2025 at 7:59 AM
wtswwswanseagroup.bsky.social
The WTSWW Swansea group's Junior Seashore Safari yesterday was a great success with keen youngsters exploring rock pools and under boulders of low-tide Bracelet Bay. Finds included six species of crab, a five beard rockling and a sand goby along with prawns! Huge thanks to leader Emma Lowe 💙
Marine biologist Emma Lowe talking to some of the group at pebbly Bracelet Bay. Serious rock-pooling by kids and adults! A five beard rockling in water in a container. It has five barbels around its mouth. A girl holds up a pot containing sea water and a prawn.
July 27, 2025 at 10:10 AM
wtswwswanseagroup.bsky.social
A big thanks to Bethan Withey of #BatConservation and #NaturAmByth! for the sold-out bat talk and walk in Killay, Swansea last night. Pipistrelles + Soprano pips were seen and heard but hearing the much rarer Lesser Horseshoe bats was a huge thrill!
#bats 🦇🦇🦇🦇
Seated people watching the bat talk with a slideshow. People gathered in a woodland clearing looking up watching and hearing bat echo-locations on bat detectors. Closer pic of Bethan telling the audience about bats with a slideshow featuring bat photographs.
May 15, 2025 at 8:56 AM
wtswwswanseagroup.bsky.social
Childrens' book author Karen Owen will be at Cover to Cover bookshop in Mumbles from 2pm this Saturday (May 3) signing her new book 'Major and Mynah - Project Puffin' which was inspired by her researches on the WTSWW's amazing Skomer island reserve - breeding place for 41,000 puffins!
April 29, 2025 at 1:36 PM
wtswwswanseagroup.bsky.social
Shining cranesbill
#WildflowerHour
Ilston Cwm, Gower 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
April 27, 2025 at 9:32 PM
wtswwswanseagroup.bsky.social
More than 50 species were reported as part of the iNaturalist #CityNatureChallenge Swansea.
Pyrenean harvestman Liam Olds showing Johnny Woon a nomad bee. A speckled wood at rest
April 27, 2025 at 5:31 PM
wtswwswanseagroup.bsky.social
Do swathes of nodding #bluebells mean *Spring* to you? 😊 As mentioned in The Times last week, you can see them at the wtsww.bsky.social Brynna Woods nature reserve near Pencoed. Also at Kilvrough Manor Woods, Gower.

www.welshwildlife.org/nature-reser...

www.welshwildlife.org/nature-reser...
Image of many bluebells growing on a nature reserve woodland bank.
April 24, 2025 at 4:03 PM
wtswwswanseagroup.bsky.social
Anyone free to battle with aliens tomorrow? (19 April)
Join West Wales Rivers Trust+N Wales Wildlife Trust WaREN Project at Margam Country Park to stop non-native, invasive American skunk cabbage from going to seed.
Bring secateurs + wellies. Free parking for vols who meet at the East Gate at 1pm.
Flowering aliens - American Skunk Cabbage in woodland.
April 18, 2025 at 5:00 PM
wtswwswanseagroup.bsky.social
Our WTSWW Swansea group event is fully booked but there are places on other events organised by the Swansea City Conservation team or just record on the iNaturalist app what you see on your local walks or back garden.
Poster advertising Swansea City Nature Challenge 2025 with link to more information: https://www.swansea.gov.uk/aprilenvironmentalevents
April 18, 2025 at 10:13 AM
wtswwswanseagroup.bsky.social
Butterfly Conservation is offering a brilliant chance for young people to learn about and help protect the threatened, iconic Marsh Fritillary butterfly across South and West Wales.
4 places are available. Applications from people aged between 18 and 25 are open now and until 28th April.
April 17, 2025 at 7:23 PM
wtswwswanseagroup.bsky.social
A perfect day and a great turn-out of 40+ people for the Mumbles Seashore Safari yesterday led by Matt Green and Winter Dotto of Marine Matters. Huge thanks to them! Fab finds including a glamorous Nudibranch, baked bean sea squirts and native oysters!
#Nudibranchs #Sponges #MarineLife #WTSWW
Sea slug Facelina auriculata A galaxy of starfish at the base of encrusting sponges on a Mumbles Pier pillar.
March 30, 2025 at 9:06 AM
wtswwswanseagroup.bsky.social
Come along for a Sunday stroll - with the Gower nature reserves graziers! Details in the poster below.
March 4, 2025 at 9:28 PM
wtswwswanseagroup.bsky.social
Thanks to Matt Carroll and all those who came to our Loughor birds walk yesterday. After a couple of showers we were rewarded with blue skies and sunshine while watching the waders. Unexpected treats included a red kite devouring its kill in a meadow and a distant peregrine falcon preening 😊
Redshank and watery reflection Male teal standing on the shore with green eye stripe on his chestnut red head showing well in the sun. The group keeping watch for waders at Loughor estuary.
January 26, 2025 at 11:14 AM
wtswwswanseagroup.bsky.social
Marine wildlife enthusiasts and wannabees, please note - a chance to learn more and get involved in marine conservation! There's a Seasearch Diver and Snorkeller Observer Course on Saturday 22 March at Swansea Yacht & Sub-aqua Club.
#MarineLife #Rockpooling #Seasearch #MarineConservation
🦀
Details of the Seasearch Driver and Snorkeller Observer Course
January 16, 2025 at 10:23 AM
wtswwswanseagroup.bsky.social
Greetings! 😀👋
We're delighted to join the Bluesky nature and wildlife community 💚💙
We hope to connect with WTSWW members and people who love wildlife in our area of south west Wales. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
We're also on Facebook www.facebook.com/groups/39513...
Subscribe to our Eventbrite page tiny.cc/tl95001
Three oystercatchers feeding on the edge of the sea as the tide ebbs at the east end of Swansea Bay. Black and white birds with red bills and legs
January 12, 2025 at 1:17 PM