The best-known birding site in the County is undoubtedly The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust at Slimbridge. This affords birders with fabulous views of geese and Bewick's Swans throughout the winter months. The geese are predominantly White-fronted Geese, although scarcer species appear amongst the flocks. This site arguably offers birders their best chance of catching up with Lesser-White-fronted Goose in Britain, which has been almost annual in the past, but now we have had a break of five years before one appeared in 2003. This site is also regularly reliable for seeing wintering raptors with Peregrines as the star birds. They can be watched hunting on the Dumbles, which makes for spectacular viewing. The list of rarities and scarce species is long. Some of them, which I remember well, include Common Cranes, Wilson's Phalarope, Spotted Crake, Night Heron, Pectoral Sandpiper, Red-necked Phalarope, Red-rumped Swallow, Red-breasted Goose, Great Skua, American Wigeon and Blue-winged Teal. 

A recent innovation has been the opening of a walk to a hide at Mid-Point throughout the spring and summer months which affords visitors a really close approach to the River Severn and particularly its wading birds.

The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust at Slimbridge is sign-posted from Junction 13 and 14 of the M5. 

The picture is a snowbound view I took in December 1981. Birders may remember watching the geese from this unsteady tower, which is no longer there today.

Contact the WWT at http://www.wwt.org.uk