Blackpill Wildlife Centre will be five in January 2006. How time flies! In that time it has gone from strength to strength and is now a colourful, friendly centre, well-stocked with lots of leaflets on all kinds of birds and their well-being and conservation, as well as information on the RSPB, the Local Group and GOS. A band of 22 regular volunteers, from both groups, who man the centre throughout the winter on alternate Sunday mornings are all eager to impart their knowledge of the SSSI and the birds of Swansea Bay and to answer any questions they can from the many first time visitors to the Centre. A lot of our visitors are keen birdwatchers already and some come regularly to stay for an hour or two. The binoculars and scope provided by the Centre are in constant use and the reaction from those looking at the oystercatchers through the scope for the first time is always one of astonishment and delight. Children visiting the Centre with their parents leave with an armful of magazines, wildlife puzzles and freebies and, hopefully, an interest in the birds they have seen and wildlife in general.
In 2004, as part of the match-funding of a grant from Environment
Wales, the City & County of Swansea provided us with a five year lease
along with colourful leaflets advertising the Centre which are distributed to
information outlets across the city. From these and up-to-date info in the
county's "What's On" we have had visitors to the area from all over
the country and even further afield coming to see the Centre. All seem
impressed with what they see and the warm welcome they receive and are
interested to learn something of our wonderful bay and often grateful, in the
depths of winter, to find a warm place to spend a while. If you haven't yet
done so come and visit the Blackpill Wildlife Centre this winter to help us
celebrate its birthday together. See you there.
A Word from GOS
The Gower Ornithological Society [GOS] is pleased to have been associated with the Blackpill Wildlife Centre since its inception in its present form 5 years ago.
Swansea Bay is a very important area for birds, particularly for feeding passage and wintering waders and gulls. A member of GOS, R.J.Howells, has studied and counted the birds at Blackpill for well over 40 years and he has collated a massive set of data. These records are one of the main reasons that the area was declared a Site of Special Scientific Interest [SSSI].
The Wildlife Centre not only enables people to be aware of and enjoy the bird species that use the site but also helps us to explain to the public why disturbance to roosting or feeding birds should be avoided.
Unfortunately, many people still walk and/or exercise dogs below the high tide line of the SSSI, which can seriously disturb the birds causing them to use up essential energy needed for their survival.
Swansea City is fortunate to have such a
special place within its boundary and it is to be hoped that our efforts will
result in decreased disturbance during the winter. There is already a ban on
dogs using the beach during the summer months and it would be a positive step
forward if the ban could be extended to the winter period.