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You are here: Experience and Enjoy > Wildlife & Nature > Birdwatching in Mid Wales

Birdwatching in Mid Wales

Mid Wales is where the red kite was saved. By the 1960s, this bird had been reduced to just a handful of breeding pairs in the remote valleys of the Cambrian Mountains. From that tiny population, the kite has recovered across the whole of Wales and beyond, and today you can see them overhead from almost anywhere in Powys, Ceredigion and Southern Snowdonia.

Two feeding stations give guaranteed close-up views. At Gigrin Farm near Rhayader, red kites gather every afternoon for the daily feed, and at Nant yr Arian near Aberystwyth the kites come down to the lake while you watch from the cafe terrace. Both are worth visiting, and on a good day you might count fifty or more birds circling overhead.

Ospreys returned to Wales at the Dyfi estuary near Machynlleth. The Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust runs the Dyfi Osprey Project with live nest cameras and a public viewing point open from April to September. Watching a fish eagle return to its nest with a catch is one of the best wildlife experiences in Britain.

The oak woodlands of Mid Wales, particularly in the Dyfi valley, around Lake Vyrnwy and in the Elan Valley, hold breeding pied flycatchers, redstarts, wood warblers and tree pipits in spring and summer. These are some of the most important woodlands for these species in the UK.

On the Ceredigion coast, choughs nest on the cliffs between Aberystwyth and Cardigan. Upland moors across the Cambrian Mountains support breeding curlew, golden plover, ring ouzel and merlin. The estuaries of the Dyfi and Mawddach draw wading birds and wildfowl through autumn and winter.

For guided birdwatching, check listings for local wildlife guides who know where to find the birds at different times of year.

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Llanwrtyd Wells | Heritage Trail

Address

Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys, LD5 4RW

Llanwrtyd Wells

Many of the locations in Llanwrtyd Wells have an interesting history and walking the Heritage Trail is an excellent way of learning about the town and taking in the beautiful surroundings.
Coed y Fron Wyllt (NRW)

Address

Clocaenog Forest (NRW), Nr Llanfihangel, Ruthin, Denbighshire, LL15 2AS

Telephone
0300 065 3000

enquiries@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk

Ruthin

Walk to the wildlife viewing hide which overlooks small ponds and the stream - open to the public at all times.Dormice are found in these woodlands, though very hard to spot. Much of this wood is ancient woodland (1600)
Bryn-tail Leadworks (Cadw)

Address

Llyn Clywedog, Llanidloes, Powys, SY18 6NU

cadw@gov.wales

Llanidloes

The ruins of the Bryn-tail Leadworks lie in the shadow of the dam at the southern end of Llyn Clywedog Reservoir near Llanidloes Buildings and structures associated with the nineteenth-century extraction and processing of lead ore.
The Spirit of Christmas | Talyllyn Railway

Address

Rheilffordd Talyllyn Railway, Gorsaf Wharf Station, Tywyn, Gwynedd, LL36 9EY

Telephone
01654 710472

enquires@talyllyn.co.uk

Tywyn

Dates

From:
19 Dec 2026

This one’s for the grown-ups – you can take a trip on this festively decorated & heated train through the beautiful Fathew Valley – culminating in a luxury festive afternoon tea at Abergynolwyn!
Sustrans Route 81: Rhayader - Shrewsbury

Address

Rhayader Town Centre, Rhayader - Shrewsbury, LD6 5BU

Telephone
01179268893

Rhayader - Shrewsbury

This section of route 81 heads North East via Llanidloes, Newtown and Welshpool towards Shrewsbury and England.
Talgarth

Address

Brecon, Powys, LD3 0BW

Brecon

The ancient market Town of Talgarth nestles beneath the Black Mountains which run along the border between Wales and England. Close to Brecon, Crickhowell and Hay-on-Wye, it provides an ideal base for visitors wishing to explore the area.
Coed y Bont Community Woodland

Address

Abbey Road, Pontrhydfendigaid, Ceredigion, SY25 6ER

Telephone
0300 065 3000

enquiries@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk

Pontrhydfendigaid

Coed y Bont is a community woodland situated on the edge of the village of Pontrhydfendigaid in the foothills of the Cambrian Mountains. The woodland is recognised as a Dark Sky Discovery Site.
Dyfi Discovery Walk | Centre for Alternative Technology Walk

Address

Centre For Alternative Technology, Llwyngwern Quarry, Pantperthog, Machynlleth, Powys, SY20 9AZ

Telephone
0300 065 3000

Pantperthog, Machynlleth

Start: Centre for Alternative Technology
(C.A.T) car park
Grid Reference: SH 754 044
Distance: 7.1 km – 4.4 miles
Grade: Moderate (some steep sections)
Terrain: Firm tracks, roads and open grassland
Maps: OS Explorer OL23 or 215
RSPB Gwenffrwd-Dinas Nature Reserve

Address

Ystradffin, Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, SA20 0PG

Telephone
02920 353000

gwenffrwd.dinas@rspb.org.uk

Llandovery

This delightful reserve is set in the heart of Mid Wales near Ystradffin, Rhandirmwyn. Dinas is a pleasant circular walk, part of the circuit is steep with difficult terrain. Strong footwear is advised.
Bucknell Railway Station

Address

Weston Rd, Bucknell, Shropshire, SY7 0AD

Telephone
0800 464 0000

feedback@traveline.cymru

Bucknell

Bucknell railway station is on the Heart of Wales Line which runs from Shrewsbury to Swansea.
Pontarfynach | Devil's Bridge

Address

Devil's Bridge, Ceredigion, SY23 3JW

Devil's Bridge

The village of Devil's Bridge is situated at the head of the Rheidol Valley in the heart of the Cambrian Mountains. Famous for its bridges and waterfall, Devil's Bridge and can be reached via the Vale of Rheidol Steam Railway.
Llanbedr Pont Steffan | Lampeter

Address

Lampeter, Ceredigion, SA48 7AA

Telephone
01970 612125

aberystwythtic@ceredigion.gov.uk

Lampeter

The market town of Lampeter in the Teifi Valley - home of the oldest University in Wales, surrounded by beautiful countryside.
Tref farchnad Llambed yn Nyffryn Teifi, cartref y Brifysgol hynaf yng Nghymru, yng nghanol cefn gwlad hyfryd.
Brecon Cathedral

Address

Cathedral Close, Brecon, Powys, LD3 9DP

Telephone
01874 623857

admin@breconcathedral.org.uk

Brecon

Founded as a Benedictine priory, it then became the parish church of Brecon in 1537, a role it held until in 1923 it became the Cathedral for the newly created Diocese of Swansea & Brecon.
The Globe at Hay

Address

Newport Street, Hay-on-Wye, Powys, HR3 5BG

Telephone
01497 821762

events@globeathay.org

Hay-on-Wye

The Globe at Hay is an independent arts centre, embracing an ever changing arts landscape; year round we showcase talent found on our doorstep.
Aberystwyth | South Beach & Harbour

Address

Aberystwyth, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, SY23 1JX

Telephone
01970 612125

AberystwythTIC@Ceredigion.gov.uk

Aberystwyth

Quieter than the town's North Beach, Aberystwyth's long South Beach is sandwiched between the town's castle and the harbour breakwater. Tanybwlch Beach is south of Aberystwyth harbour
Llwyngwril

Address

Gwynedd, LL37 2JS

Telephone
01341 280787

barmouth.tic@gwynedd.gov.uk

Llwyngwril is a coastal village with a population of around 500. The village falls within the Snowdonia National Park.
Rhaeadr Gwy | Rhayader

Address

Rhayader, Powys, LD6 5BU

Rhayader

A busy, historic market town, Rhayader is named after 'Rhayadr Gwy', a Welsh name for a local waterfall on the Wye. The town is situated in the very heart of Mid Wales in the beautiful Upper Wye Valley sheltered by the Cambrian Mountains.
Borth Railway Station

Address

Cambrian Trerrace, Borth, Ceredigion, SY24 5HT

Telephone
0800 464 0000

Borth

Borth railway station is on the Cambrian Line from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth.
Llanymddfri | Llandovery

Address

Llanymddfri | Llandovery, Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, SA20 0AW

Llandovery

Llanymddyffri, or Llandovery, means ‘church among the waters. Surrounded by three rivers, the Towy, the Bran, and the Gwydderi. Llandovery is a market town with a population of just under 3000.
Brecon Beacons | Pen y Fan & Corn Du

Address

Pant ar Daf, Central Brecon Beacons, Powys, LD3 8NL

Telephone
01874 625515

brecon@nationaltrust.org.uk

Central Brecon Beacons

Pen y Fan and Corn Du are the two highest peaks of the central Brecon Beacons. They dominate the landscape for miles around, and make up one of the most recognisable skylines in the UK.
Glyndwr's Way | Machynlleth - Llanwddyn

Address

Mid Wales, Powys, SY20 8EE

Telephone
01597 827562

helen.tatchell@powys.gov.uk

A 132 mile National Trail set in the heart of Mid Wales breathtaking countryside, dedicated to the 15th Century Welsh Prince Owain Glyndwr