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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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Sustrans Route 82:Machynlleth -Fishguard

Address

Sustrans Route 82:Machynlleth - Fishguard, Machynlleth Town Centre, SY20 8AB

Telephone
01179268893

Machynlleth Town Centre

This section of route 82 heads South towards Aberystwyth but the route is still under construction. Beyond Aberystwyth the route heads along the old railway line towards Tregaron and Lampeter. The route finishes in Fishguard.
Trans Wales Trails

Address

Cwmfforest Riding Centre, Pengenffordd, Talgarth, Brecon, LD30EU

Telephone
01874 711398

riding@transwales.com

Talgarth

Trans Wales Trails offer all abilities of rider a choice of horse-riding holidays in some of the most beautiful and undiscovered parts of the Mid Wales countryside.

Price
Price £135.00 per adult
Aberystwyth Arts Centre | Conferences - Meetings

Address

Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Penglais, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, SY23 3DE

Telephone
07875664179

aum@aber.ac.uk

Aberystwyth

The Arts Centre can cater for events and conferences up to the capacity of 900 people.
Award winning Aberystwyth Arts Centre is Wales’ largest arts centre and recognised as a 'national flagship for the arts'.
Victorian Train Day | Talyllyn Railway

Address

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

Telephone
01654 710472

enquires@talyllyn.co.uk

Tywyn

Dates

From:
20 Sept 2026
From:
27 Sept 2026

Step back in time to the Era of Queen Victoria and travel through untouched and unparalleled Snowdonian scenery aboard The Victorian Train.
Natural Dyeing Workshop

Address

RSPB Ynys-hir, Eglwys-fach, Machynlleth, Ceredigion, SY20 8TA

Telephone
+441654700222

ynyshir@rspb.org.uk

Machynlleth

Dates

From:
12 Sept 2026Open 11:00 - 15:30

Spend the day in the woods learning about plants and their natural dyes. This is a hands on workshop and you will go home with examples of the dyes you have made.
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.
Siân James | Gŵyl Machynlleth Festival

Address

Y Tabernacl Auditorium, Machynlleth, Powys, SY20 8AJ

Telephone
01654 703355

info@moma.machynlleth.org.uk

Machynlleth

Dates

From:
29 Aug 2026

An afternoon of song with the singer, harpist and pianist Siân James. Sian is one of Wales’ leading contemporary female vocalists and a foremost innovator in the field of traditional songs.
Brecon Beacons | Black Mountains

Address

Nr Crickhowell, Powys

Nr Crickhowell

The Black Mountains in the Brecon Beacons National Park are spread across Powys, Monmouthshire and Herefordshire. Great for walking and the iconic Sugar Loaf Mountain is a great place to experience dark skies.
Bwlch y Groes Mountain Pass | Scenic Drive

Address

Dinas Mawddwy, Gwynedd, LL49 9LP

Telephone
01654 702653

marketing@mwtcymru.co.uk

Dinas Mawddwy

Bwlch y Groes (Pass of the Cross) is one of the highest public road mountain passes in Wales. The route lies on minor roads linking Dinas Mawddwy, Llanuwchllyn and Lake Vyrnw with views across the Dyfi valley and Cadair Idris
Tretower Court and Castle (Cadw)

Address

Tretower, Crickhowell, Powys, NP8 1RD

Telephone
03000 252239

Tretowercourt@gov.wales

Crickhowell

Restored courtyard house with origins in the fourteenth century. Rebuilt by Sir Roger Vaughan in the fifteenth century. Recreated fifteenth-century garden. Beautiful tranquil setting.
Cwm Rheidol | Rheidol Valley

Address

Cwm Rheidol | Rheidol Valley, Nr Aberystwyth, Ceredigion

Telephone
01970 612125

aberystwythTIC@ceredigion.gov.uk

Nr Aberystwyth

The Rheidol Valley or 'Cwm Rheidol' is a good choice for a touring day out, featuring typically Welsh scenery, some unexpected attractions such as major hydro-electric power station and a chance for activities such as fishing and cycling
Tregaron

Address

Tregaron, Ceredigion, SY25 6JL

Telephone
01970 612125

aberystwythTIC@Ceredigion.gov.uk

Tregaron

Tregaron is a town where history, legend, and nature intertwine—offering visitors a truly authentic Welsh experience. Whether you’re drawn by the wildlife, the scenic routes, or the rich folklore, this is a place where the past comes to life amid…
Aberystwyth Castle

Address

Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, SY23 2AG

Telephone
01970 612125

Ceredigion

In the marvellous sweep of Cardigan Bay stand the ruins of one of Edward I's late 13th century castles. Of the seven major English strongholds he established in Wales, Aberystwyth Castle has fared least favourably in the survival stakes.
Mwnt Beach

Address

Mwnt, Cardigan, Ceredigion, SA43 1QH

Telephone
01545 570200

mwnt@nationaltrust.org.uk

Cardigan

Mwnt, about 4.5 miles from Cardigan, is named after the conical hill (Foel y Mwnt) that rises above this popular beach. It is an ideal place to spot bottlenose dolphins, basking sharks and porpoises in the distance!
Night Photography: The Milky Way Galaxy with Dafydd Wyn Morgan

Address

Ystrad Fflur, Abbey Rd, Ponthrydfendigaid, Ceredigion, SY25 6ES

Telephone
+441974831760

info@strataflorida.org.uk

Ponthrydfendigaid

Dates

From:

11 Sept 2026to12 Sept 2026Open 19:00 - 22:00

Night Photography course with an expert.
'Chapel' World Bog Snorkelling Championships - Green Events

Address

Waen Rydd Bog, Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys, LD5 4RW

Telephone
07493 654048

Bob.g@green-events.co.uk

Llanwrtyd Wells

Dates

From:

23 Aug 2026to30 Aug 2026

The annual World Bog Snorkelling Championships are held in Llanwrtyd Wells, Mid Wales.
Dyfnant Forest | Pen y Fford (NRW)

Address

Dyfnant & Vyrnwy Forests (NRW), Penyfford Car Park, Lake Vyrnwy, Powys, SY21 0QH

Telephone
0300 065 3000

enquiries@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk

Lake Vyrnwy

Dyfnant Forest is home to the Dyfnant Rainbow Trails, designed with horses in mind but also welcoming walkers. There are nearly 100 miles of tracks and trails with five horse riding trails and three carriage driving trails in Dyfnant Forest starting…
Pontrhydfendigaid

Address

Pontrhydfendigaid, Ceredigion, SY20 8TG

Telephone
01970 612125

aberystwythTIC@ceredigiong.gov.uk

Pontrhydfendigaid

At the heart of Pontrhydfendigaid - 'the bridge of the blessed ford' (known locally as ‘Bont’) is a narrow hump backed bridge across the river Teifi, whose source is about 5 miles away in the hills, at Teifi Pools.
Circular Machynlleth via Tal-y-llyn | Scenic Drive

Address

Machynlleth, Powys, SY20 8BL

Telephone
01654 702653

info@mwtcymru.co.uk

Machynlleth

This 35 mile circular route takes you on the A487 from Machynlleth via Corris towards Dolgellau and before turning off on the B4405 to Tywyn via the picturesque Talyllyn lake at the foot of Cadair Idris. Return to Machynlleth via Aberdyfi.
Mynyddoedd Cambria | Pumlumon

Address

Cambrian Mountains, Devils Bridge, Ceredigion

Telephone
01974 282581

wynne@pumlumon.org.uk

Devils Bridge

Discover the awe-inspiring beauty of Pumlumon, aptly named "five peaks," as it stands as the highest point of the Mynyddoedd Cambria, the magnificent Cambrian Mountains in Mid Wales. This is a wild landscape on the eastern edge of Ceredigion.
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.