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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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Cymer Abbey (Cadw)

Address

Vaynor Farm, Llanelltyd, Dolgellau, Gwynedd, LL40 2HE

Telephone
0300 025 6000

cadw@gov.wales

Dolgellau

The serene ruins of Cymer Abbey stand in a lovely setting beside the River Mawddach. Particularly impressive are its great windows, arches and an unusual tower. Saif olion heddychlon Abaty Cymer mewn lleoliad hyfryd ger Afon Mawddach.
Cefn Cenarth Nature Reserve

Address

Rhayader, Powys, LD6 5LR

Telephone
01597 823298

info@rwtwales.org

Powys

Two areas of upland sessile oak woodland connected by a recently felled conifer plantation now replanted with native broadleaved species. An important place for mosses and lichens.
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.
The Rheidol Cycleway

Address

Ceredigion, SY23 1PG

Telephone
01970 612125

aberystwythtic@ceredigion.gov.uk

A 28km trail along designated cycle paths and quiet country lanes between the towns of Aberystwyth & Devils’ Bridge.
Llanwrtyd Railway Station

Address

Station Rd, Llanwrtyd Wells, LD5 4RW

Telephone
0800 464 0000

Llanwrtyd Wells

Llanwrtyd railway station is on the Heart of Wales Line that runs from Shrewsbury to Swansea.
The Pales Quaker Meeting House

Address

Llandegley, Llandrindod Wells, Powys, LD1 5UH

Telephone
01597 810031

tyolaf@gmail.com

Llandrindod Wells

The Pales is the oldest Quaker Meeting House in continuous use in Wales. Set in the Radnor Hills near Llandrindod Wells, the Meeting House is open every day, all year, for visitors who value peace, solitude and natural beauty.
Blaenau Ffestiniog

Address

Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd, LL41 3HS

Telephone
01766 512981

porthmadog.tic@gwynedd.gov.uk

Blaenau Ffestiniog

Blaenau Ffestiniog is famously known as the "slate capital of Wales" and the "town that roofed the world". Its industrial role has long since diminished, yet Blaenau Ffestiniog attracts many visitors because of its rich slate history.
Dyfi Valley & Coast

Address

Mid Wales, Machynlleth, Powys, SY20 8SR

Machynlleth

The Dyfi Valley opens wide as it approaches Cardigan Bay Coast and ends in sandy beaches and dunes. It cradles the westerly spur of Powys, Ceredigion north of Aberystwyth, and the southern rim of 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.
Shrewsbury Railway Station

Address

Castle Foregate, Shrewsbury, SY1 2DQ

Telephone
0800 464 0000

Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury railway station is the hub for many rail services to and from Wales.
Coed Ganllwyd Nature Reserve

Address

Dolgellau, Gwynedd, LL40 2TG

Telephone
01341 440238

rhodri.wigley@nationaltrust.org.uk

Gwynedd

The Dolmelynllyn estate is about 5 miles north of Dolgellau. To explore the estate, which includes the Coed Ganllwd Nature Reserve. This ancient woodland extends up the hill and valley side above the famous Rhaeadr Ddu (Black Falls).
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.
Old Bell Museum

Address

Arthur Street, Montgomery, Powys, SY15 6RA

Telephone
01686 668313

curator@oldbellmuseum.org.uk

Montgomery

The Old Bell, a 16th century inn, has been converted into a local history museum by Montgomery Civic Society.
Aberystwyth Promenade & Bandstand

Address

The Promenade, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, SY23 3BY

Telephone
01970 628725

menwww@aber.ac.uk

Aberystwyth

Various events are held at Aberystwyth Promenade Bandstand throughout the year.
Llandeilo

Address

Carmarthenshire, SA18 3EP

Telephone
01550 720693

llandovery.tic@breconbeacons.org

Llandeilo is named after one of the better known Celtic saints of the 6th century, Saint Teilo. The Welsh word 'llan' signified a religious enclosure, normally one dedicated to a particular saint (thus corresponds, today, to 'church of').
Rhayader Leisure Centre

Address

North Street, Rhayader, Powys, LD6 5BU

Telephone
01597 810355

rhayader@freedom-leisure.co.uk

Rhayader

The Rhayader Leisure Centre is centrally located in Rhayader and offers Health and Fitness facilities, swimming pool and conference facilities.
Shell Island

Address

Llanbedr, Llanbedr, Gwynedd, LL45 2PJ

Telephone
01341 241453

enquiries1@shellisland.co.uk

Llanbedr

Shell Island is a peninsula, which becomes an island at high tide and is situated near the village of Llanbedr. The island is renowned for its wild flowers, range of shells, wild birds and panoramic views.
Gogerddan Wood | Woodland Trails (NRW)

Address

Gogerddan Wood, Gogerddan, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, SY23 3ED

Telephone
0300 065 3000

enquiries@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk

Aberystwyth

Follow some of the original miners' paths around this attractive woodland and discover the Castle Grogwynion Iron Age Hillfort, the Grogwynion Falls, an amazing variety of trees, and a dam dating from the 19th Century.
Y Gaer | Museum, Art Gallery & Library

Address

Glamorgan Street, Brecon, Powys, LD3 7DW

Telephone
01874 623346

ygaer@powys.gov.uk

Brecon

Y Gaer is an exciting and inspirational development in the centre of Brecon, bringing together the refurbished Brecknock Museum & Art Gallery with a brand new Brecon Library to create meeting and event spaces.
Bro Dyfi Leisure Centre

Address

Aberystwyth Road, Machynlleth, Powys, SY20 8ER

Telephone
01654 703300

broddyfi@freedom-leisure.co.uk

Machynlleth

Bro Ddyfi Leisure Centre: An indoor 20 meter leisure swimming pool and 30ft flume, sports hall, squash courts, climbing wall and fitness suite.