Our Organised Bird Tours in Wales

NEW! - See also our new Birding & Cultural Tours

RSPB Ynys-hir reserve

Ynys-hir is located just 6 miles from Machynlleth. Set on the South side of the Dyfi estuary it is a reserve managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. In the Spring the oakwoods on the reserve are alive with birdsong and the ground carpeted with a profusion of wildflowers. The estuary is best visited during the autumn and winter months to see an abundance of ducks and the small number of Greenland White-fronted Geese that feed on the salt marshes. Winter is also a good time to see birds of prey on the reserve too such as Peregrine, Merlin, Hen Harrier and Red Kite.

New Quay and Cardigan Bay

The colourful coastal town of New Quay is a bustling holiday resort in the summer. It was formerly an important sea trading and ship building port and it boasts a quaint little harbour. The Cardigan bay area is renowned for being one of the best places in the United Kingdom to see Bottlenose Dolphins. There is a resident population in the seas here. This section of the bay has been designated a special area of conservation. The coastline South of New Quay is rugged and spectacular and hosts a small colony of seabirds. Atlantic Grey Seals and the Harbour Porpoise can also be seen. Boat trips to see the Dolphins, seabirds and other forms of marine wildlife operate from New Quay during the summer months subject to favourable weather conditions.

Gigrin Farm Red Kite Feeding Centre

You will see spectacular numbers of kites, buzzards and members of the crow family as they squabble for their share of meaty morsels put out for them on a daily basis throughout the year by the Powell family. There is a Red Kite Interpretive Centre, and 5 hides to view the birds - it can get quite busy as this is a very popular attraction at all times of the year. BBC Wildlife magazine has voted The red kite feeding station at Gigrin farm one of the top ten British Wildlife Spectacles.

Elan Valley

The reservoirs of the Elan Valley were constructed to supply water to Birmingham. The dams look particularly dramatic when water cascades over them following heavy rainfall. There is an interesting visitor centre near Rhayader which has a café, a shop and an exhibition showing the history and natural history of the area. The Elan valley hosts some good birdlife such as Red Kite, Peregrine Falcon, Kestrel, Buzzard and Ravens.

Dysynni Valley

Located within the boundaries of the Snowdonia National Park lies the spectacular Dysynni valley with its natural freshwater lake at Tal-y-Llyn which is fed by streams from the Cadair Idris mountain range which towers above it. In the valley is the famous Craig -yr-Aderyn (bird rock) with an inland nesting colony of Cormorants. The river Dysynni flows into the sea at Aber-Dysynni. Here near its confluence with the sea lies Broadwater an area of brackish water. This whole area hosts a rich diversity of birdlife and the beach is a good seawatching point for seabirds.

Cors Fochno (Borth Bog) and Ynyslas Dunes

The Dyfi National Nature Reserve is managed by the Countryside Council for Wales and it is of international importance in relation to the plants and animals that inhabit or frequent the reserve. It incorporates Cors Fochno (Borth bog) a raised peat mire, the Dyfi estuary, Ynyslas dunes and the Aber Leri area. Wading birds, particularly Dunlin, utilise the estuarine habitat as a stopping off point to feed and rest during passage migration. The agricultural pasturelands on the periphery of the estuary provide important feeding grounds for large numbers of wintering Golden Plovers and Lapwings. The whole reserve together with the coastal waters between Borth and Ynyslas provide excellent birding opportunities throughout the year.

Bwlch Nant yr Arian Forest Visitor Centre

Bwlch Nant yr Arian Forest visitor centre is located in a lakeside setting just off the A44 road 10 miles from the coastal resort and university town of Aberystwyth near the village of Ponterwyd. A new eco-friendly centre has been constructed which has a cafe offering light refreshments. This is a Red Kite feeding station and the public can view the Kites being fed daily at 3pm BST (2pm in the winter) offering spectacular views of the birds. There is also an outdoor childrens play area and for the more active there are marked mountain bike tracks and easy walks commencing from the centre.

NEW! Birding & Cultural Tours

Ospreys, Castles & film sets

Visit the RSPB’s ‘Aren’t birds brilliant’ Osprey project in the Glaslyn valley near Porthmadog and en-route we will visit the imposing and historic 12th century castle at Harlech or the famous Italianate village of Portmeirion built by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis where the 1960’s cult TV series ‘The Prisoner’ starring Patrick McGoohan was filmed. (Osprey photo right © Emyr Evans RSPB)

Bogs, Birds & Abbeys

Take a morning walk around the national nature reserve at Cors Caron (Tregaron bog) followed by a visit to the ruins of the 11th century Norman Cistercian Abbey at Strata Florida (Ystrad Fflur) and in the afternoon we call at the Red Kite feeding station at the Bwlch Nant-yr-Arian Forest centre.