29 Aug A treat for bird and wildlife enthusiasts
There are some interesting local sights and attractions to delight bird enthusiasts and offer memorable family experiences, including Elan Valley, Gigrin Farm, Valley View Falconry and Small Breeds Animal Park.
If you love spotting birds on your travels, then the Elan Valley should feature on your list of places to explore. It has 12 Sites of Special Scientific Interest and is covered by the Elenydd-Mallaen Special Protection Area that protects habitats vital for wild birds and their communities. With a diverse environment – wetland, upland bog, meadows, streams and mixed woodland – over 180 bird species have been recorded to date.
To see wild birds up close, Valley View Falconry in Rhayader offer the opportunity to handle and fly birds of prey in a falconry handling experience. The sessions are unhurried, and they do their best to cater for all ages and needs. Visitors can meet a variety of hawks, falcons and owls from across the world.
For those fascinated by birds of prey, the red kite is now a familiar sight in the skies due to a successful conservation protection programme by the RSPB after they were hunted to near extinction in the 19th century. Our local red kite feeding station at Gigrin Farm in Rhayader feeds kites all year, and presents excellent opportunities to take close-up photos. Three of their five hides are suitable for disabled access.
In Kington, Small Breeds Farm Park cares for one of the finest collections of breeding owls in Europe, with over 30 different owls to visit on-site. Their mix of different animals, including pygmy goats, miniature horses, miniature donkeys, alpacas, guinea pigs, rabbits, and various waterfowl and poultry, will delight younger members of the family.
I cover some of these places in my accessibility reviews section online, but for booking details and full information on accessibility, please contact each attraction directly.
