Janette Sykes spots majestic birds of prey, explores the Elan Valley and discovers dark skies in the mountains of Mid-Wales
ONE MOMENT, the wide skies above Rhayader in Mid-Wales were empty. The next, they were filled with hundreds of magnificent red kites, circling around effortlessly above our heads.
We were in a field at Gigrin Farm, an RSPB-approved red kite feeding and rehabilitation centre, waiting for these once-endangered birds of prey to swoop down for their daily quota of beef.
Feeding the red kites
It’s truly breathtaking to see so many of them in one place, seeming to float then suddenly pouncing to retrieve their share of the feast.
The meat is provided by the Powell family, who also run a sheep farm. Apparently, some of the birds travel up to 40 miles from other parts of Wales for their free afternoon tea!
The extra beef rations are intended to supplement, rather than replace, their self-sourced daily diet of roadkill, dead animals, worms, insects, small mammals and amphibians.
The Powells were first approached by the RSPB to start feeding the red kites about 30 years ago. Numbers have grown since then, from just six in that first year to more than 600 today.
It’s a short walk uphill to their farm from the centre of Rhayader, where we’d pitched our caravan for a summer staycation at The Camping and Caravanning Club’s scenically situated Wyeside site.
As the name suggests, the site is positioned right next to the famous river, encircled by the Cambrian Mountains, close to the beautiful Elan Valley and the chain of reservoirs that offer such a stunning backdrop for walking and cycling.
We had settled down to watch the red kite feeding frenzy just before 3pm (2pm in winter) after spending a pleasant morning walking the waymarked farm trail, with its panoramic views across the countryside, followed by a picnic and drinks in the site café. We were pleased to discover that dogs were welcome (on leads), both on the trail and in the viewing field, which meant we could bring our Dalmatian, Zara, along. A useful tip – the feeding sessions can be very popular, especially in the summer, so booking online is advisable.
Rhayader calling
Rhayader itself is a handsome market town, a short and easy walk from the campsite, much of the route following the river Wye and a riverside park. Its name in Welsh is Rhaeadr Gwy, which means ‘waterfall on the Wye’. Right at the centre is its distinctive
