Enjoy Some Bird Watching During Your Stay at Pen-y-Dyffryn
Bird watching in Shropshire and the Welsh Borders is always fascinating, and soothing to the soul. We have taken a great interest in the rich variety of birds to be found close to Pen-y-Dyffryn Hotel. The Shropshire and Wales borderland landscape here is very varied, providing a wide range of habitats to attract many different species – excellent territory for amateur ornithologists.
All of the neighbouring farms are family farms using traditional methods with fewer chemicals than arable farms elsewhere in the country. Most hedgerows are still intact and many have been laid, which provides shelter for the birds. Few of the birds are rare, but what is unusual is the wide range of birds which can be seen in such a small area.
Two of the largest birds, Herons and Buzzards, can be seen on a daily basis circling the valley in front of the hotel, as well as the occasional Red Kite. The Heron takes his breakfast from the owners trout ponds at the bottom of the valley, or even from the hotel’s own pond.
All three types of Woodpecker can be seen in the oak woods beside the hotel, along with Treecreepers and Nuthatches. We also have a lot of Wagtails, Tits, Wrens and even Goldcrests nesting low down in holes in the stone walls around the hotel, so we have been able to see them easily in their nests. Also in recent years the number of Owls in the woods surrounding the hotel has increased. You may hear them at night.
We have listed below just some of the birds we have seen from Pen-y-Dyffryn, and other birds which we have seen nearby.
Do let us know if you see any others.
Green Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and Greater Spotted Woodpecker
Great tit, Marsh Tit, Blue Tit, Willow Tit, Coat Tit, and Long tailed Tit
Rook, Crow, Magpie, Jay, Pigeon and Collared Dove
Swift, Swallow, and House Martin
Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Bullfinch,
Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, and Blackbird
Buzzard, Kestrel, Merlin Red Kites and Sparrow Hawk
Pied wagtail and Grey wagtail, Pied Flycatcher and Spotted Flycatcher
Robin, Wren, Tree Sparrow and Dunnock
Siskin, Gold Crest and Chiff Chaff
Skylark and Lapwing, Nuthatch, Treecreeper and Pheasant,Tawny Owl and Little Owl
Heron, Moorhen, Mallard and Coot, Willow Warbler and Garden Warbler
Black Cap,Barn Owl, Curlew, Cuckoo, Fieldfare, Woodcock,
Peregrine Falcon, Redwing, Jackdaws, Kingfisher, Dipper and The Red Legged Partridge.
Lake Vyrnwy is a reservoir in Powys, Wales, about 40 minutes drive from Pen-y-Dyffryn Hotel. It was built in the 1880s to supply Liverpool with fresh water. (The pipe goes directly under Pen-y-Dyffryn). Lying above the beautiful reservoir of Lake Vyrnwy are thousands of hectares of heather moorland, meadow and woodland, crossed by rocky streams and dotted with crags. The RSPB, in partnership with Severn Trent Water, manages part of the reserve as the largest organic farm in England and Wales. You may see Great Crested Grebes and Goosanders on the water, dippers by the streams, and Ravens, Buzzards and even a Peregrine Falcon soaring overhead. The reserve is open all year around.
Walk along one of the many nature trails through ancient forests dating back to the last ice age. There are 6 trails to choose from, ranging from 1 mile to 9 mile circular routes.
On the northern end of the lake is a small hamlet called Rhiwargor. Located here is an impressive waterfall, one of the largest in Wales and well worth a visit. On your way there, be sure to stop by the bridge where the two rivers meet and look out for dippers bobbing in the water or listen out for buzzards calling overhead. If you’re lucky, you might glimpse an otter or two playing.
