A few from Hafod, Cwmyswyth (Wales).

The Pieran falls :

Amazing shots. You've done really well!

Very nice set.

Nice series. Seems peaceful.

Thumbsup wrote in post #6984379
Nice series. Seems peaceful.

I'm not surprised, Cwmystwyth comprises about four farms, by the Aberystwyth Mountain Road, in the middle of nowhere.

Lovely set of pics by the way.

sandpiper wrote in post #6984489
I'm not surprised, Cwmystwyth comprises about four farms, by the Aberystwyth Mountain Road, in the middle of nowhere.

Lovely set of pics by the way.

Thanks for the comments. One of those farms is my parents BTW - amazed anyone else knows it. One of my favourite places outside of Cornwall.

MarkOrm wrote in post #6987084
Thanks for the comments. One of those farms is my parents BTW - amazed anyone else knows it. One of my favourite places outside of Cornwall.

It holds a special place in my heart.

I'm a bird lover and grew up wanting to see a red kite. Once I was old enough to drive (around 1980) I set off for mid Wales to try and spot one. This of course was long before places such as Gigrin Farm, where you can go along and guarantee seeing dozens of them. Back then there was only about 40 kites in the whole country.

I headed for Tregaron, which was the name usually banded about where kites were concerned, but after several hours I still hadn't seen one. Anyway, I got chatting with a local conservationist and they suggested the Aberystwyth mountain road in general and Cwmystwyth in particular.

Driving along the mountain road it was like raptor alley, with lots of buzzards and kestrels hunting along the ridge line and I also got a good view of a hunting peregrine and a merlin. The key moment was turning a corner and glancing down into the valley to spot a red kite soaring below me, with the sun on it's back making the colours really stand out. I had a car behind me and no obvious place to stop, with the road only being a car and a bit wide at that point. I pulled the car off the road and up the hillside so I could jump out and watch it glide majestically into the distance.

A moment I will never forget, if only a brief one. Shortly afterwards I arrived at Cwmystwyth and found a spot to park up. I got out of the car and soon spotted a kite soaring some distance away, then a few minutes later another one over the top of the hill on the other side of the road. I stayed there for about two hours and at one point I could actually count 8 kites at once with a few at some distance and 3 or 4 quite close and regularly flying very close to my position. That is another moment I will never forget.

Over the years I have visited that spot in Cwmystwyth several times, and only once failed to see any kites. I never again saw so many at one time, but usually spotted at least one that came quite close.

Of course, these days I can visit Gigrin and know, before I set off, that I will see many kites at very close range. A spectacular sight to be sure, but it has never matched the thrill of that original trip to Cwmystwyth.

I don't know the area well, as I have always stayed by the road and 'kite watched' from there, but Cwmystwyth holds a dear place in my heart. I still stop there to check out the kites on occasion. I spent a four day break in Rhayader during 2008, about 3 minutes away from Gigrin which I visited each afternoon. So seeing kites was no problem, but I still took the time to drive the mountain road and stop for a mug of coffee, parked by the roadside in Cwmystwyth.

Great depth to these photos. I love the colours and you have captured the falls with just the right shutter speed.

very nice set, well done on the water.

Love the first one.

First ones pretty cool

sandpiper wrote in post #6987655
It holds a special place in my heart.

I'm a bird lover and grew up wanting to see a red kite. Once I was old enough to drive (around 1980) I set off for mid Wales to try and spot one. This of course was long before places such as Gigrin Farm, where you can go along and guarantee seeing dozens of them. Back then there was only about 40 kites in the whole country.

I headed for Tregaron, which was the name usually banded about where kites were concerned, but after several hours I still hadn't seen one. Anyway, I got chatting with a local conservationist and they suggested the Aberystwyth mountain road in general and Cwmystwyth in particular.

Driving along the mountain road it was like raptor alley, with lots of buzzards and kestrels hunting along the ridge line and I also got a good view of a hunting peregrine and a merlin. The key moment was turning a corner and glancing down into the valley to spot a red kite soaring below me, with the sun on it's back making the colours really stand out. I had a car behind me and no obvious place to stop, with the road only being a car and a bit wide at that point. I pulled the car off the road and up the hillside so I could jump out and watch it glide majestically into the distance.

A moment I will never forget, if only a brief one. Shortly afterwards I arrived at Cwmystwyth and found a spot to park up. I got out of the car and soon spotted a kite soaring some distance away, then a few minutes later another one over the top of the hill on the other side of the road. I stayed there for about two hours and at one point I could actually count 8 kites at once with a few at some distance and 3 or 4 quite close and regularly flying very close to my position. That is another moment I will never forget.

Over the years I have visited that spot in Cwmystwyth several times, and only once failed to see any kites. I never again saw so many at one time, but usually spotted at least one that came quite close.

Of course, these days I can visit Gigrin and know, before I set off, that I will see many kites at very close range. A spectacular sight to be sure, but it has never matched the thrill of that original trip to Cwmystwyth.

I don't know the area well, as I have always stayed by the road and 'kite watched' from there, but Cwmystwyth holds a dear place in my heart. I still stop there to check out the kites on occasion. I spent a four day break in Rhayader during 2008, about 3 minutes away from Gigrin which I visited each afternoon. So seeing kites was no problem, but I still took the time to drive the mountain road and stop for a mug of coffee, parked by the roadside in Cwmystwyth.

The Peregrins nest in the high cliffs on the opposite side of the mountain road. In previous years they've been right opposite my parents place. I can remember when they first moved up there - and seeing a kite although not that rare was still a fairly special occasion. Now we see them all the time - they've even been known to take a fat ball off the bird table. A great location to see them in parked up next to the main village sign (big board with pictures / information) on the Aber side of the village. There's several pairs with territories in that area and we've watched half a dozen circling over the valley there. In fact in the last few years we've always seen at least 2 there.

A highlight of my recent visit had to watching a pair settling down to roost as the red light of the sunset lit them up.

I'm not a huge fan of Gigrin personally - it all seems a bit over the top and artifical. Much better is a trip to Nant-yry-Arian - they have daily feedings there but in a much more natural environment. If you head out onto the long trail about half an hour after feeding you can watch them soaring over the trees and if the wind is right on the coastal side they'll hover close enough to almost touch.

Hafod's well worth a walk as well - beautiful spot - and again you always catch a kite or two. its been wonderful to watch the raptor population building up - and its also doing so down here in Cornwall. This year has been a record for kestrels, buzzards & peregrins. I've been watching the peregrins take jackdaws at Hell's mouth - something I've never seen before. Not got a fast enough lens to catch them though

MarkOrm wrote in post #7000167
The Peregrins nest in the high cliffs on the opposite side of the mountain road. In previous years they've been right opposite my parents place. I can remember when they first moved up there - and seeing a kite although not that rare was still a fairly special occasion. Now we see them all the time - they've even been known to take a fat ball off the bird table. A great location to see them in parked up next to the main village sign (big board with pictures / information) on the Aber side of the village. There's several pairs with territories in that area and we've watched half a dozen circling over the valley there. In fact in the last few years we've always seen at least 2 there.

A highlight of my recent visit had to watching a pair settling down to roost as the red light of the sunset lit them up.

I'm not a huge fan of Gigrin personally - it all seems a bit over the top and artifical. Much better is a trip to Nant-yry-Arian - they have daily feedings there but in a much more natural environment. If you head out onto the long trail about half an hour after feeding you can watch them soaring over the trees and if the wind is right on the coastal side they'll hover close enough to almost touch.

Hafod's well worth a walk as well - beautiful spot - and again you always catch a kite or two. its been wonderful to watch the raptor population building up - and its also doing so down here in Cornwall. This year has been a record for kestrels, buzzards & peregrins. I've been watching the peregrins take jackdaws at Hell's mouth - something I've never seen before. Not got a fast enough lens to catch them though

Yeah, I agree that Gigrin has an artificial feel about it, it's just very useful for getting better shots of the kites. I still get more of a buzz from parking up on a hillside, watching a kite or two wheeling around at reasonably close quarters, if not quite as close as at Gigrin.

Thanks for the tips on places to visit, I'll give them a go next time I am down there.

It is great that raptor populations generally are increasing, the numbers around here (Southport) have improved dramatically. We have Peregrines nesting about a mile from my house, so occasionally seen from my back garden, merlins are also regular on the nature reserve, along with marsh harriers. The sparrowhawk and kestrel populations have improved and in the last year or two buzzards seem to have moved into the area a few miles south. Until then, a buzzard was a very rare sight around here but last summer I saw a pair regularly and there appeared to be a young 'un with them too so hopefully they bred here too. Not seen them around in recent weeks but I hope they will return next summer.

There was a kite hanging around, a couple of miles away, for a few days but has since gone back to wherever it came from. My sister also spotted one over her garden in Liverpool last year. Hopefully they may become more regular here, as the population grows and spreads out.