Best Spots Around Snowdonia (1 Viewer)

[has530]

I will be making my first overseas trip since taking up birdwatching in a week! I'll be spending 3 days in the Snowdonia area (likely based in Betws-y-Coed) one of which I have been allotted by the Mrs. for birdwatching! I was wondering if anyone could point me to the best spot in that general area to see a lot of birds. I am not looking for any specific species as a majority will be lifers for me and more interested in seeing as many diverse species as I can (particularly ones I will not see as I continue up to Scotland). Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers

 

[Welsh Peregrine]

The birds in the general Snowdonia area are widespread; for a more concentrated range of species you need to head to one or more of the coastal reserves, South Stack for Auks, Cemlyn for Terns, The Spinneys for Kingfisher, Conway or Burton Mere for Ducks and Waders.

 

[Owene]

Conwy is very doable from there. Llyn brenig is good. The ynys Mon reserves are great but a bit further. We did a good puffin boat out of Beaumaris a few years back that might be a good family activity that also sees cool birds.

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

I don’t know the area very well but Cemlyn is amazing.

Rich

 

[jogresh]

You'll probably be aware that mid summer is not the greatest time for birding - i think the suggestions from the guys above are good ones. Particularly with regard to seabirds etc. So - Cemlyn & South Stack, with the Beaumaris Puffin Island cruise, would be a really nice day out. Cemlyn is great, though some of the terns have already left, but plenty still there, and that would be top of my list i think. There are other places you can do on this trip from Betws, it depends how much time you want to spend, and which route. Such as Cors Ddyga/Malltraeth, Aberogwen/The Spinnies, etc.
IDK if you're into being guided but my mate is one of the best birders i've ever met, and is also a really good laugh - Google "Birdwatching Trips.com, North Wales". He does get fully booked though. He may be able to take you out for an evening trip to see Nightjar.
Snowdonia is usually visited by birders in April and May for summer migrants, warblers etc., though they've stopped singing now and are hard to see.
Betws is a really nice town; touristy, but lots of charm. Some great walks without needing to get in a vehicle, eg into the Gwydyr Forest, or circle round the golf course along the 2 rivers, really scenic and quite birdy.

 

[Welsh Peregrine]

I would agree with Alan as a bird guide if he is available; you will certainly make the best use of the time available and maximise sensible targets for the time of year.

 

[has530]

Thank you all for your excellent suggestions. As we are booking things we realized Betws-y-Coed is pretty touristy and already very booked so we have elected to instead stay in Bangor (which is much nearer all these suggestions!). Just a few clarifying questions:

The birds in the general Snowdonia area are widespread; for a more concentrated range of species you need to head to one or more of the coastal reserves, South Stack for Auks, Cemlyn for Terns, The Spinneys for Kingfisher, Conway or Burton Mere for Ducks and Waders.

Is "The Spinneys" short for Spinnies Aberogwen North Wales Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve? I would absolutely love the chance to see a kingfisher. Also, is Conway just the English spelling of Conwy? I am assuming you may then be referring to RSPB Conwy? We were already planning to check out the castle so that would be pretty convenient.

"Birdwatching Trips.com, North Wales".

Is this (Day Trips by the Biggest Twitch, UK guided birdwatching Day Trips) the right spot?

Beaumaris Puffin Island cruise

Thanks for the trip! Looks like a great option and reasonably priced too.

 

[jogresh]

Thank you all for your excellent suggestions. As we are booking things we realized Betws-y-Coed is pretty touristy and already very booked so we have elected to instead stay in Bangor (which is much nearer all these suggestions!). Just a few clarifying questions:

Is "The Spinneys" short for Spinnies Aberogwen North Wales Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve? I would absolutely love the chance to see a kingfisher. Also, is Conway just the English spelling of Conwy? I am assuming you may then be referring to RSPB Conwy? We were already planning to check out the castle so that would be pretty convenient.


Is this (Day Trips by the Biggest Twitch, UK guided birdwatching Day Trips) the right spot?

Thanks for the trip! Looks like a great option and reasonably priced too.

Yep; the correct spelinge is The Spinnies. I think there was a sighting of a Kingfisher at Conwy RSPB recently too. Hard to pin down though at this time of year in NW Wales unfortunately.

Yep, Conway is the old anglicised version of Conwy and is no longer used locally. Yep, Conwy RSPB reserve might be worth a couple of hours before or after the castle, which is excellent.

Yep thats the right website.

You may want to call in at Cors Ddyga/Malltraeth Marsh RSPB, it's on your route and can be good at this time of year:

Cors Ddyga Nature Reserve, Anglesey - The RSPB

www.rspb.org.uk

Have a great trip.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Based in Bangor, with a full day at your disposal, presuming you'll have a set of wheels to hand....
Early start, up to Holyhead for Black Guillemots, then on to South Stack RSPB for more Auks, including Puffin, also Chough, keep an eye out for Hooded Crow, there's one about (but beware hybrids).
Then up to Cemlyn for Terns. Might be worth visiting Alaw estuary, or maybe Penrhos for waders, depending on tides. Then a call in on Cors Ddyga before heading back.
For Kingfisher, if you're staying in Bangor Spinnies is right next door, gets light around 05:00, pre breakfast stake-out?
Snowdonia has some great birds, Pied Flycatcher, Wood Warbler, Ring Ouzel etc, but as has already been said, they're spread wide and spread thin, and best persued a couple of months earlier with pretty specific site gen.
Any further questions, fire away.

 

[Farnboro John]

Based in Bangor, with a full day at your disposal, presuming you'll have a set of wheels to hand....
Early start, up to Holyhead for Black Guillemots, then on to South Stack RSPB for more Auks, including Puffin, also Chough, keep an eye out for Hooded Crow, there's one about (but beware hybrids).
Then up to Cemlyn for Terns. Might be worth visiting Alaw estuary, or maybe Penrhos for waders, depending on tides. Then a call in on Cors Ddyga before heading back.
For Kingfisher, if you're staying in Bangor Spinnies is right next door, gets light around 05:00, pre breakfast stake-out?
Snowdonia has some great birds, Pied Flycatcher, Wood Warbler, Ring Ouzel etc, but as has already been said, they're spread wide and spread thin, and best persued a couple of months earlier with pretty specific site gen.
Any further questions, fire away.

Anywhere the OP should look for Dipper, I assume could be of interest?

John

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Best guess for Dipper would probably be Aber Falls. Good for Grey Wagtail too, possibly Redstart. Trouble is, as Dipper is effectively a garden bird for me here, it's been a long while since I've actively looked for them anywhere else. Good point that it would be a high value species for an overseas visitor though.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

And then there's Nightjar too, Gwydir Forest at least, probably some other spots too, chance of things like Cuckoo, Tree Pipit & Crossbills there too. It's a lot to fit into a day!

 

[Owene]

Best guess for Dipper would probably be Aber Falls. Good for Grey Wagtail too, possibly Redstart. Trouble is, as Dipper is effectively a garden bird for me here, it's been a long while since I've actively looked for them anywhere else. Good point that it would be a high value species for an overseas visitor though.

The relative scarcity of dipper in wales and elsewhere always surprises me. Was a regular evening walk bird wherever I lived in the valleys

 

[jogresh]

Yes I wondered about Dipper.
One of the most reliable spots happens to be close to Bangor, the bridge over the Ogwen on the way to The Spinnies:

LL57 3UR · Talybont Cottages, Tal-y-bont, Bangor

Postcode

maps.app.goo.gl

 

[has530]

Anywhere the OP should look for Dipper, I assume could be of interest?

John

Right you are!

Best guess for Dipper would probably be Aber Falls. Good for Grey Wagtail too, possibly Redstart. Trouble is, as Dipper is effectively a garden bird for me here, it's been a long while since I've actively looked for them anywhere else. Good point that it would be a high value species for an overseas visitor though.

Thanks for the tip, it also looks lovely in it's own right even if I do not have birding luck and I will definitely be checking it out.

And then there's Nightjar too, Gwydir Forest at least, probably some other spots too, chance of things like Cuckoo, Tree Pipit & Crossbills there too. It's a lot to fit into a day!

Looks like a great stop on my way through Snowdonia to Bangor. A lot for one day indeed but I am quite looking forward to it. My first real trip since starting my graduate studies in 2018.

Yes I wondered about Dipper.
One of the most reliable spots happens to be close to Bangor, the bridge over the Ogwen on the way to The Spinnies:

LL57 3UR · Talybont Cottages, Tal-y-bont, Bangor

Postcode

maps.app.goo.gl

Thanks for the tip, I'll be sure to pull off and have a look around while passing by.

 

[jogresh]

Thanks for the tip, I'll be sure to pull off and have a look around while passing by.

Park on Tre'r Felin, lots of space.
Lôn Ddwr is busy and narrow.
Can then view from the separate pedestrian section of the road bridge.
🙂👍🦆