Bwlch Nant yr Arian became a red kite feeding station in the winter of 1999. It was designed to give the small numbers of red kites a helping hand and to encourage them to gather together, a natural pattern of behaviour for kites.
The kites are fed daily, 2pm in the winter* and 3pm in the summer*' and feed every day of the year including Christmas Day. You can expect to see as many as 150 kites coming in to feed and more in winter months.
The kites are fed off cuts of beef from a local butcher, and use approximately 10kg of beef a day. These off cuts of beef are scattered out on to the grassy feeding area on the lakeside. The red kites swoop down to pick a piece of meat and eat on the wing.
The kites can be seen very well from the lakeside along the Barcud Trail or there is a bird hide overlooking the feeding area.
The red kites are mostly local birds. It is estimated that they may come from about a 10-mile radius to feed.
You may also see a ‘white kite’ that sometimes comes in to feed. It’s colouring is very pale, almost white, due to a genetic default known as Leucism.
There is nearby parking, one which you have to pay a small fee for, or there is also parking just outside the centre by the main road for free.
The cache is a small container with no room for extras, YOU WILL NEED YOUR OWN PEN to sign the log.
Please make note that the path down to the cache is pavement, smooth and without steps, however you will need to come off the path when you get near to the cache which may require climbing a small solve which may be slippery when wet, so please be careful if you have children around.