Wildlife
attractions
Bird watching is the
prime reason for people to visit the site and this has the
potential to attract visitors throughout the year. In winter there
are whooper swans, hen harriers and large numbers of wildfowl.
Summer brings curlew, some breeding lapwing, redshank, snipe, reed
bunting and sedge warblers. Most important of all are the red kite.
Although these birds are now widely seen in mid-Wales this remains
an area where people traditionally come to see them, with 31% of
people specifically mentioning red kite as the reason for their
visit (Scott et al. 1998).
Butterflies put on
beautiful displays in summer, with common blue, small pearl
bordered fritillary and commas being frequently seen. Although the
bog is spectacular, lack of good access means that people cannot
easily appreciate the detail of the vegetation. Most people are
unlikely to get good views of the individual plants such as bog
asphodel and sundew.
Landscape
The reserve is an
area of outstanding landscape that dominates the valley north of
Tregaron. Its spectacular golden-red colouring floods the area and
it clearly stands out as being very different to the surrounding
countryside. Surprisingly, this stunning landscape does not seem to
play a major part in attracting visitors, with just 7% citing the
landscape quality as a reason for visiting the site (Scott et al.
1998). However. 35% of visitors believe that 'quietness' is an
important factor in their enjoyment, and this is, of course, very
closely linked to the landscape in terms of the size and remoteness
of the reserve.
