Kilminning Coast
Kilminning coast is a stretch of species-rich grassland, and part of a larger SSSI. The rocks on the shore are carpeted with 100 different types of lichens and algae. There is an unusual mix of seashore and marsh plants growing together, including sea arrowgrass, northern marsh-orchid, sea-milkwort and ragged-Robin.
Gordon Moss
Gordon Moss Wildlife Reserve is part of Gordon Moss SSSI which is a remnant of a large floodplain mire. Today the site is dominated by wet, birch-willow floodplain woodland over a range of peatland habitats - rich fen, poor fen, acid bog and fen carr. The SSSI supports a wide range of invertebrates and a number of orchid species.
Fife Ness Muir
This reserve consists of low coastline with bushes, grassland, migrant birds, plants, lichen and mosses. The site is of significance at times for migratory insects, particularly moths and butterflies.Many buddleias have been planted for butterflies and they attract very significant numbers at times of migration.Red admirals and painted ladies are annual in substantial numbers and clouded yellow and peacock have been recorded in the last few years.
Tylcau Hill (Floss Brand) Nature Reserve
In 2009, a series of informal survey events took place on the reserve, led by local experts with support from volunteers, to gather some information on the species found at Tylcau Hill. It showed the beginnings of a remarkable assemblage. Carpets of mountain pansies bloom on the higher slopes, while in the wooded dingles are clumps of oak fern. Wet flushes have humps of cushion moss, hollows full of sphagnum and butterwort, with marsh arrowgrass, sundews and quaking grass. Elsewhere are patches of devil's-bit scabious, the food plant for the marsh fritillary butterfly.
Gorse Farm
Gorse Farm is a pocket-sized nature reserve consisting of a balancing pond and adjacent marshy grassland next to some houses on the edge of Llandrindod Wells. The pond margins are silty and dominated by a dense band of bulrush (Typha) and other marginal vegetation, providing good nesting habitat for mallard and moorhen. In summer, dragonflies and damselflies are often seen flitting about, and sometimes reed buntings can be spotted. The marshy grassland is predominantly tussocks of tufted hair grass and this is a damp haven for frogs, toads and newts.
Withybeds
Birds: the 31 breeding species recorded include spotted and pied flycatchers, marsh and willow tits, redstart, stock dove, little owl, song thrush, nuthatch, treecreeper, bullfinch, great-spotted woodpecker, pied wagtail, moorhen, coot, goldfinch. Visitors include: dipper, kingfisher, swift, curlew, collared dove, tawny owl. Other species of interest include water vole, otter, wood and yellow-necked mice, frogs and grass snakes.
Werndryd
The Werndyd reserve consists of a wet grassland sward with willow scrub. The botanical interest includes marsh cinquefoil, devils-bit scabious, ragged robin, oval sedge, lousewort, marsh violet and common spike-rush. A number of exotic tree species were planted in the 1960s when attempts were made to drain the site. Many of these have now been removed. Birds recorded include barn owl, tawny owl, reed bunting and snipe. Other common farmland and hedgerow birds such as great tits, blue tit, dunnock, blackbird, wren and greenfinch also use the reserve.
Sideland
TREES
The wood has a varied tree mixture, ash is dominant with pendunculate oak, downy birch and rowan all frequent. In the past wych elms were clearly dominant with many surviving as younger saplings. Older elms remain as dead or decaying trees, with great importance for wildlife especially invertebrates. The understorey is mainly hazel with blackthorn locally dominant. The ground layer consists principally of an extremely abundant bryophyte (moss and liverwort) flora.
Rhayader Tunnel
A long narrow reserve with a path leading straight through to the Elan Valley.
Pwllpatti
Pwllpatti's interest lies in the species of over-wintering wildfowl that are attracted to the oxbows in the winter months. Bewick's and whooper swans are rarely seen, but mute swan are still reported.
