Drygarn Fawr is an area of largely undisturbed upland in the heart of Wales. Moorland, peat bogs, rocky outcrops and sessile oakwoods provide habitat for a variety of upland and woodland birds.

Soon after I left the car I heard the unmistakeable rising and rapidly descending call of a Wood Warbler and then saw it as it flitted through the trees near a stream. I walked for a long while through dense, dark pine forest, following the stream upwards through the trees until I emerged into a narrow valley. I sat down in the grass for a short rest and looked up to see a large raptor soaring high above me. I soon realised that it couldn't be a Buzzard, the most likley candidate, because it's tail was far too long. I considered the possiblilty that it may have been a Goshawk and as I watched it closed it's wings and 'jet glided' towards another bird which had suddenly appeared soaring at the same height. The second bird was obviously a Peregrine and the first bird's slighlty larger size convinced me that it was definitely a Goshawk. Soon afterwards I watched four Buzzards soaring together at the same place.

I walked on towards the top of the mountain, following the stream and as I watched a Mistle Thrush which was perched on a rock, a black bird with a white chest patch flew past. It was a male Ring Ouzel and I watched it for about five minutes as it fed before flying off down the valley.

At the top of the mountain I had a brief glimpse of a Red Kite as it flew over the brow of a hill. I also saw Wheatears, Meadow Pipits, Skylarks, a Raven and a Kestrel there.