Gwynedd - Coed y Brenin

The forest has a mixture of habitats and species due to the geology, topography and climate. Coed y Brenin Forest is host to common and rare species and habitats. From the chaffinches that eat the left over bits of cake at the café to the elusive pine marten. It is this diversity that makes the forest a really interesting place to visit.

HOW TO FIND COED Y BRENIN
East off the A470, 8 miles North of Dolgellau just North of Ganllwyd, South of Trawsfynydd. Follow the brown tourist signs. Click here for a map:
http://www.multimap.com/maps/?#map=52.8163,-3.90073|12|4&loc=GB:52.81629821757487:-3.9007337237530883:16

MAMMALS
Bats - Guided walks are organised by the local bat groups to introduce the public to the behaviour and feeding habits of bats such as the pipistrelle, long eared, lesser horseshoe, noctule and whiskered bat.
Deer are also present in small numbers. These are mainly fallow deer and occasionally roe deer. You are only likely to spot these animals at dawn or dusk in the southern parts of the forest.
Red Squirrels are occasionally sighted within the forest too but they are difficult to spot as they tend to be nocturnal. Although they do forage during the day they are less active. Any reports of sightings should be given to the Coed y Mynydd office tel: 0845 604 0845 (ask for the Conservation Manager).
For many years there have been unconfirmed sightings of Pine Marten. These elusive creatures have managed to escape 100% confirmation of their presence and a project to set up pine marten havens is in the process of being implemented. Any positive sightings should also be reported to Coed y Mynydd office.

BIRDS
Black Grouse may be spotted on the forest fringes where the moor meets the trees. The males are easy to recognise with their distinctive black feathers and lyre shaped tail in flight. The females, however, are less easy to distinguish from Red Grouse which also inhabit the forest edges.
Large and small raptors can be spotted all over the forest. Buzzards soar high above the valleys; Goshawks are more secretive and are extremely difficult to spot as they glide through tall mature trees and into thick undergrowth to catch their prey. Red Kites are also becoming more common as they distribute themselves north of their range. They are the easiest big raptor to spot with their large forked red tail. Peregrines are also present but not common. If you are really lucky you may spot a Merlin but you have to be quick. You will be more likely to see them on the forest edges where the moorland is located. The occasional sighting of a Hen Harrier may be possible but quite rare.

INSECTS AND REPTILES
Butterflies and moths survive in some of the more open habitats. Some of the more common and rare species are as follows Common Blue, Small pearl bordered fritillaries, Dark green Fritillaries, Small, heath, Peacock, Red Admiral, Speckled wood, Meadow brown, Ringlet, Meadow brown, Large skipper, Brimstone, Small skipper, Small tortoiseshell and Purple hairstreak. Glasdir picnic site and around the old fields at the Maesgwm Centre are some of the best places to spot butterflies.