"Dolydd Hafren is a wild, open area swept by wind and floods. The 42-hectare reserve is the largest untouched area of floodplain meadow in Montgomeryshire and is probably unique to the county.

The site was purchased by the Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust in 1992 and opened to the public two years later. It has a large range of habitats ranging from mature trees and pockets of woodland to open unimproved and semi-improved grassland.

It has many pools of standing water with their associated areas of mud, inundation and wetland communities. Flowing water dominates the reserve's character and creates the wide variety of habitats which support diverse bird, plant and invertebrate populations.

Although there is an impressive list of plant species - including mudwort, a nationally scarce plant - it is the birds, particularly the waders, that represent the reserve's primary importance as an inland site for breeding and over-wintering waders.

146 species of bird have been recorded on the site, including 38 breeding species. The Trust's objectives are to manage the grassland, wetland and water areas to provide breeding and feeding habitat for redshank, lapwing, oystercatcher, common sandpiper and little ringed plover and to encourage breeding by other waders such as curlew and snipe.

Teal, mallard, wigeon, curlew, Canada geese, lapwing, goosander, goldfinch and snipe all use the reserve in winter. Two hecatares of arable crops (wheat, sunflower and Quinoa) are planted yearly to benefit seed-eating birds such as tree sparrow.

Tree and scrub planting was carried out in 1993 to provide hedges and shelterbelts to reduce disturbance. Eleven species of dragonfly and damselfly have been recorded, including club-tailed dragonfly and ruddy darter, and the 16 species of butterfly include clouded yellow, wall brown and orange tip.

Written by Tony Senior, Nature Reserves Officer, Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust.

Dolydd Hafren Nature Reserve Location: west of the B4388. Go through Forden village and on about 1.5 miles. Turn right at the Gaer Farm, and follow the track down to the Trust car park. Grid reference SJ 208005. Open: All year round. Facilities: Car park and two hides, but no visitor centre. Contact: Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust - Tel: 01938 555654; Fax: 01938 556161. Website: www.montwt.co.uk/dolydd_hafren.html

Dolydd Hafren will feature in Iolo's Welsh Safari at 7pm on BBC One Wales, Wednesday 3 May 2006. More details...