bird watching trips Valencia - Valencia Birding - Guided Bird Watching in Spain

As summer draws to a close, we look forward to a new season of birding trips.

The summer is drawing to a gradual close, and the Ospreys of the reintroduction project in this region (of which Valencia Birding is a collaborator) are beginning to migrate south. As the intense heat of summer is reducing and the autumn migration begins to get underway, our guided birding trips recommence. Mid September has been a busy time, with a number of trips to the wetlands of both Alicante and Valencia. Red Knobbed Coot Recent trips to Alicante gave us the opportunity to enjoy views of aquatic species such as White Headed Duck, Marbled Teal, Red Knobbed Coot and recently arrived Northern Shoveler. Some summer visitors were still present, notably Roller and Little Bittern, whilst birds that were seen passing through, heading south, included Bee Eater and mixed flocks of Red Rumped Swallow, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow and House Martins. Clients from the UK enjoying a day in the wetlands of Alicante A recent trip to Albufera de Valencia, for one of our most loyal clients, John from the UK, coincided with the beginning of the rice harvest. Recently harvested fields held huge numbers of Glossy Ibis, Great, Little and…

Watching Albufera Grow During the Spring

Throughout the months of April and May of this year, I’ve spent a lot of time in the wetlands and rice fields of Albufera de Valencia, principally trips with clients from the UK, USA and Ireland. It’s been fascinating to see the changes that take place during the spring, especially in terms of habitat and environment. In April, the rice fields were dry, so held very few birds, so we focussed more on the wetland reserve areas. During May, the rice farmers began to flood their fields and sow the rice, instantly attracting large gatherings of Glossy Ibis, Greater Flamingo, Little , Great and Cattle Egrets. Glossy Ibis In terms of bird movement, our trips in April still gave us sightings of a few later passage migrants, including Oystercatcher, Little Stint, Grey Plover and Curlew Sandpiper. However, as the month progressed, colonies of breeding birds began to form, the largest of which included Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, Gull Billed Tern, Mediterranean Gull, Black Headed Gull and Audouin’s Gull, the latter choosing as usual to nest away from other gull and tern species. Sandwich Terns, Common Terns and Slender Billed Gulls…

A Special Day at One of Valencia’s Coastal Wetlands

April 2024 Some days, everything just seems to come together – nice weather, lovely people, newly arrived summer visitors and some interesting passage migrants. I was fortunate enough to enjoy one such day a couple of weeks ago with Roy from England. A keen birder, he was visiting Valencia and had previously contacted me to arrange a day’s birding. Roy, photographing Glossy Ibis on a shallow lagoon We met at a convenient spot and then headed to the coastal wetlands. This is usually a fabulous location in spring, but today’s visit seemed to turn up something special at almost every stage of the day. The first lagoon gave us views of Purple Swamphen, Red Crested Pochard, Great Reed Warbler and Whiskered Tern. A little patience and scanning was rewarded with sightings of White Headed Duck, Little Bittern and Purple Heron. Spot the Whimbrel! As we strolled along the pebble beach, a Whimbrel flew into view, then landed way off in front of us, blending in extremely well with its surroundings! A few Audouin’s Gulls glided along the beach too, but our next objective was to get some quality views of…

3-Day Birding Trip from Valencia

April 2024 Early this month, I planned a 3-day birding trip for Jason, an experienced birder from the USA who was spending some time with his wife near Valencia and wanted to include a birding trip in their plans. Day 1 – Albufera. Our first day together was spent at Albufera de Valencia, a huge wetland and rice growing area just to the south of the city. We spent the morning at a reserve where we enjoyed the sights and sounds of a mixed breeding colony that included Common Tern, Sandwich Tern, Black Headed Gull, Mediterranean Gull and Slender Billed Gull. Whiskered Terns were also feeding on the wing and Cetti’s Warbler were singing from the nearby scrub. Shorebirds included Pied Avocet, Black Winged Stilt, Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Redshank and Glossy Ibis. Sandwich Terns, Mediterranean Gulls, Slender Billed Gull and Black Headed Gull In the afternoon, we moved closer to the coast where visited a small lagoon and enjoyed views of Purple Heron plus other shorebirds such as Kentish Plover, Little Stint and Little Ringed Plover. Audouin’s Gull were also around in good numbers, obviously preparing to nest. The…

Multiple Visits to the Steppe and Cereal Plains.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve spent quite a few days up on the steppe, enjoying this unique landscape and the fabulous bird life that thrives here. The first trip was for 4 lovely clients from Barcelona, well travelled nature lovers who were visiting the area and were keen to see Great Bustard above all. Another day was part of a 3-day trip for Jason from the USA and the other was simply a day´s birding with my partner Itziar to enjoy the spectacle of Great Bustard courtship displays. Great Bustard Each day was a great success in that we found and enjoyed superb views of good numbers of Great Bustards, but as with birding anywhere, no two days are ever the same! On the first trip, we were delighted to see recently arrived Woodchat Shrike and passing Bee Eaters. The Lesser Kestrels that breed in this area had indeed returned from their wintering grounds and gave us some great views as they swooped and hovered around the semi ruined buildings where the colony was already established. After a little searching amongst a pile of rocks, we finally located the…

2 Fabulous Days Exploring Alicante’s Wetlands & Coast

Having established Valencia Birding back in 2011, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting an array of lovely people along the way, many of whom have become firm friends. Jan and Rab from the UK spend a considerable amount of time on the Costa Blanca and have been loyal friends and supporters of Valencia Birding since the early years. Together we’ve travelled through the regons wetlands, mountains, steppe and forests and have shared many special birding moments together. Earler this month I was delighted to get together with them again. Firstly, we spent a morning together, walking around Oliva Pego Marsh, where we had great views of Booted Eagle, Marsh Harrier and huge flocks of Glossy Ibis before I gave a brief talk on the Osprey reintroduction project there, a venture that I’m honoured to be involved in. We then strolled alongside the river to a cafe bar where we enjoyed a late breakfast together. Marsh Harrier It was a week or so later when we set out together again on a 2-day trip around some of Alicante’s southern wetlands and coastal sites. Our first stop was at a small reserve…