bird watching trips Valencia - Page 8 of 39 - Valencia Birding

A fabulous autumn day on the steppe.

The steppe area of our region is an ever-changing environment of rolling cereal fields, vineyards, arable land, lagoons and scrub. In the scorching heat of midsummer, almost all of the lagoons dry up, after the cereal harvest the land is ploughed bare, and in the winter, temperatures plummet to well below freezing. These dramatic changes mean that the bird life of this environment can also be very fluid, and one has to “learn” the area in order to get the most from it. As with anything, the required effort makes the prize yet more valuable and the steppe area seldom fails to reward. From our base in the interior of Alicante province, it’s a short and easy drive to get there, and last week I spent a day up there with my good friend Bea, carrying out a recce as I have bookings from clients in the coming weeks who want to visit this area. Following the long, hot summer, the lagoons of the high steppe once again contain plenty of water The morning began with the hills that surround home shrouded in a thick mist, but as the sun…

Field photography trip to the wetlands of Alicante

I recently provided a bespoke trip for Tony, a client who lives in the Alicante region and wanted to discover a few places where he can visit to photograph birds in the field. As we only had one day, we decided to focus on wetland sites, visiting four hides throughout the area. After a morning coffee and a chat about his priorities etc, we made the short journey to the first hide which overlooked a large lagoon. We saw Reed Warbler and Cetti’s Warbler in the reeds, as well as Black-necked Grebe, White Headed Duck and Marsh Harrier. Black-necked Grebe (non-breeding plumage) Tony having got some nice shots, we enjoyed a short walk to the next hide which was also built over water. The morning mist was beginning to clear by now and we were able to get closer views of Marsh Harrier and Greater Flamingo. The view from the hide, across one of Alicante’s many wetland reserves to the mountains of the interior As the priority was that of showing Tony a few “new” places, we returned to the car and headed to another hide closer to the coast,…

A day at the wetlands of Alicante

The entire coast of the Valencia Region contains an extensive network of wetlands, which collectively make this area crucially important for migrating birds, especially as it’s located right on a major flyway. For those who choose to visit the southern reaches of the region, the area around Alicante is well worth a trip, as it too contains some excellent freshwater and saltwater wetland reserves. That’s not to mention the vast rural interior of the area, which comprises mountain, farmland, forest, desert and steppe! One of Alicante’s many wetland reserves. Last week I organised a day´s birding for John, choosing to focus on just one of the area’s wetlands, which is always a treat and usually throws up a few surprises too. We weren´t to be disappointed, as and usual the day passed so quickly that we were left with longings to return as soon as possible. But that’ll be another story before long… After a quick morning coffee, we drove slowly across an area of farmland to the reserve, enjoying good views of a Booted Eagle that was circling over the fields. A few Barn Swallows and House Martins were…

Golden Eagle Photography Hide

As can be seen on our website, we offer trips to a carefully selected range of bird photography hides, all within very easy reach of Valencia. These sessions are suitable for all levels of photographer, from casual beginner to expert, and offer the opportunity to capture stunning images of some magnificent wild birds in their natural surroundings. I recently provided a trip to the Golden Eagle hide which is located in the highlands of the interior of Valencia, but easily reached within around 60 minutes drive of the city centre, making for a very comfortable day. After a couple of hours waiting in the hide, the eagles arrived. We were thrilled not only to see one, but to see both the male and female birds as well as the juvenile. The experience of being so close to these incredible wild animals is one that’s never to be forgotten. I’ve included below a very small selection of photos that I took during the session. Visits to these hides can be easily arranged, either as individual day trips or forming part of a bespoke birding and / or bird photography multi-day trip….

A stormy day at the Valencian Coastal Wetlands

Last week, just before moving to our home in the mountains for the coming months, I had the pleasure of providing another trip for Jeff and Dee. They had previously been on a trip to Albufera de Valencia with me and this time wanted to visit another of the area’s wetlands. The weather had been quite stormy during the week and the day of the trip was also a little unsettled, so based on the forecast, we opted to begin a little later than planned to allow the rain to pass through first. Having met in central Valencia, we were still at the wetlands by before 11am. We could see rain fronts away to the south but so far we were dry! On our previous trip, Jeff had been eager to see Audouin’s Gull, and by coincidence, this was the first bird that we saw today! We had great views of a pair, preening on the beach. Sandwich Tern, Common Tern and Whiskered Tern were all making feeding forays and Swifts and Barn Swallows were around in good numbers. Whiskered Tern The sky had begun to darken, so we opted…

A Spring Day on the Steppe

As part of this trip crosses the border between the Valencian Community and Castilla la Mancha, it’s been a while since we’ve been able to enjoy it as regions had previously closed their boundaries as a Covid security measure. It was therefore with much anticipation and eagerness that John and I made the trip up onto the steppe, beginning the day with a coffee in a village bar that for obvious reasons we’d not been to for a long time. It was good to see the owner again and to catch up on what’s been going on. As we drank our coffee in the morning sunshine, we watched House Martins and Swallows that were nesting in the village. Swifts were also around in good numbers, feeding overhead. Upon leaving the village, a Marsh Harrier flew alongside the car, patrolling a small area of reeds by a floodwater lagoon. We headed across the plains to our first lookout point. As we got out of the car, we heard and then saw Crested Lark and then Corn Bunting. A raptor appeared, which turned out to be a Booted Eagle. As we scanned…