Bird Watching Spain - Page 4 of 10 - Valencia Birding

Combining City Breaks in Valencia with Guided Birding.

Last Thursday I was fortunate enough to welcome back some previous clients. Stella and Richard from UK has been on a guided birding trip with me last year and had this week returned to Valencia with family. They had opted to enjoy a short break in this enchanting city, with its diverse cultural attractions, and to include in their plans a day of guided bird watching. I collected them from their apartment in the chic and historical area known as Barrio Carmen, then we made the short journey to the Valencian Coastal Wetlands. After a morning coffee, we began the walk along the coastal dunes to the first of the day´s lagoons. The skies were already busy with terns making constant fishing trips to feed their young. The nesting colonies here include Common Tern, Whiskered Tern and Little Tern. The first lagoon held Pochard, Little Grebe, and Black Winged Stilt. As we made our way further along the coast, we enjoyed superbly close views of another of the area´s key breeding species, the Collared Pratincole. We were fortunate to have views of this spectacular bird in flight as well as…

Guided Bird Watching at Albufera de Valencia.

On Wednesday 13th February, we had the pleasure of providing a leisurely day of guided birding for a couple from our local area together with their friends who were visiting from the UK. We chose to explore the lakes, lagoons and rice fields of Albufera de Valencia, a coastal wetland of international importance. Our first stop was by a small, sheltered lake and as soon as we got out of the van we were treated to a spectacular sight – a flock of over 500 Greater Flamingoes in flight, the pink, crimson and black of their plumage contrasting beautifully with the deep blue of the winter sky. The lake held Pintail, Red Crested Pochard, and Shoveler whilst the trees around the shore were alive with Chiffchaffs and Robins. A Booted Eagle passed low overhead, soon followed by a Marsh Harrier. As Albufera de Valencia is the place of origin of the world famous Paella, we enjoyed a relaxed hour or so in a traditional rice restaurant before setting out across the rice fields. Gulls included Audouin´s, Lesser Black Backed, Yellow Legged and Black Headed. Further scanning revealed Greenshank, Great Egret…

Guided Bird Watching on the Steppe of Castilla de la Mancha

On 11th October I had the pleasure of providing a guided bird watching trip for a couple from Ringwood, UK. They were staying in Valencia and wanted a day´s birding as part of their holiday. Both very experienced birders they had been visiting Spain for many years and had travelled throughout the world on other birding expeditions. They had specifically requested a day out on the steppe to see the distinct bird life this unique habitat holds. Unfortunately, conditions were not ideal as the water levels in the area´s lagoons were very low, and coupled with a strong wind, this meant that we had to work hard in order to find the birds. Our first stopping point gave views of Skylark, Crested Lark and Wheatear. There wasn´t much flying thanks to the stiff breeze so we headed off to spend some time beside a lake. There we enjoyed views of Teal, Greater Flamingo and Marsh Harrier. By now it was becoming clear that conditions were against us so we decided upon a strategy of driving across the high steppe and making periodic stops to scan the vast landscape. After a…

Guided Bird Watching in Valencia

On 10th October we provided a guided bird watching trip for a couple from Berkshire. Both keen nature lovers, David and Elizabeth were staying in Valencia as part of a trip around Spain. They had requested a tour of Albufera, as they wanted to see some of the classic wetland species of Valencia. As they were only here for a short while, we combined Albufera with another local wetland with the aim of improving our chances of spotting some of the target birds. We began the day with a visit to one of the reserves within the natural park of Albufera de Valencia where we had great close-up views of Marsh Harrier and Purple Gallinule. Wildfowl included Mallard, Pochard, Red Crested Pochard and Shoveler. Later, we enjoyed good views of Greater Flamingo and Yellow Legged Gull before one of the highlights of the day – superbly clear views of a pale morph Booted Eagle which kindly circled above us for long enough for us to take in the beautiful tones of this stunning raptor. We then headed a little further along the coast where we saw the very rare White…

Albufera de Valencia

On Wednesday 19th September we provided a “tailor made” trip to the natural park of Albufera de Valencia. The group comprised experienced birders and general nature lovers so the trip was designed to offer something for everyone. The day began with a visit to a reserve that not only provides a superb habitat but also serves as an open-air laboratory in which a great deal of valuable conservation work takes place. The reserve staff gave a fascinating presentation on the ongoing projects at the reserve and the history of the area. Following that, we spent some time in and around the reserve and immediately were able to enjoy good views of a flock of Spoonbill. We also had great views of Marsh Harrier, Greater Flamingo, Great White Egret and Purple Gallinule. We then moved across to the other side of Albufera where we stopped at another reserve and had views of Black Winged Stilt, Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover and Ruff. We made a brief stop along the way to watch an Iberian Grey Shrike that was perched quite close to the road. As Albufera de Valencia is the “birth…

Mid-Summer Birding

July and August are generally not the best months for birding here in Spain. This summer has been especially hot, even by our standards so we´re all looking forward to the autumn when migration is underway and the weather is much more comfortable. The diary is already filling up so it looks like being a great season. However, whilst on holiday visiting family in our area in mid August, Nora asked for a day trip to see some typical Mediterranean species. A nature lover and general bird enthusiast, she was happy to see a few special target species rather than to maximise a tick list. With that in mind, and the summer heat, we decided upon a slightly modified “Mountains & Marshes” trip. We began the day with a couple of hours in a spectacular mountain gorge and although the path was a little steep in places, the cliffs did provide some welcome shade. We were soon enjoying great views of Griffon Vultues, both in flight and on the high ledges of their breeding cliffs. Closer inspection of the cliffs revealed Crag Martin, Black Redstart, and eventually another of the…