griffon vulture - Valencia Birding - Guided Bird Watching in Spain

A little patience brings great views of Alpine Accentors

During the last few days of 2020, I had to dedicate some time to getting in the olive harvest. Usually we invite a few friends around to help and it turns into a social event, but this time, because of Covid, we had to do it on our own. This meant that the usual 2 day task turned into a 4 day task, which limited my available days for birding. So, it was even greater enthusiasm that I headed to the mountains not so far from our house in the highland interior of Alicante with my friend Bea. She had never managed to get a view of Alpine Accentor, so this was our obvious target for the day. This tough yet very pretty little bird is one of my favourite winter visitors to our region, so for me, it´s always a delight to see them. I somehow find a special attachment to these birds, probably having spent a great deal of my life in the mountains, and each winter I await their return with anticipation. The highland interior of rural Alicante The previous days had been very cold in this…

Two fantastic days with clients from Sweden.

When clients return it´s always a special feeling, and in mid May, Alexia from Sweden did exactly that. She´d previously visited Valencia and we did a trip to Albufera together. Not long after her return home she contacted us and we arranged a 2 day birding break in Valencia, which she was to combine with a cultural break in the city. This time she came with a friend, Lena. I was delighted to see Alexia again, and to meet Lena. Both very friendly and great company. On our first day we visited one of Valencia´s coastal wetlands. A walk along the beach gave views of Audouin´s Gull and Whiskered Tern. We had great views of Turtle Dove, a bird that appears to have done very well here this year. The lagoons held White Headed Duck, Little Ringed Plover, Great Egret and a solitary lingering Dunlin. We also enjoyed watching the Tern colony which comprised Common, Little and Sandwich. We were delighted also to see the Elegant Terns that apper to be returning to Valencia each year to breed. On the walk back to the car we stopped to enjoy amazing…

Birding trip to the mountains of Valencia

Recently, I was delighted to provide a birding trip to the mountains of Valencia for a client from Scotland who now lives in Honduras. After a few days of stormy weather we were happy to see blue skies and sunshine. After a short drive into the highland interior of the Valencia region, we stopped for a coffee break before heading into the mountains where we spotted the first Griffon Vultures, one of the target species for the day. We also had nice views of Barn Swallow, House Martins and Common Swift. We then had views of another target bird – the Short-toed Eagle. Just few meters ahead of us we spotted a pair of Black Redstarts that were breeding in a ruined farm building, also the call of Sardinian Warblers caught our attention. We continued our way to the source of the river, one of the best spots to observe dippers in the Valencia region. We also had a good view of a Great Spotted Woodpecker and Golden Oriole and we were entertained by a Blue Tit constantly visiting its nest. A little further in the valley, we stopped to listen…

Birding in the mountains of Valencia.

We´ve recently provided a number of trips that have taken in the virtually unknown mountainous interior of the Valencia region. Within an hour´s drive of the beautiful Mediterranean city of Valencia lies a vast and rugged region that provides habitat for some very special birds. The exceptionally low human population density and the natural characteristics of our inland sierras means that for wildlife in general, this is a fascinating place. We´re constantly surprised at the bird life this area offers. On our recent trips, the forested hills and river valleys have given us excellent views of some favourites such as Dipper, Golden Oriole, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Melodious Warbler, Bee Eater, Red Rumped Swallow and Woodchat Shrike. We then usually move slightly higher into the forested highlands, often in excess of 700m above sea level. This is where we see some fabulous species including Firecrest, Crested Tit and Sub-alpine Warbler. As we climb even higher towards 900 metres above sea level, we find some spectacular mountain scenery – rock pinnacles, buttresses and huge cliff walls. These hold some specialist mountain bird species, some of which are not often associated with this…

Ladies´ Birding Group Trip to the Mountains of Valencia

On 11th May, I returned to the mountains, this time with a Ladies´Bird Watching Group. After the morning coffee stop we set out into a beautiful mountain gorge. The weather was hot and sunny but once in the gorge we soon found a shady spot from which to rest and watch the bird life. Griffon Vultures were around in good numbers, soaring effortlessly on the thermals. Some were resting on the cliffs which provided great opportunities to appreciate the sheer size of these magnificent creatures. We made steady progress up into the gorge before finding another comfortable stopping point from where we watched Raven, Chough, Crag Martin and eventually one of the target species, the Blue Rock Thrush. Serin were constantly singing, Goldfinch were flitting around and Swifts were swooping and soaring overhead. After lunch we drove down the mountain to a lake and reedbed. We had great views of a Great Crested Grebe feeding its young (with a frog!) and also saw Little Grebe, Corn Bunting, Stonechat and Reed Warbler. The species list included… Griffon Vulture, Chough, Raven, Blue Rock Thrush, Crag Martin, Serin, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Kestrel, Swift, Little…

An October Morning in the Mountains.

This year, October is proving to be a summer month! Each day has peaked at around 30 degrees so far. With that in mind, I ventured into one of my favourite mountain valleys in the province of Alicante to spend a couple of hours in the shade and to see what was around. The summer theme continued as the first bird that I saw upon leaving the car was a male Whinchat perched in a nearby bush. There were still quite a few Swallows passing by too. As I made my way into the gorge, I enjoyed close views of Black Redstart, Sardinian Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Coal Tits. As I sat in the shade, the silence of the gorge was wonderful – only interrupted by the occasional call of a Wren. I decided to take the easy way out and to sit and wait for the birds to come to me! Within 10 minutes I was fortunate to watch closely as up to 7 Black Wheatears worked their way down the cliffs, the flash of white tail feathers betraying their presence. I also spotted a Short Toed…