Introduction
We´d like to begin this bulletin as usual by wishing everyone a very happy and safe New Year. We hope that 2015 was a good birding year for you all and that 2016 will bring even more pleasures.
Although the time has passed extremely quickly, it´s now a year since Yanina joined Valencia Birding, and together we´ve made huge progress. We´d like to briefly review what´s been a great year for us and to provide you with an update of our news and developments.
To help us to maximize the levels of service and experience that our clients enjoy, we´ve made some additional investments this year. This includes a recent new vehicle, as well as some upgrades to binoculars and cameras.
As always, in 2015 we had the pleasure of meeting some great clients from all over the World, and have enjoyed some superb birding trips together. We´ve also been especially privileged to welcome back many returning clients, some for their third return visit.
Trip Advisor
Our clients are absolutely central to all that we do, and whilst we´re on that subject, we´d like to extend a heart-felt thanks to all those who took the time to post reviews on Trip Advisor. Thanks to you, we´re delighted to report that at the time of writing, Valencia Birding has 50 5-Star reviews. We´re very grateful for this huge support.
New Birding Venues
As a result of our collaboration with both the Department of the Environment and the various conservation charities that manage some of our local nature reserves, we´ve been granted special access rights to the region´s highly protected reserves. This means that we can take our clients to areas that are closed to the public, and that often hold some superb bird life. This has helped us to enjoy some great sightings of fabulous species such as Caspian Tern, Elegant Tern, Pallid Harrier and Marbled Duck.
Single Day or Multi Day Trips
Our day trips have continued to be extremely popular, with clients who have opted to stay in the city of Valencia or the rural surroundings. We continue to offer complete flexibility and to focus completely on personal service. That´s why we´ve rigorously stuck to our philosophy of never mixing groups. Some clients choose to enjoy a single day trip whilst others opt for a multi-day option that takes in hugely different habitats and venues. Some clients are keen simply to discover the diverse bird life of the Valencia region whilst others come with a target species list in mind. Many clients choose to select their own accommodation whilst others prefer us to arrange everything in a single package – accommodation, birding trips and free days. Hopefully, it´s this flexibility and focus on service that helps us to provide what our clients look for and indeed deserve.
Twin Centre Birding Breaks
Whilst we are based in Valencia, an enchanting city surrounded by some of Spain´s best bird watching venues, we have recently considered how we might be able to diversify what we offer, especially for those looking for a multi-day birding break. With that in mind, we´ve recently introduced a twin-centre birding break. Essentially, such a package is available for those who are seeking to combine say a few nights in a rural, truly authentic Spanish setting with a few nights in the vibrant city of Valencia.
This option, encompassing 5 days of guided birding makes for the perfect holiday, maximizing both cultural interest and habitat diversity. This can work well for clients who choose to fly into either Valencia or Alicante airport. Such a trip can be designed to take in habitats that include coastal wetlands, high mountain peaks, steppe, forested mountains and of course the ever popular Albufera de Valencia. Please contact us to discuss the many available options.
Cranes
Highlight Species
It´s always extremely difficult to select the highlight birds of the year, as the truth is, they´re all very special in their own unique way. However, it´s always hugely pleasing to see some specific species that continue to breed successfully or reliably over-winter in Valencia. Some such birds included Montagu´s Harrier, Bonelli´s Eagle, Lesser Kestrel, White Headed Duck, Collared Pratincole, Great Bustard, Bittern and Audouin´s Gull, to name but a few. Worthy of mention are some unexpected species and rarities that we saw during 2015. These include Red-Knobbed Coot, Grey Phalarope, Citrine Wagtail and Spotted Eagle.
An Update on Project Mussols.
Yanina has been instrumental in the progress made with Project Mussols throughout 2015. This conservation project is aimed at protecting and monitoring nocturnal birds of prey in the Valencia region.
The work is diverse and includes hacking programmes for Barn Owls in farmland close to the city of Valencia, ringing of Little Owls and analyzing DNA to determinate the sex of the species by biometrics, nest box workshops for Scops Owls and Barn Owls, installation of nest boxes for these species as well as nesting baskets for Long-eared Owls.
A census of the population of Barn Owls close to Valencia was also carried out. All of this was done by a small volunteer group of 6 people.
Conclusion.
We´d like to bring this bulletin to an end by repeating our thanks to everyone who´s visited us and supported us throughout the year. Please do feel free to forward this to any friends and family members who may be interested to know of us. We look forward to introducing new clients to this very special corner of Spain, and to welcoming back returning clients and friends too. Please feel free to contact us without obligation, to discuss how we might design a tailor-made birding trip just for you.
With very best wishes for the new year,