Birding in the mountains of Valencia

Day 3 of Charles´4-day birding trip to Valencia took us to the inland mountains of the province of Alicante.    Birding in the mountains of Valencia doesn´t usually yield an extremely long species list, but with a little effort it can provide views of some very special species that thrive in the rocky peaks of the region.

After the easy drive from the city, we stopped for a morning coffee in a small town, allowing sufficient time for the morning mist to clear from the peaks and valleys.  We were already at a height of 600 metres, and the mist cover had brought the temperatures down to around 6 degrees C.

However, the sun soon began to break through, allowing us to begin the short walk through a dramatic rocky gorge.  The first species that we spotted included one of the day´s targets – the Blue Rock Thrush.  Although the male is much brigher blue in the breeding season, even in it´s winter plumage it´s still a striking bird.

We then spent a little time trying to get good views of the often illusive Sardinian Warbler, but were suddenly interupted by the arrival of a pair of Black Wheatears, another one of the day´s objectives.  We enjoyed great views of these super creatures as they explored the high rocky walls of the gorge.

The sun had begun to warm the air by now, and the first Griffon Vultures had begun to take flight.  These truly magnificent creatures are huge, yet glide effortlessly and can cover great distances in their search for food.  We enjoyed some superb views of them both in flight as well as resting in the caves high on the mountain face.

As we made our way back down the gorge, we first of all hear the unmistakeable sound of a Raven, then with a little searching we found it perched high on a rock tower.

We arrived back at the car and enjoyed a quick lunch before making the short drive to the foot of one of the region´s highest peaks, stopping along the way to watch a Red Legged Partridge.  Our plan for the rest of the day was to hike up to the summit, where at 1400m above seal level, we were hoping to get good views of Alpine Accentor.

The first part of our walk took us through a steep pine forest, where we had views of Short Toed Treecreeper, Long Tailed Tit, Song Thrush and Mistle Thrush.

We emerged at the top of the forest at over 11oo metres and continued the walk up the mountain.  We were very fortunate to drop onto a sizeable flock of Ring Ouzel, feeding on berries in the surrounding bushes.  It was fabulous to see so many together, we estimated over 30 birds.

Inspired by this wonderful sight, we made the final push for the summit where we sat to admire the stunning views of the Valencian peaks.  Immediately, the Alpine Accentors appeared right before us.  In their natural (relatively) high altitude environment these hardy little mountain birds are happy to be close to humans and therefore make for some great photographic opportunities.  Like many birds, at a distance they appear to be fairly dull, but upon closer inspection, especially in good light conditions, they are beautifully marked.

After a half hour stay on the summit we opted to descend via the same route, hoping to see the Ring Ouzels again.  We were indeed forunate as they were still feeding in the same bushes, so once again we enjoyed some great views.

With the winter sun low in the sky we headed back to the car, ending the day with a coffee in the square of a nearby medieval village before making the return journey to Valencia.

We´d had to put in some physical effort today but the rewards had been fantastic.  The species list for the day included…

Raven, Magpie, Black Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Ring Ouzel, Black Redstart, Stonechat, Robin, Blackcap, Sardinian Warbler, Short Toed Treecreeper, Alpine Accentor, Long Tailed Tit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Serin, Crag Martin, Griffon Vulture, Kestrel, Buzzard, Red Legged Partridge.

 

Written by David Warrington.

Bird Watching Guide at Valencia Birding.