Last week I had the pleasure to provide a guided birding trip to Albufera de Valencia for a couple of experienced bird watchers, Marco and Petra. They live in Italy and where keen to discover the bird life of our region, particularly during the autumn migration season.
After I collected them from their hotel in Valencia, we drove to a natural reserve to access to a restricted area from where we enjoyed great views of a Grey Plover, Kingfisher, Flamingos and Sub-alpine Warbler.
Next stop was in another special restricted area which has a system of “green filters” which work to improve the water quality of the reserve. Hundereds of waders and migrants were feeding in the fields. We had fantastic views of Temminck’s Stint, Caspian Tern, Wood Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper and many more.
Little Stint
We had a lovely lunch in a hide looking over one of the lagoons where we had great views of Whiskered Tern and Kingfisher.
The last stop was in some rice paddies where the rice hadn´t successfully grown. This happens each year at a few spots, and the result is always an oasis for waders! Whilst there we also watched a huge flock of over 2000 Sand martins who were gathering in readiness to migrate.
It was a spectacular birding day with some special species and a huge diversity. It was a pleasure to guide Marco and Petra and I look forward to seeing them here again soon.
Species List:
Marsh Harrier, Kestrel, Garganey, Mallard, Shoveller, Teal, Shelduck, Sandwich Tern, Caspian Tern, Whiskered Tern, Common Tern, Little Tern, Black-headed Gull, Black-backed Gull, Flamingo, Glossy Ibis, Little Bittern, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Squacco Heron, Great Egret, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Black-winged Stilt, Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Collared Pratincole, Lapwing, Avocet, Temminck’s Stint, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Kentish Plover, Little-ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Ruff, Grey Plover, Greenshank, Little Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Great-crested Grebe, Coot, Moorhen, Purple Swamphen, House Martin, Barn Swallow, Sand Martin, Red-legged Partridge, Hoopoe, Magpie, Blackbird, Wood Pigeon, Turtle Dove, Collared Dove, Bee Eater, Kingfisher, Serin, Goldfinch, Zitting Cisticola, Subalpine Warbler, Savi’s Warbler, Sardinean Warbler, House Sparrow, Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher, Spotless Starling.