A few day ago I was delighted to provide a wonderful 2 day birding break from Valencia for three ladies from the USA. Fi had contacted us requesting 2 day trips, one to Albufera Natural Park and another one to the steppe for her and two more friends Lili and Elise.
The first day of the trip had arrived and I went to collect them from their hotel in Valencia city. To my surprise, Elise was 93 years old, unbelievably fit and with a amazingly bright mind! She has been birding all over the world and as well as Lili and Fi, she wanted to enjoy the birdlife of Valencia.
The plan was to spent a relaxing birding day in this important wetland area, so first we drove through the northern rice paddies where we spotted hundreds of Glossy Ibis, Gulls and Spotless Starlings.
Before the next stop we had a coffee break, where Elise had the brilliant idea of taking a boat ride on the Albufera Lake. Indeed it was, because we got really close to thousands of Red-Crested Pochards as well as many Marsh Harriers.
Red Crested Pochard
After a break for a traditional lunch of Valencian Paella in the village of El Palmar, we headed to a reserve area to look for one of the targets of the day….Purple Swamphen. We not only enjoyed great views of this stunning bird but also of a Purple Heron, one of the latest birds ever seen in this area.
The day came to an end but we were looking forward to the next trip to the steppe.
The species list of the day included…
Common Shelduck, Northern Shoveler, Mallard, Eurasian Teal, Red-crested Pochard, Common Pochard, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Western Swamphen, Black-winged Stilt, Northern Lapwing, Ruff, Common Snipe, Common Greenshank, Black-headed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Sandwich Tern, Great Cormorant, Greater Flamingo, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Great White Egret, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Glossy Ibis, Osprey, Booted Eagle, Western Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard, Common Kingfisher, Common Kestrel, Common Magpie, Great Tit, Eurasian Penduline Tit, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Eurasian Blackcap, Sardinian Warbler, European Robin, Black Redstart, European Stonechat, Common Starling, Spotless Starling, White Wagtail (alba), Meadow Pipit, European Serin, House Sparrow, Eurasian Tree Sparrow.
For the birding trip to the steppe we had decided to start earlier, and after a couple of hour´s drive, we were searching for Great Bustards.
At the first stop, beside an irrigation pond which is usually a good place for passerines we had good views of Rock Sparrow, Linnet, Goldfinch, Greenfinch and more, also three Green Sandpipers and a Water Rail showed well.
We continued driving for few minutes on our search for the Great Bustards. We finally spotted Black-bellied Sandgrouse and a Little Owl in the distance, and not far from there we enjoyed good views of Great Bustards!! Mission accomplished!
Great Bustard
After the excitement of the views, we stopped in a village bar to get sandwiches to take for lunch at our next stop.
Lunch was planned to be taken beside a lagoon, after which we decided to look for White-headed Ducks…although this proved impossible because a juvenile Golden Eagle landed just a few metres from us! Having enjoyed some extraorinary views, a Common Buzzard and two Marsh Harriers began to chase it, the display was amazing and lunch had to wait.
Golden Eagle
However, we still had time to see White-headed Ducks as well as Flamingos and Black-necked Grebes.
White Headed Duck
I´d had two intensive and fantastic birding days with Fi, Lili and Elise, I felt honoured to be guiding such experienced birders, especially so as Elise is an unbelievable and beautiful person.
The species list for the day included…
Common Shelduck, Northern Shoveler, Mallard, Eurasian Teal, White-headed Duck, Greater Flamingo, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Collared Dove, Great Bustard, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Water Rail, Eurasian Coot, Green Sandpiper, Black-headed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Golden Eagle, Western Marsh Harrier, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Little Owl, Eurasian Hoopoe, Common Kestrel, Iberian Grey Shrike, Common Magpie, Carrion Crow, Crested Lark, Calandra Lark, Cetti’s Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, European Stonechat, Spotless Starling, Common Chaffinch, European Greenfinch, Common Linnet, European Goldfinch, Corn Bunting, House Sparrow, Rock Sparrow.