“Bluethroat!” Followed closely by… “Squacco Heron!” “Barn Swallow!” “Teal!” All birds that one could expect to see at different times of year here in Valencia, but the wonderful thing about birding during the autumn migration period is the fabulous overlap that occurs. This is exactly what I enjoyed this last week as I spent a morning at my local coastal wetland. After a long spell of hot weather, I was relieved to wake to a cloudy morning with no wind, so headed down to the coast to see what was around.
Bluethroat
As soon as I began my walk, I heard and then caught a glimpse of a Cetti´s Warbler. Whilst trying to get a better view of this illusive creature, I heard a few Common Reed Warblers calling to each other. As I watched and waited, I saw a group of nine of them, feeding in the reeds and working their way through the reserve. Common Reed Warbler is a summer visitor and breeds each year at this site, but during the morning I saw over thirty birds, all presumably on passage. All the time I was on site, there was a constant stream of Barn Swallows heading south, amongst them the occasional House Martin and Swift.
Common Reed Warbler
I stood very still, following signs of movement at the base of more reeds, and was delighted to see a Bluethroat. This wintering species is one of our earliest arrivals, the first ones usually been seen in August. It´s one of those special birds that I´m always thrilled to see return, and it´s always a very popular species with visiting clients.
Juvenile Night Heron
Looking across a lagoon, I found a juvenile Night Heron perched in a tree and then some movement in the water´s edge lead my eye to a Purple Swamphen. Zitting Cisticolas and a pair of Stonechats were flitting around in some low bushes and an Audouin´s Gull passed overhead.
I then spent a little time on a viewing platform, delighting in watching a Squacco Heron catching small fish. This is usually a summer visitor to the region, although a few birds stay for the winter each year. Over the following ten minutes, I saw six Kingfishers, a bird who´s numbers are boosted in winter here by individuals that move down to the region from northern Spain. I chatted for a while to a couple of Spanish girls who were studying biology at Valencia University and had recently started birding. It´s great to see the increasing number of young people who are taking up the hobby here in Spain. There were a few spots of rain in the air so I put the scope away, said goodbye and strolled up the pebble beach to a hide.
Here I met another young birder, a local guy in his twenties who was also a relative newcomer to birding. Together we spotted Avocet, Little Ringed Plover, Dunlin and a few White Headed Ducks. After half an hour he headed for home, but I remained for another hour in the hide, and had great views of more Bluethroat, Greater Flamingo, Common Sandpiper and Black Winged Stilt. I then turned my attention to wildfowl and saw Shoveler, Gadwall, Common Pochard, Red Crested Pochard and Teal. This was the first Teal I´d seen this season, they winter in the Valencia region in huge numbers, often providing food for the wintering Marsh Harriers!
Kingfisher
It was soon time to return home, so I headed back down the beach, fascinated by the continuing stream of Barn Swallows. Sandwich Terns and Common Terns were also passing by, flying low over the sea. As I got back to the car, I checked a small flock of Starlings, and found that they were actually Common Starlings, another winter visitor (rather than the resident Spotless Starling). The autumn migration period really is a fabulous time, not just for the range of species that one can see in a single day, but for the fascinating overlap of species, all on their own individual voyages. Let´s hope they make it safely to wherever they´re heading!
Written by Dave Warrington
Valencia Birding