The steppe area of our region is an ever-changing environment of rolling cereal fields, vineyards, arable land, lagoons and scrub. In the scorching heat of midsummer, almost all of the lagoons dry up, after the cereal harvest the land is ploughed bare, and in the winter, temperatures plummet to well below freezing. These dramatic changes mean that the bird life of this environment can also be very fluid, and one has to “learn” the area in order to get the most from it. As with anything, the required effort makes the prize yet more valuable and the steppe area seldom fails to reward. From our base in the interior of Alicante province, it’s a short and easy drive to get there, and last week I spent a day up there with my good friend Bea, carrying out a recce as I have bookings from clients in the coming weeks who want to visit this area.
Following the long, hot summer, the lagoons of the high steppe once again contain plenty of water
The morning began with the hills that surround home shrouded in a thick mist, but as the sun rose this soon burned off, giving way to a bright autumn day with no wind and clear skies. After a quick coffee in a farming village where we often stop, we drove across the plains to our first viewing point. A pair of Common Buzzards circled above us, Crested Larks called from the surrounding fields and mixed flocks of Spotless Starling and Common Starlings occupied the telegraph wires by the road. We then visited a collection of old farm buildings where we had great views of Rock Sparrow, Wheatear and Black Redstart. All the while, Barn Swallows were passing through, heading towards the south.
Rock Sparrow
We packed up the gear once more and drove off-road, exploring the vast plains in hope of seeing Great Bustard above all. A flock of birds flying low to our left caught our attention so we stopped to track them closely. Through the binoculars we immediately recognised them as Black-bellied Sandgrouse. They came to rest in a field where they remained for over ten minutes, allowing us time to set up the scopes and enjoy some great views.
A little further along the track, we were scanning an area of scrub when we came across a group of 13 Great Bustards. They were relatively close to the car, so our main objective was not to disturb them. We stayed in the car, watching them through binoculars until we were sure they were calm. Very slowly and quietly, we got out of the car and set up the scopes, all the while watching for signs of unease amongst the birds. They continued feeding and walking very slowly, showing no signs of disturbance. We stayed with them for around fifteen minutes, getting some of the best views that I’ve had in many years. The experience was even more special as this was Bea’s first sighting of this species in the wild (she’s previously handled them in captivity at a rescue centre) and the fact that we’d seen them without causing them any stress made us both very happy.
Great Bustards
As always, time was racing on much faster than we realised, so we headed off to a favourite lunch spot beside a lagoon yet sheltered by a stand of pines. This fabulous little place initially gave us views of Marsh Harrier and Red Kite. On the water we saw Little and Black-necked Grebe, Gadwall, Shelduck, Shoveler, Common Pochard, White-headed Duck and Greater Flamingo.
White Headed Duck
We spent well over an hour here, enjoying some great views in absolutely beautiful autumnal sunshine. We then opted to take one more drive across country, heading onto the high steppe stopping off at another couple of lagoons which held Avocet and Lapwing, both in good numbers. But perhaps the most magical moment of the late afternoon was when we both spotted a large raptor flying generally towards us at a height that looked to promise good views. We got out of the car as calmly as we could, and watched as this huge bird with out-stretched fingers circled above us, revealing itself to be a Golden Eagle! This creature always inspires awe, and we watched open-mouthed as it circled some more before tucking back its huge wings and going into a dive that took it behind the hills to our right. What a sight! What a moment!
The day had indeed been very special. The steppe requires effort and a little luck too, but today we’d been blessed with some incredible sightings which will live on in our memories for years to come. As the sun dipped towards the western hills, we drove back home where we lit a fire and ended the day already speaking of and looking forward to the next trip.
Written by Dave Warrington.
Owner & Bird Watching Guide at Valencia Birding.