Last Saturday I had the pleasure of providing a trip for a couple from Orkney who, together with their family, wanted a day of guided birding as a way of celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary! What a privilege for me to be part of such a special day, and how wonderful that they opted for a birding trip as a means of celebrating it! They were staying at a hotel by the coast in Denia on the Costa Blanca, and as they were a group of five people, I had the help of my good friend Bea, who is not only a knowledgable birder, but has also worked extensively in bird conservation programs. We headed south to the wetlands of Alicante, stopping first at a spot where we hoped to see Marbled Teal. We sat together in a large hide, overlooking a small lagoon. Our first birds were a trio of grebes – Little, Great Crested and Black-necked. Crag Martins were feeding on the wing in good numbers, and we spotted a few Barn Swallows in amongst them too. Then, a small flock of much larger birds in flight caught our eye – Stone Curlews! We waited for another twenty minutes or so, and were rewarded with great views of Marbled Teal. The reserve where we were has been heavily involved in the protection of this species, so to see so many was a great sign.
Although sunny, the wind was a little chilly, so we opted to stop for a morning coffee before heading to our next birding spot. Enjoying the coffee and chatting in the sun for half an hour recharged our batteries and we soon headed south to visit an area of salt-pans. Once there, we scanned across the water, which held Greater Flamingo, and a huge flock of Great Crested Grebe. A few Sandwich Terns passed by, as did a small flock of Little Stint. Other shorebirds included Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper and a Turnstone that stopped right in front of us for a while. As well as the usual Yellow-legged Gulls, we had great views of Slender-billed Gull both in flight and on the water.
Turnstone
Happy with our sightings so far, we made a short journey to another reserve where we had lunch in the midday sunshine, listening to Cetti´s Warbler and Sardinian Warbler, both calling from the surrounding scrub. We then began our walk into the wetlands where we had fabulous views of Glossy Ibis, Black-winged Stilt, Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit, and Purple Swamphen.
Purple Swamphen
Almost as if on cue for a special anniversary moment, a pair of Booted Eagles suddenly flew into view and circled above us, allowing all of the group to enjoy great views in stunning autumn light.
Booted Eagle
After a short walk, we spent some time in a hide, where after waiting patiently for a while, we had views of Red-knobbed Coot. Barn Swallows were still passing through, and a male Stonechat also put in an appearance. We headed to another hide which overlooked a large lagoon, and on the way we saw a Green Sandpiper. The lagoon held good numbers of Shoveler and Coot and thanks to Bea’s spotting skills, we also had views of White-headed Duck.
Red-knobbed Coot with Common Coot
Our walk back to the car gave more views of Red-knobbed Coot, many more Purple Swamphens (including one with two chicks) as well as Meadow Pipit, Jackdaw, Snipe, Tree Sparrow and Spotless Starling. Happy with the day, its birds and some fabulous wetland scenery, we packed away the gear and made the comfortable trip back to Denia. It had been a special day indeed, with a great mix of birds, humanity and humour, all within a very relaxed environment. The fact that a couple in their eighties had chosen to celebrate their 60th anniversary by birding made it even more special.
Snipe
The species list for the day included…
Common Coot, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Little Egret, Crag Martin, Grey Heron, Stone Curlew, Moorhen, Black Necked Grebe, Goldfinch, House Sparrow, Marbled Teal, Shoveler, Common Pochard, Barn Swallow, Robin (h), Blackbird, Cetti’s Warbler, Yellow Legged Gull, Slender Billed Gull, Sandwich , Tern, Common Sandpiper, Turnstone, Ringed Plover, Little Stint, Greater Flamingo, Cormorant, Cattle Egret, Black Winged Stilt, Redshank, Black Tailed Godwit, Purple Swamphen, Booted Eagle, White Wagtail, Stonechat, Green Sandpiper, Red Knobbed Coot, Spotless Starling, Common Sandpiper, Meadow Pipit, Jackdaw, Tree Sparrow, Snipe, Collared Dove, Wood Pigeon.
Written by Dave Warrington.
Owner and Birding Guide at Valencia Birding.