April 15th 2022
The busy month of April continued and on Good Friday I enjoyed a day in the mountains of Valencia with Frank from Ireland. He´s an experienced birder, as well as a pleasure to be with, so it was clear from the beginning that we were in for a good trip!
As Valencia Birding traditions usually persist, we had a brief coffee stop in a small farming village before we headed into the hills in search of birds. As soon as we got out of the car, the air was full of the sound of Serins singing from the surrounding pines. We scanned some nearby crags in search of Black Wheatear and quickly located a pair that were obviously busy nesting. Having managed to get some good views, we headed into the woods. Stonechats, Sardinian Warblers and Chaffinches were around in good numbers, and then we were delighted to suddenly hear the unique song of Nightingale. A little patient searching gave us nice views of it too.
Stonechat (male)
As we approached a river, a Kingfisher darted downstream, and a small group of Long Tailed Tits passed by too. A pair of Ravens passed overhead and we soon had our first views of Griffon Vultures in flight.
After a short walk, we returned to the car and drove up into the higher mountains in search of raptors. Having chosen a favourite vantage point, giving good views without the risk of disturbing any birds, we began by watching more Griffon Vultures, both on high ledges and in flight. Frank soon spotted a Peregrine Falcon which we were able to see in flight as well as perched.
Griffon Vulture
The weather was beautiful, so we were more than happy to spend some time at this point, watching and waiting. After a short while, a Short Toed Eagle glided into view, circling over the valley and “hovering” in characteristic fashion above us. This spectacular raptor breeds in the region so we’d been hoping to get some good views, which we certainly did.
Short Toed Eagle
Speaking of hope, one of the day’s target species for Frank was Egyptian Vulture, which so far, we hadn’t seen. Then suddenly, one appeared, gliding in front of the cliffs, its black and white plumage striking in the sunlight. It was very soon followed by its mate, both of them providing excellent views! More than happy with the sightings at this spot, we were thinking about leaving when a Crested Tit paid us a visit, soon followed by a Blue Rock Thrush.
Egyptian Vulture (perched)
Eventually, we left, driving across highland pasture and farmland, which usually holds some interesting birds. Today it provided views of Woodchat Shrike and Linnet. Bee Eaters are expected at any time but so far haven’t arrived. The wet weather in March seems to have delayed many summer visitors.
Linnet
We moved on to a peak where we usually see Alpine Accentors in the winter, and although I’d seen some there in late March, I had to admit to Frank that I expected that they would have left for their breeding grounds by now. How wrong I was! As we casually looked out across the high crags, a little bird came into view and that’s exactly what it was! Another lifer for Frank which was fabulous, especially as it was quite unexpected. It posed beautifully for us, sadly with the sun behind it, which limited photographic opportunity, but we managed to get some fabulous views.
Alpine Accentor
Spurred on by the positivity of the day so far, and the quality views that we’d managed to enjoy, we made one last stop, in the hope of seeing Bonelli’s Eagle. Our initial attempts at scanning the surrounding cliffs turned up nothing, except for a few Crag Martins. Then suddenly, a raptor appeared from over the skyline. At first it was a little distant, but we got it in the scope, and soon confimed it was a Bonelli’s Eagle. It was soon joined by its mate, and they began to fly together, coming closer all the while. We were able to enjoy some excellent views of them both in flight for at least five minutes, before they eventually disappeared once more. What a wonderful way to end the day!
After barely an hour’s drive back to Valencia, we’d soon replaced the stunning mountain scenery with crowds of people watching the Easter parades and festivities! It’s that kind of diversity that makes this region so special, and today I’d been fortunate enough to share it with such an interesting guy. Many thanks to Frank for a great day.
Our species list for the day included…
Serin, House Martin, Black Wheatear, Stonechat, Blackbird, Nightingale, Sardinian Warbler, Kestrel, Kingfisher, Chaffinch, Long Tailed Tit, Raven, Griffon Vulture, Chough, Peregrine Falcon, Short Toed Eagle, Blue Rock Thrush, Egyptian Vulture, Crested Tit, Booted Eagle, Woodchat Shrike, Linnet, Alpine Accentor, Bonelli’s Eagle.
Written by Dave Warrington.