I’ve spent the past two days out in the field with clients, both at the wetland site of Albufera de Valencia. I was honoured to spend these days with two lovely couples, from Sweden and the UK respectively.
Flooded rice fields and big, blue skies provide typical Albufera winter scenes
Greater Flamingos
At this time of year, the majority of the rice fields are flooded, and many of them contain huge gatherings of Glossy Ibis, Cattle Egrets, Little Egrets, Lapwings and mixed flocks of gulls, namely Lesser Black Backed, Black Headed and Yellow Legged. Perhaps the most striking of these spectacles however, are the Flamingos which gather in their thousands!
Marsh Harrier
We also enjoyed great views of some of the area’s wintering species, including Water Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Bluethroat, Crag Martin and Marsh Harrier. The latter is present in small numbers throughout the breeding season too, but the population rockets in winter, when central and northern European birds move south to spend the cooler months here.
Slender Billed Gull
A stroll along the beach gave us views of Crested Lark, Stonechat, Sardinian Warbler and Black Redstart in the scrub on the dunes, and a Slender Billed Gull on the sea.
Wildfowl included Teal, Red Crested Pochard, Shelduck, Gadwall, and of course Mallard! Other aquatic species seen were Great Crested, Little and Black Necked Grebes, Purple Swamphen and shorebirds including Common and Green Sandpiper, Dunlin and Kentish Plover.
Audouin’s Gull
Other “favourites” of the past two days, perhaps especially as the guests were from Northern Europe, were Audouin’s Gull, Booted Eagle, Great Egret, Zitting Cisticola and Serin. But the ever-popular Kingfisher also provided moments of joy!
Kingfisher
Sharing special birding moments with like-minded nature lovers is always a valueable experience, and this week has provided many. As the first month of the new year draws to a close, thoughts are already turning to early migrants arriving. Great Spotted Cuckoo has recently been seen in the region. It’s with much anticipation and eagerness that I look forward to the year ahead…
Written by Dave Warrington.
Valencia Birding.