Alicante is not widely known for its birding, but the truth is, it has some of Spain’s most important wetlands, as well as huge expanses of mountainous terrain, highland forests and even an area of steppe.
In the weeks prior to the summer break, during which time I turn my attention to the Osprey Reintroduction Project, working alongside Itziar (Fundacion Migres) and Ian Perks (Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation), I spent many days in Alicante with clients from both the UK and USA.
White Headed Duck
This region has a number of key species that are always very popular with visiting birders, White Headed Duck, Marbled Teal, Red Knobbed Coot to name a few. We managed to see all three on every trip this spring, which was even more special for those for whom it was a first sighting!
Purple Swamphen
The extensive reed beds provide habitat for Purple Swamphen, Great Reed Warbler, Little Bittern and much more. The shallow lagoons and their shores provide nesting grounds for Avocet, Collared Pratincole, Kentish Plover and Tern species including Common, Sandwich, Little, Whiskered and the occasional Elegant!
Great Reed Warbler
As many of the wetland sites of Alicante are very close to the sea, gulls also feature heavily. The most popular perhaps being Audouin’s, Slender Billed and Mediterranean. As this coastline is on a migration flyway, it’s always worth taking a close look for passing shorebirds, such as the beautifully coloured Curlew Sandpiper.
Curlew Sandpiper
Speaking of colour, no spring time trip to Alicante would be truly complete without enjoying views of Europe’s most strikingly colourful birds – the Bee Eater and the Roller. This year we were fortunate to enjoy regular sightings of both, usually in the farmland that is sandwiched between the coastal wetlands and the mountains. Such habitat also offers the chance to see Red-legged Partridge and Stone Curlew.
Roller
Stone Curlew
As the breeding season draws to a close, and the autumn migration gets underway, I’ll have many more trips to Alicante to look forward to. But for now, thanks once again to all those that have made this spring season the best one since Valencia Birding was established back in 2011!
Written by Dave Warrington.
Valencia Birding.