Much of the second half of June and the month of July was largely devoted to the Osprey reintroduction project that Valencia Birding supports, more of which I’ll report on soon. As has been the case across much of Europe, Spain has been hit with some pretty severe heatwaves, so conditions have not been ideal for birding! However, as we approach mid August, the peak temperatures have begun to drop a little. Although we’re still very much in “summer mode”, the month of August represents in large part the beginning of “autumn” or post-nuptual migration for many birds. Therefore, it’s well worth the effort to get out the sunscreen, put on a cap, grab some water and head out into the coastal wetlands to see what’s on the move.
The extensive rice fields of Albufera de Valencia, with the mountains of La Valldigna in the background
That’s exactly what we’ve done in the past week with clients from both the UK and the USA, taking in trips to Albufera de Valencia and the wetlands of Alicante. The trips to Albufera were for a father and his 14 year old son who was excited to see Flamingo, and for a very well travelled couple from Lancashire. Both trips were really interesting as they gave us the opportunity to see a number of Terns in immature plumage, including Whiskered, Gull-Billed and Common. The rice fields were still vivid green and are yet to turn golden prior to the autumn harvest, but held huge numbers of Squacco Heron, Glossy Ibis and Black Winged Stilt.
Squacco Heron
When we visited some shallow lagoons, looking for waders, we were rewarded with views of Kentish Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Redshank, Spotted Redshank, Ruff, Collared Pratincole and Black Tailed Godwit. Late summer is a fascinating time to watch waders here as it’s possible to see a great array of plumage stages, including intermediate phases.
Little Ringed Plover
Our trip to the wetlands of Alicante with clients from the USA was a great day, as they had a few key species that they were eager to see, namely Squacco Heron, Red-Knobbed Coot, White Headed Duck and Roller. Fortunately, we managed to get quality views of them all.
Red Knobbed Coot
Other species of particular interest were Spanish Sparrow, Ferruginous Duck, Bee Eater and Little Bittern.
Little Bittern
As always, the return to guiding after a few weeks off felt great, and it has been a pleasure to do so with such lovely people. I look forward to more trips throughout the autumn, which is already shaping up to be a busy time.
Written by Dave Warrington.
Valencia Birding.