Birding at Albufera de Valencia

On Wednesday 20th November, we arranged a trip to Albufera de Valencia for a group of local birders.  The day began with morning coffee at a bar beside one of Albufera´s traditional fishing ports.  We then visited one of the park´s prime nature reserves where we spent the morning enjoying the superb bird life that this reserve supports.   Despite a windy morning, we had good views of Black Winged Stilt, Snipe, Marsh Harrier, Great Egret and dozens of wintering Chiff Chaffs.  The highlight of the walk through the reserve was a stunning view of a Booted Eagle that passed overhead then came to land on the ground right in front of us. We then enjoyed a fascinating presentation on the history, ecology and various conservation projects of the reserve together with a visual display on how the reserve benefits the local environment and its wildlife.  We were especially fortunate to observe some bird ringing that was being done by the Sociedad Española de Ornitología.  A special treat was being able to see a Kingfisher at such close range, and for one of the group to be able to release…

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Wildlife & Landscape Photography at Albufera de Valencia

On Saturday 19th October we held the first of our Wildlife & Landscape Photography Courses at Albufera de Valencia. Valencia Birding, Mabel Jover and Vicente “El Torrenti” teamed up to provide an intensive day of practical and theory sessions in and around the Natural Park of Albufera de Valencia. Special thanks must go to the superb nature reserve Tancat de la Pipa for providing a great venue for the morning´s theory and practical sessions. The day started with morning coffee at the traditional Albufera fishing port at Catarroja where everyone had the chance to meet each other and to discuss the general plan for the day. After a brief drive to Tancat de la Pipa, we began the course with a theory session that was based upon : – Camera Settings. – Exposure. – Shutter Speeds. – Techniques for landscape images. – Techniques for bird photography, and how to capture images of them both still and in flight. There then followed a practical session within the nature reserve before we headed out across the partially flooded rice fields to capture shots of Cattle Egrets, Little Egrets and Herons…all classic species…

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Two Great Days of Autumn Birding in Eastern Spain

Have just returned from two days of superb birding with a groups of great clients from UK.  Day 1 saw us at the Valencian Coastal Wetlands whilst Day 2 was spent on the Steppe & Lagoons of Castilla de La Mancha. We had some magnificent views of some of the classic species that these venues offer. Here are the species lists for the two days… (photos courtesy of P. Gudgeon). Valencian Coastal Wetlands Little Egret, Yellow Legged Gull, Common Sandpiper, Coot, Swallow, White Headed Duck, Mallard, Moorhen, Black Winged Stilt, Little Grebe, Black Redstart, Iberian Grey Shrike, Little Ringed Plover, Black Necked Grebe, Stonechat, Kestrel, Goldfinch, Grey Heron, Purple Swamphen, Greater Flamingo, Magpie, White Wagtail, Kingfisher, Snipe, Green Sandpiper Steppe & Lagoons Great Bustard, Kestrel, Crow, Coot, Black Winged Stilt, Lapwing, Greater Flamingo, House Sparrow, Pochard, Mallard, White Headed Duck, Black Necked Grebe, Spotless Starling, Marsh Harrier, Calandra Lark, Hoopoe, Moorhen, Golden Eagle, Crested Lark, Black Bellied Sandgrouse, Pintailed Sandgrouse, Wheatear, Little Ringed Plover, Ruff, White Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail   Written by David Warrington. Bird Watching Guide at Valencia Birding

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Special Offer Packages – Birding & Leisure Breaks in Valencia.

Last week, we had the pleasure of providing a bespoke birding package for a great couple from UK.  They had opted to take advantage of our 1 week accommodation package that includes 3 full days of guided bird watching and half-board accommodation at Villa Florencia. Day 1 Having arrived on the Saturday evening and enjoyed a leisurely dinner at Villa Florencia, we opted for a fairly early start on the Sunday to visit the Steppe & Lagoons of Castilla de la Mancha.  After a pleasant drive to this very special area, our first sighting of the day was indeed of one of the key target species, the Great Bustard.  As we enjoyed some great views of these huge birds strolling across the steppe in beautiful morning sunlight we were also fortunate enough to see a small flock of Calandra Larks, another classic bird of this area. The first lagoon gave views of Gadwall, Greater Flamingo, and Ruff.  A few Lapwings were also feeding close by.  We then moved onto another lagoon where we spent the rest of the morning.  As we relaxed by the water´s edge, we had good views…

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Bespoke Birding Trips in Spain

Last week we provided a bespoke birding mini-break from a couple from UK.  We´d previously discussed their specific requirements and had designed a trip based on their wishes.  The trip comprised two days of guided birding, the first day was our Mountain Bird Life Trip and the second was a day on the Steppe & Lagoons of Castilla de la Mancha.  Overnight accommodation was provided at the guest house Villa Florencia in Marxuquera, close to Gandia. After a drive up into the mountains of Alicante Province we began the first day with a short but spectacular walk into a deep limestone gorge.  Almost immediately we enjoyed views of the mighty Griffon Vulture. A distinctive call from high on the crags caught our attention and we soon spotted a pair of Ravens.  Further scanning of the cliffs revealed Crag Martin, Blue Rock Thrush, Black Wheatear and Rock Bunting.  Another highlight of the morning was Peregrine Falcon. After a picnic lunch we made our way to the hotel, stopping by at a local wetland where we saw Grey Heron, Little Bittern and Booted Eagle.  To add further interest to the journey we drove back…

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