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Autumn 2019 Newsletter.

Reflection. Following the summer holiday period, Autumn is always a time of reflection, thinking back over the year so far whilst at the same time looking ahead at what remains, particularly with migration in mind. We still have a few late summer visitors here, but in general the autumn migration is well underway. This week has seen huge mixed flocks of Swifts, Martins and Swallows passing through the region but what has been more noticeable has been the sheer numbers of Bee Eaters on the move this week and last. Waders are currently the big draw though, especially at our numerous coastal wetland sites. Recent sightings have included Terek Sandpiper. Looking back at the Spring of this year, we are delighted to say that Valencia Birding enjoyed its best ever period (in terms of number of clients) since we began back in 2011. In challenging times such as these, it´s fabulous to see such positive trends and we´re exceptionally grateful to all whose support has helped us to make this possible. The “star” species are too numerous to comprehensively list here but they have to include the returning Elegant Terns,…

Spring birding at the wetlands with clients from Canada.

The month of April continued to be very busy, with high demand for trips to the wetlands. The Valencia region boasts a vast network of coastal wetland sites which not only serve as breeding grounds but are located right on a major migration flyway so in Spring and Autumn can make for some very interesting trips. Today I was delighted to provide such a trip – spring birding at the wetlands with clients from Canada. Blair and Anne had originally booked this trip but a little later Anne´s brother and his wife arranged to join them in Valencia so elected to come along too. The group was not only very friendly and a delight to be with, but collectively held a great deal of birding experience. After a morning coffee during which we discussed the key target species of the day, we headed out along the beach. A Marsh Harrier was quartering the reed beds and a pair of Red Crested Pochards were on the first lagoon. The sky was full of Barn Swallows, Swifts, House Martins and Sand Martins. We were soon enjoying quality views of White Headed Duck,…

Bird Photography in Early Spring.

Thanks to the continuing support of our client base, this Spring has been an exceptionally busy time for us here at Valencia Birding. Therefore, there are still many trip reports to write which I´m sure will bring back some very happy memories for Yanina and I. However, here´s a brief report on a multi-day trip that we provided for a returning client who wanted to enjoy some bird photography in early Spring. Stephen has been on many trips with us so knows the area well. This time he wanted a combination of field and hide photography. The highlights of the trip included a long day of field photography in the Alicante area. Here, he was most interested in species including White Headed Duck, Red Knobbed Coot, Marbled Teal and Purple Swamphen. It was a long day but very worthwhile. Despite rain during the journey from Valencia, by the time we arrived in the south of our region, the weather had dried up and we were able to get some great photos. We started the day by getting shots of Purple Swamphen before moving to Red Knobbed Coot and Marbled Teal….