Bird watching Albufera de Valencia - Page 22 of 24 - Valencia Birding

World Wetlands Day

On Sunday 2nd February we celebrated World Wetlands Day at the nature reserve Tancat de la Pipa in the Albufera Natural Park in Valencia. The day was arranged by the two charitable custodians of the reserve, SEO Birdlife (Sociedad Española de Ornitología) and the conservation group Acció Ecologista Agró. This superb nature reserve is home to some classic wetland bird species and provides habitat for a diverse and critically important eco-system. Guided walks around the reserve provided a great opportunity for people to gain an understanding of how this reserve benefits the local environment and sustains its wildlife. Children were treated to a presentation on bird ringing, and a talk on the migration patterns of the Chiffchaff, a small warbler that over-winters in Albufera before making the long journey back to Northern and Eastern Europe in time for the breeding season. It was a pleasure to see so many local young people and children becoming involved in the event, showing an interest in conservation and learning of wildlife that lives in this wonderful nature reserve. Written by David Warrington. Bird Watching Guide at Valencia Birding.

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…

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…

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…

Wildlife Photography for Beginners

In conjunction with naturalist and Albufera boatman “El Torrenti” and professional photographer Mabel Jover, we are delighted to launch a one-day wildlife photography course at Albufera de Valencia. By combining our diverse areas of expertise, this course will provide the opportunity to visit some of the lesser known areas of Albufera de Valencia, learn the correct photographic techniques for capturing images of its birdlife and landscape, and to learn much more about the bird species that this beautiful Natural Park provides home to. For further specific details please contact us by email NatureTrailSpain@gmail.com or telephone +34633117310

Bird Watching in Valencia Province

Last week, I had the pleasure of a arranging a day trip for a group of 5 experienced birders from Newcastle, UK. They had spent some time touring around the provinces of Alicante and Valencia and after visiting various birding sites had managed to see 97 species. They had opted to finish their holiday with a guided birding trip with us, and one of the group had made the claim that if their species list reached 100, then he would mark the occasion with a bottle of champagne! We made the journey up through the city of Valencia to the coastal wetlands and began our walk from there. The day started well with good views of Moustached Warbler and Little Bittern. The first sizeable lagoon held Red Crested Pochard, White Headed Duck and Great Crested Grebe. The surrounding reed beds gave views of Great Reed Warbler, Fan Tailed Warbler and Reed Warbler. We also enjoyed great views of Glossy Ibis, Turtle Dove and Audouin´s Gull. Terns were very busy making continual fishing trips to feed their young. We were fortunate enough to see Common Tern, Sandwich Tern, Little Tern and…