Bird watching holidays Spain - Page 6 of 25 - Valencia Birding

Christmas Eve Birding in Alicante

What a better way to get Christmas underway than by birding with friends Jolien and Silvia in the wetlands of Alicante?! Just under an hour´s drive from our home in the mountains, the system of coastal wetlands is a birder´s paradise at any time of year, and today´s trip gave us some excellent sightings. After a quick morning coffee in a small village, we walked into the first reserve and scanned across a small lagoon. Shoveler and Teal were on the water in good numbers, and the shoreline held Snipe, Black-winged Stilt, Common Sandpiper, Glossy Ibis and Purple Swamphen. Crag Martins were feeding overhead and a Sardinian Warbler called from the bushes. A small flock (or “clattering”) of Jackdaws passed over, followed closely by a Booted Eagle. A Dutch birder asked what the raptor was, and then doubtfully asked if we knew the name in Dutch – Jolien was on hand to help thanks to her Flemish heritage! We then turned our attention to a group of Terns. Most of them were Whiskered Terns but closer attention revealed a White-winged Tern too. White-winged Tern with Whiskered Terns There then followed…

Two-day bird photography trip

At the end of last month, I had the pleasure of meeting Liu and Chung from Singapore who were travelling around Spain on a bird photography holiday. Prior to their departure, we´d had various email exchanges, after which they´d opted to include a few days in Valencia and specifically to do a two-day trip with me, one day in a photo-hide and the other day out in the field. Golden Eagle On Day 1, we had quite an early start as we had to drive to the mountains of the interior of Valencia to reach a photography hide designed to provide the opportunity to photograph the mighty Golden Eagle. Once inside the hide, we had to wait a few hours, but we remained hopeful. As we were waiting, we were treated to several visits by Dartford Warbler, Sardinian Warbler and Robin, all of which came very close to the hide, allowing for some great photo opportunities. More unexpectedly, after hearing her calling, a female Iberian Green Woodpecker came to perch in front of the hide too! Iberian Green Woodpecker Suddenly, a dark shape appeared low in the sky to the…

Sandgrouse, Bustards and Eagles – The steppe keeps on giving!

Last weekend I provided a trip for a couple of birders from Valencia. The trip was booked as a birthday present for Cristina by one of her friends, and after a few email exchanges, we opted to spend the day on the steppe. The weather on the day was perfect – very little wind, clear blue skies and no rain. The steppe area can be very cold in autumn and winter so comfortable, sunny days are a luxury! Having made the journey from Valencia, and enjoyed the obligatory morning coffee stop, we headed out across the fields in search of birds. Crested Larks were around in good numbers, and were Spotless Starlings. A Marsh Harrier was flying low over an area of reeds and the scrub held Stonechat, Goldfinch and Black Redstart. The first target bird was soon found – Rock Sparrow, a resident bird in this area. A pair of Buzzards circled overhead and a Hoopoe flew quickly past. Not a bad start to the day. Rock Sparrow As we drove off-road, heading across the vast cereal fields, we were on the look-out for Sandgrouse and Great Bustard. A…

A day at the wetlands of Alicante

The entire coast of the Valencia Region contains an extensive network of wetlands, which collectively make this area crucially important for migrating birds, especially as it’s located right on a major flyway. For those who choose to visit the southern reaches of the region, the area around Alicante is well worth a trip, as it too contains some excellent freshwater and saltwater wetland reserves. That’s not to mention the vast rural interior of the area, which comprises mountain, farmland, forest, desert and steppe! One of Alicante’s many wetland reserves. Last week I organised a day´s birding for John, choosing to focus on just one of the area’s wetlands, which is always a treat and usually throws up a few surprises too. We weren´t to be disappointed, as and usual the day passed so quickly that we were left with longings to return as soon as possible. But that’ll be another story before long… After a quick morning coffee, we drove slowly across an area of farmland to the reserve, enjoying good views of a Booted Eagle that was circling over the fields. A few Barn Swallows and House Martins were…

Osprey Re-introduction Project

Last week I was privileged to spend the evening with my good friend Itzy Colodro Sainz of Magic&Nature who is once again working tirelessly on a project to re-introduce Ospreys to the Valencia region. This project is supported by local government, specifically Conselleria de Medio Ambiente CV and is backed scientifically by Fundación Migres. At a local level, it is also supported by the Town Halls of Pego, Oliva, Denia and Jávea and is collaborated in by Magic&Nature, who also organise volunteer events, and Acció Ecologista Agró. I spent some time with her last year whilst she was working on the same project and was amazed at the time, dedication and attention that such a project demands, and full of admiration for the team who work on it. This year, the young Osprey, who is named Estell, has been hand reared as usual and has now been released. He remains around the base at the moment, constantly under the surveillance of Itzy and the team, to ensure that he’s safe. However, perhaps the most nerve-wracking time is still to come, and will happen very soon – when Estell decides that it’s time…

A stormy day at the Valencian Coastal Wetlands

Last week, just before moving to our home in the mountains for the coming months, I had the pleasure of providing another trip for Jeff and Dee. They had previously been on a trip to Albufera de Valencia with me and this time wanted to visit another of the area’s wetlands. The weather had been quite stormy during the week and the day of the trip was also a little unsettled, so based on the forecast, we opted to begin a little later than planned to allow the rain to pass through first. Having met in central Valencia, we were still at the wetlands by before 11am. We could see rain fronts away to the south but so far we were dry! On our previous trip, Jeff had been eager to see Audouin’s Gull, and by coincidence, this was the first bird that we saw today! We had great views of a pair, preening on the beach. Sandwich Tern, Common Tern and Whiskered Tern were all making feeding forays and Swifts and Barn Swallows were around in good numbers. Whiskered Tern The sky had begun to darken, so we opted…