Bird Watching in Spain - Page 11 of 46 - Valencia Birding

An autumn day at Albufera.

I´d been looking forward to welcoming back Stephen and Pennie since they´d booked yet another return trip to Valencia earlier this year. We´d previously enjoyed many happy days together so it was great to see them here again. Both keen birders, Stephen is also an experienced field photographer, and is very well travelled in pursuit of his hobby. We decided upon a return to Albufera de Valencia as this ever changing environment can differ greatly from month to month, plus Purple Swamphen was a key target bird for them both. We began at a small protected reserve area where we had views of Sardinian Warbler, Chiffchaff and Zitting Cisticola in the reeds. The lagoon held good numbers of Black Winged Stilts that were in a mixed flock with wintering Black Tailed Godwits. The highlight of this stop was the regular views of Booted Eagle and Marsh Harrier in flight, providing Stephen with the chance to get some fabulous shots. We also saw Dunlin, Ruff, Common Buzzard and Greater Flamingo. We fitted in a brief coffee break during which I was pleased to be shown some great photos from Stephen and…

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,…

A late summer´s day at the wetlands of Alicante.

As I tend to spend the hottest months of the year in the rural interior to the south of our region, we often provide trips towards the end of the summer to the extensive wetland systems of Alicante. In early September I was delighted to provide such a trip for Mark from UK. We met at the British Bird Fair in August and quickly arranged a date during Mark´s stay in our area. Recently retired from the RSPB, Mark is an experienced and knlowedgeable birder and a pleasure to be with. We met close to Alicante airport and made the short onward journey to the local salt marshes. Our first stop gave views of Greater Flamingo, Purple Swamphen and Squacco Heron. The reeds held Common Reed Warbler and a Kingfisher. We moved a little further into the marshes where we saw a couple of Turnstones, Gull-billed Tern, Little Tern, Slender-billed Gull, Audouin´s Gull and amongst the Common Swifts feeding overhead we were able to pick out a few Pallid Swifts. We then took a short drive across farmland towards the main reserve area of the day. This proved to be…

A fabulous Spring day at the Valencian Coastal Wetlands.

Back in May I enjoyed a super day with a wonderful client from Austria. Gudrun, who was visiting friends in Valencia, had previously met Yanina at a bird fair and had contacted us to arrange a trip. After collecting her from the historic quarter of Valencia, we drove to one of the region´s coastal wetlands. As we began our walk, we watched both Common and Great Reed Warbler and heard the familiar song of Cetti´s Warbler. On the first lagoon that we visited we saw White Headed Duck, a species that I was keen for Gudrun to see, and in a nearby tree we saw Turtle Dove, which stayed for a while giving us nice views. A pair of Marsh Harriers were flying low over the reeds, and we were then delighted to see a Moustached Warbler. A small flock of Glossy Ibis flew over and on a small island in the lagoon we watched Little Ringed Plover. A Little Bittern made several passes to and from a small island of reeds. Our walk continued along the beach, where we had great views of Audouin´s Gull. A little patience was…

A day at the wetlands with clients from the USA.

Back in early May I spent a delightful day with a fabulous couple from the USA. David and Dale were on a European cruise, and had planned to go birding in some of the places where they were stopping off at. One such place was Valencia. I collected them from the cruise terminal at the port, and then we made the short journey to the coastal wetlands. We began with a quick coffee stop where we discussed some of the target species that I wanted them to see. These included White Headed Duck, Collared Pratincole and Audouin´s Gull, all of which have established breeding grounds here in Valencia. Our strategy was to go for quality views of some key species rather than go for a super-long list. Our walk along the coast took us past a couple of lagoons where we enjoyed great views of White Headed Duck. Since this trip, I´m delighted to say that many pairs have successfully bred at this site. As we continued our walk, we saw plenty of Audouin´s Gulls flying over the beach. Marsh Harriers were hunting at the back of the reserve and…

3 day Spring birding break.

In late April I was delighted to welcome back Justin from Sheffield. We did a trip last summer whilst he was on holiday with his family and had discussed the possibilities for a return visit. This time he travelled alone on a short break that we´d designed together, his trip being timed to enjoy the Spring migration. Day 1 Easter this year was a complete wash-out on much of the Mediterranean coast, and in the Valencia region it was the wettest in 74 years! The first day of Justin´s trip was timed to perfection as it was the first dry day after 5 days of torrential rain. We were hoping to see plenty of birds on the move, and indeed we did. It was as if the migration “plug” had suddenly being pulled and the flow of birds was spectacular. We spent the first day at one of the region´s wetlands, which itself is on a flyway. The skies were full of House Martins, Barn Swallows and Swifts heading north. The first lagoon gave great views of White Headed Duck, Red Crested Pochard, Whiskered Tern, Great Reed Warbler and Zitting…