bird watching trips Spain - Page 15 of 21 - Valencia Birding

Nature and Cultural Tourism in Valencia

Last week I had the pleasure of providing a trip for a group of local birders. We were joined by a guest from Canada who was spending some time in Valencia as a volunteer, working on various environmental and conservation projects. One of our key priorities is always to gear our trips to the wishes and needs of the client. As this was her first visit to our region of Spain, we modified the trip to provide a blend of nature and cultural tourism in Valencia. We began the day with a walk along the coast not far from the city of Valencia, and soon had our first views of Whiskered Tern and Little Tern. As we made our way through the reedbeds we enjoyed the song of Cetti´s Warbler, and had good views of Marsh Harrier, Great Reed Warbler, Fan-Tailed Warbler and Yellow Wagtail. We then visited one of the area´s most interesting centres, essentially a beautifully restored country house that was once run by monks from a local monestary. Although a monument in its own right, it also serves as a centre for environmental education and has…

Bird Watching in Valencia

I recently enjoyed a fabulous day with two wonderful clients from California, USA. They were visiting the city where they were performing in a music festival and had previously organised a day of guided bird watching in Valencia with me. Both very keen and experienced bird watchers and photographers, they were very eager to see some of the amazing species that our wetlands hold, especially during the breeding season. Having driven the short journey through the beautiful city of Valencia, we arrived at the reserve and began our walk. Almost immediately, we had views of a pair of Turtle Doves. As we began our walk along the dunes, we enjoyed views of Great Reed Warbler, Fan-Tailed Warbler and Little Grebe. Then one of the day´s target species appeared – the magnificent Bee Eater. Having enjoyed the amazing colours of this stunning creature, we continued our walk along the coast to a lagoon where we paused and watched nesting colonies of Common Tern, Little Tern, Whiskered Tern and the exceptionally pretty Collared Pratincole. We also added to our list Kentish Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Avocet, Purple Heron and Audouin´s Gull….

Bird watching from the city of Valencia

Last week, I spent a great day with a client from the Netherlands. He was attending a medical conference and had arranged a day of bird watching from the city of Valencia with us. The close proximity to the city of some of the regions best birding sites makes such a trip very easy. Having collected him from his hotel in Valencia, we made the short journey to the Valencian Coastal Wetlands. Our day began with a pair of Turtle Doves, even before we´d closed the van doors! A short walk to the first small lake gave us good views of Night Heron, Reed Warbler and Fan Tailed Warbler. We continued along the beach to the next coastal lagoon where we enjoyed views of Audouin´s Gull, Whiskered Tern, Little Tern and Glossy Ibis. The coastal scrub held Yellow Wagtail and Stonechat whilst all the while we saw Barn Swallow, Red Rumped Swallow, House Martin and Swift passing overhead. The next lagoon gave superb views of Collared Pratincole, Kentish Plover, Avocet and Purple Swamphen. We also watched a breeding colony of Little Tern and Whiskered Tern. Our walk continued through reedbeds…

Guided Bird Watching in Valencia

Last week, I had the pleasure of providing a day of guided bird watching in Valencia for a group of clients from Scotland. We made the brief journey through this beautiful Mediterranean city, stopping by the beach for a morning coffee before heading out onto the reserve. The day got off to a fabulous start with views Great Reed Warbler and Little Bittern. As we began our walk, we had great views of Turtle Dove, Glossy Ibis and Marsh Harrier. The next lagoon and its shoreline held Fan-Tailed Warbler, Little Grebe and Red Crested Pochard. Terns were very active, and within just a few minutes we´d seen Little, Common, and Whiskered. We soon saw the first of the day´s Collared Pratincole, a “classic” Valencian breeding shorebird, and also enjoyed great views of Little Ringed Plover, Purple Heron, Squacco Heron and Avocet. As we continued our walk, now heading through an area of pastureland, we were treated to views of Woodchat Shrike, Hoopoe, Cetti´s Warbler, Whinchat, Spotted Flycatcher, Redstart and Bee Eater. To round off this spectacle, we then had great views of a Short Toad Eagle. The day´s final viewing…

Exploring the diversity of Albufera de Valencia

It was my pleasure to work with my friend and colleague Yanina of Visit Natura to provide this very special trip through the diverse habitats of the Albufera de Valencia Natural Park. A group of 7 local birders joined the trip and together we enjoyed not only some great bird species, but some fascinating insights into this dynamic environment and its eco-systems. The day began with a boat trip across the Albufera, Spain´s largest fresh water lake. Whilst on the boat we had views of Marsh Harrier, Great Crested Grebe, Glossy Ibis, Purple Swamphen, Audouin´s Gull and huge numbers of Grey Heron. We stopped by at one of the Park´s best reserves and immediatelty enjoyed extremely close views of Little Bittern. Ducks included Red Crested Pochard, Gadwall and Shoveler. The shoreline and shallow water held Black Winged Stilt, Little Ringed Plover and Greater Flamingo. Scanning the reed beds revealed Reed Bunting, Fan-Tailed Warbler, and Cetti´s Warbler. Whiskered Terns and Sandwich Terns were feeding on the lake. After our return boat journey we enjoyed lunch in the Devesa Forest, a unique habitat of native pine forest and coastal dunes. Much valuable…

Birding at Albufera & Valencia´s Coastal Wetlands

This week, I was fotunate enough to meet David and Susan from UK. They were taking a city break in Valencia and had previously arranged a day of guided bird watching with me. Both scientists and keen nature lovers, they were interested to see the diverse bird life of Albufera de Valencia and the surrounding wetlands. We began our day at Tancat de la Pipa, a fantastic reserve within the Albufera Natural Park. Run by an extremely dedicated team, this reserve provides critical habitat to a huge array of bird species, as well as supporting a fantastically diverse eco-system. As we walked through the reserve, we enjoyed close views of Greater Flamingo, Black Winged Stilt, Avocet and huge numbers of Little Ringed Plovers. Swallows, House Martins and Sand Martins were feeding above the reedbeds. Fan Tailed Warblers were also flitting around the reeds and we heard the beautiful song of Cetti´s Warbler. As we walked further into the reserve, we had a stunning view of a Glossy Ibis in flight, the sunlight picking out the green, purple and bronze colouration of its plumage. We also had great views of…