bird watching trips Valencia - Page 13 of 39 - Valencia Birding

Two fabulous trips to the steppe and the wetlands with Margaret from Canada.

Last week, we enjoyed some beautiful weather here in the Valencia region. Clear skies, no wind and temperatures hovering around 22 degrees. Perfect conditions for birding on the steppe, which is a high and vastly open area that in more wintry conditions can be challenging! So, for my first trip with Margaret, a very keen Canadian birder, the steppe was our destination. She was very eager to see Great Bustards above all, but we also added Black Bellied Sandgrouse, Calandra Lark and Rock Sparrow to our target list. Having collected her from her accommodation close to Valencia´s fascinating Central Market, we drove up onto the steppe. Our first spot was a view point overlooking the surrounding cereal fields and vineyards. The usual passerines were around – Crested Lark, Stonechat, Corn Bunting and Goldfinch. A little effort of scanning the fields gave us good views of a flock of Calandra Lark, their dark underwing showing clearly against the blue sky. A favourite spot next to an old farm was our second stop, and today it proved positive. We spotted a lone Golden Plover, Rock Sparrows on a stone barn, an Iberian…

A special time to be at Albufera

Last Friday, I provided a day trip for Andy and Lydia from the UK. They were spending a weekend in Valencia and wanted to include a day´s birding in their break. The vast wetland site of Albufera de Valencia is surrounded by rice fields, and the different phases of the rice cycle influence greatly the habitat and therefore bird life of the park. During the month of February, the flooded fields and gradually drained and ploughed, and the sight of huge flocks of gulls, egrets, herons and ibises that follow the tractors is one not to be missed. More on that later… We began our visit at one of the park´s protected reserve areas, where we started the day with perhaps one of the highlights, a Ferruginous Duck that was resting in amongst a group of Common Pochard. Other wildfowl included Shelduck, Red Crested Pochard and Teal. We then turned our attention to shorebirds, and enjoyed views of Black-winged Stilt, Ruff, Greenshank and both Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwits. Crag Martins were feeding in flights and Marsh Harriers passed over the reed beds. A Booted Eagle came to rest in a…

A birding trip to the steppe

A few days ago, I enjoyed a great trip with Greg (Dalí) and Katherine from Australia. They have been living in Sidney all their life and when they retired from work, had decided to experience two years living in Spain. A part of visiting many cities and great places all over Spain, they are keen on discover all the birds life around Valencia where they are based. They were particularly keen to see Great Bustard as they´d never seen them before. We also added Flamingoes to the list of target species as Katherine suggested. After a comfortable drive from Valencia, we all agreed to have a coffee before we began our birding! We did so and then started by making a couple of stops to scan the vast fields. Our first stop gave good views of Crested Lark and the target of the day… Great Bustards, not far from a flock of Black-bellied Sandgrouse – another lifer for them! We continued driving and we had to stop 3 times to enjoy more flocks of Great Bustards, as this was the key species of the day, I was hopeful of getting better…

A exciting find on one of the hottest days of the year in Valencia, Spain – Terek Sandpiper!

It was one of the hottest days for 150 years in Valencia. I was booked to provide a guided birding trip to the huge wetland site of Albufera de Valencia but a few days before the trip, the clients contacted us to ask if we should move the date. As the forecast for the duration of their stay was more or less constant, I suggested that we stick with the original day but take sensible precautions. It was over 30 degrees C when I collected the clients from the city centre in Valencia – that was at 7:30am! After a short journey we arrived at Albufera Natural Park, one of Spain´s most important wetlands. Located on one of the major migration flyways of the Western Paleartic, Albufera de Valencia is an extensive wetland which is immediately south of the city of Valencia, right on the Mediterranean coast and in 1990 was designated as a Ramsar site. It was declared a Natural Park in 1986 and holds an huge variety of ecosystems. It was originally formed by sediment that was deposited by the region´s two principal rivers, the Jucar and the Turia, both of which…

Guided bird watching trip to Albufera of Valencia

A few months ago I was delighted to provide a guided bird watching trip to Albufera of Valencia for Rene from Denmark. He was on a business trip to Spain and he had a day off so wanted to spend it birding in one of the Valencian wetlands. He is an experienced birder who wanted to discover the diversity and ecosystems of Albufera Natural Park. After I collected him from a meeting point agreed in advance in Valencia city, we drove straight to the natural park. First stop was in the main pier of the Albufera Lake to enjoy good views of Sandwich Terns and Marsh Harrier. Next stop was in the main reserve area of the park, after a short visit to the visitor centre we headed into forest. Immediately we were stopped by the call of a Sardinian Warbler, after a few minutes trying to have a clean view we succeeded, it was a beautiful male. Also Cetti’s Warbler – a tricky bird to see in the open was happy to show up. Once we arrived to the restricted area, we spent a long time scanning with the…

Two fantastic days with clients from Sweden.

When clients return it´s always a special feeling, and in mid May, Alexia from Sweden did exactly that. She´d previously visited Valencia and we did a trip to Albufera together. Not long after her return home she contacted us and we arranged a 2 day birding break in Valencia, which she was to combine with a cultural break in the city. This time she came with a friend, Lena. I was delighted to see Alexia again, and to meet Lena. Both very friendly and great company. On our first day we visited one of Valencia´s coastal wetlands. A walk along the beach gave views of Audouin´s Gull and Whiskered Tern. We had great views of Turtle Dove, a bird that appears to have done very well here this year. The lagoons held White Headed Duck, Little Ringed Plover, Great Egret and a solitary lingering Dunlin. We also enjoyed watching the Tern colony which comprised Common, Little and Sandwich. We were delighted also to see the Elegant Terns that apper to be returning to Valencia each year to breed. On the walk back to the car we stopped to enjoy amazing…