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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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Spring birding at the wetlands with clients from Canada.

The month of April continued to be very busy, with high demand for trips to the wetlands.  The Valencia region boasts a vast network of coastal wetland sites which not only serve as breeding grounds but are located right on a major migration flyway so in Spring and Autumn can make for some very interesting trips. Today I was delighted to provide such a trip – spring birding at the wetlands with clients from Canada.  Blair and Anne had originally booked this trip but a little later Anne´s brother and his wife arranged to join them in Valencia so elected to come along too.  The group was not only very friendly and a delight to be with, but collectively held a great deal of birding experience. After a morning coffee during which we discussed the key target species of the day, we headed out along the beach.  A Marsh Harrier was quartering the reed beds and a pair of Red Crested Pochards were on the first lagoon.  The sky was full of Barn Swallows, Swifts, House Martins and Sand Martins. We were soon enjoying quality views of White Headed Duck,…

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Birding and Cultural Break in Valencia.

In late March we enjoyed spending three days with Caroline and Lorna from England.  We´d met at Rutland Bird Fair the previous year and discussed how we could design a birding and cultural break in Valencia.  Having exchanged a few emails, we decided upon a week´s package with 3 full days of birding and 4 free days to explore this beautiful city. In order to maximise diversity, we opted for a day on the steppe, a day at the wetlands and a trip to the mountains.  Their first day of birding was with Yanina who took them up onto the steppe.  We were all able to meet for a coffee in a farming village as I was with another client and happened to be in the same area that day. The weather was ideal, not too much wind and clear skies.  Their first foray onto the high steppe gave views of Black Bellied Sandgrouse and Stone Curlew.  Before long, they succeeded in finding the first Great Bustards of the day and a stop by some farm buildings also gave views of Rock Sparrow, Linnet and Black Redstart. The surrounding fields…

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