bird watching trips Valencia - Page 31 of 40 - Valencia Birding

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…

Guided Birding in Valencia

Earlier this month I spent two days with Canadian birders Jean-Marc and Nathalie from Quebec. They were touring Spain and had chosen to incorporate into their plans one of our “Birding Short Breaks” at Villa Florencia. They had previously visited Barcelona, Madrid and Seville and were now spending a few days exploring the Valencia region. Our first day of birding was to the Steppe & Lagoons of Castilla de la Mancha. After the relatively short drive up onto the plains, we stopped at one of our usual spots where we had delightful views of Hoopoe, Crested Lark, Corn Bunting and Black Redstart. The first of the day´s lagoons gave views of Shelduck, Red Crested Pochard, and Greater Flamingo, soon to be followed by superb views of sizeable groups of Avocet. As we scanned the plains, we eventually found one of our main targets of the day, a large group of Great Bustards. These huge birds are always a favourite for visitors, and it´s always a pleasure to track them down! We then had lunch by the side of another, more sheltered lagoon and enjoyed views of White Headed Duck, Little Grebe,…

Birding Trip to L´Albufera de Valencia – Saturday 29th March

In collaboration with Visit Natura, we have pleasure in offering a full-day birding trip to Albufera on Saturday 29th March 2014. The day will include a visit to some of the best birding areas of Albufera, plus a private chartered boat trip and a walk in the Devesa forest to discover the wildlife of this unique environment. Ideal for beginners, or experienced birders, the trip will also provide the opportunity for bird photography. Places are limited so please book in advance. For more information or to reserve a place, please contact me by email at NatureTrailSpain@Gmail.com

Birding on the Steppe of Eastern Spain

By sheer coincidence I was fortunate enough to spend two days up on the steppe this week. The second day was with a group of local birders, some relative beginners, others experienced. The group worked superbly well, with knowledge being readily shared, and the more “eagle-eyed” being on hand to point out the birds! After the usual coffee stop, we drove across the fields of this vast wide open area of eastern Spain in our hunt for Great Bustards. Some of the group had never seen these birds before, so our quest had added value. After 10-15 minutes of searching, we were rewarded with magnificent views of a flock at least 25 birds. Whilst in the same spot we also had good views of Hoopoe, Linnet, Skylark and Spotless Starling. The wind was becoming quite severe so we opted to strategically park the van at the next lagoon and use it as shelter as we scanned the water and the shoreline! We were once again rewarded as the lagoon held Flamingo, Teal, Shelduck, Shoveler and Gadwall. The scrub by the shore gave fantastic views of a Southern Grey Shrike whilst…

Great Bustards & Calandra Larks

On Tuesday of this week I had the pleasure of providing a day of guided birding for a couple of clients from UK. Both experienced birders and outdoor enthusiasts, they were keen to visit the steppe and lagoons of Castilla de la Mancha, just over one hour´s drive from Valencia. Although a little early for most summer visitors, the key species that we were looking for were both residents…the Great Bustard and Calandra Lark. After a relaxed drive, we stopped for a coffee and prepared binoculars, telescopes and cameras and set out across the vast open fields. Luck was on our side as we found a flock of Great Bustards within the first 10 minutes of the trip. Despite a strong breeze, we were able to shelter beside the van and enjoy some great views of these magnificent creatures. As we were watching them, we also had views of Red Kite and Southern Grey Shrike. We moved on to the first lagoon of the day where we saw Greater Flamingo, Lapwing, Teal, Gadwall and Shelduck. After a short drive to the next lagoon, we were fortunate enough to be able…