Birding in Alicante - Bird Watching in Alicante Guided Tours

Global Bird Fair 2022

July 2022 After the past two years of Covid restrictions and cancellations, and an extremely busy spring 2022 season, it was fabulous to see the Global Bird Fair swing into action at Rutland Showground in England. I had the privilege of attending not only as Valencia Birding, but in a support role for the Valencia Region Tourist Board and the Association of Birding Guides of the same region. For such a major fair, everything had been put together at extremely short notice, and Tim Appleton´s team had obviously done an excellent job of making it all work. As I always say, the work that results in things that go well is all too often invisible, and it was clear that the team of volunteers had been burning the midnight oil. All credit to them! The fair was very well attended, and blessed with wonderful sunshine on all three days. It was great to see the birding community get together again, to meet so many new people, and to catch up with old friends and clients from around the world. We had some great “neighbours” too – the stands next to…

A summer day in the mountains of Valencia

Raptor expert and falconer Paul contacted me earlier in the year to arrange a birding trip to the mountains of Valencia during his short break in the city. The day finally arrived, and coincided with a heatwave across the Iberian peninsula! We spoke a few days prior to the trip to ensure that we would take all necessary precautions, and decided to go ahead! Paul from the UK, a passionate raptor expert We enjoyed a comfortable journey from Valencia, heading inland for around an hour unti we arrived at a historical hill-village where we had a morning coffee with the locals prior to beginning the birding. The trip involves a short walk, which we opted to do at the beginning of the day, before it got too hot. Our stroll through a riverside forest gave us plenty of opportunities to listen to the song of Nightingale, Cetti´s Warbler and Golden Oriole, and gave us views of Spotted Flycatcher, Rock Sparrow, Sardinian Warbler, Blackcap, Serin and Melodious Warbler. Spotted Flycatcher We returned to the car and drove further up the valley where we parked in the shade of some pines and…

3-Day Birding Trip from Valencia

25-27 May 2022 I recently designed and provided a 3-day birding trip for a lovely couple from the UK. Ian is a life-long birder and has been keen to do an overseas birding trip for a while. Once we began to discuss possibilities, his wife decided to join him on at least one of the days, but in the end, I’m delighted to say that she came along on every trip. They stayed in a hotel in the historical centre of Valencia, one that we use frequently owing to its authenticity, location, quality and value. It was from there that we began our first trip, to the mountains. Day 1 – Mountains Our first day dawned with almost cloudless skies and very little wind, perfect conditions in which to explore the highland interior of Valencia. After a drive of around 50 minutes, we stopped for breakfast at a small village before heading into the hills. Our first sighting was Black Wheatear, which was a “lifer” for Ian. A Raven flew by as did a pair of Griffon Vultures. Our stroll through the woods gave sightings of Serin, Sardinian Warbler and…

10-Day Bird Photography Trip

May 2022 Thanks to the kind support and recommendations of some previous clients from Singapore, I was contacted early this year by Sudip, who was interested in a 10-day bird photography trip in the Valencia Region. After some considerable email exchanges, his priorities and target species became clear, and work began on designing the perfect plan. As he wanted a combination of field and hide photography, ten days gave us the time and opportunity to deliver a twin-centre holiday. Accordingly, the first half of the trip was spent in the province of Alicante, using the beautiful and historical village of Biar as his base. (I stayed in my home in the mountains very close-by). Sudip really appreciates good food too, so I chose an authentic guest house where there is also a high quality restaurant serving local dishes at reasonable prices. For the second half of the trip, we moved to Valencia, where Sudip stayed in a small hotel in the heart of the historical quarter. Biar, in the highland interior of Alicante As the trip was focussed firmly on high quality photography, this report deals with the key species…

Kentish Plovers in Valencia

We’re fortunate enough to enjoy the sight of Kentish Plovers throughout the coast of the Valencian Community, thanks in large part to some incredible conservation work and protection initiatives that national and local organisations undertake. When one spends so much time out in the field, now and again, very special moments occur. Here is some footage that I was recently very privileged to be able to shoot…

2 days birding from Alicante – each day with a surprise!

19th & 21st April 2022 Over the Easter break, I provided a 2-day birding trip for a group of birders from Finland, who were staying in Alicante. All experienced and well travelled, this was their first time in this region, so they were full of anticipation, and had a few key species that they’d like to see. Our first day was spent in the wetlands of Alicante. As soon as we left the car, we were greeted by the sound of Corn Buntings singing in the nearby fields, Zitting Cisticola above us and Common Reed Warbler in the marsh. A local soundtrack for sure! The first lagoon held Red Crested Pochard, Purple Swamphen, Glossy Ibis and a Common Sandpiper. Having only spent around twenty minutes at the reserve, we were soon enjoying views of two of their target species, Red Knobbed Coot and Marbled Teal, birds for which Alicante is a crucial stronghold. Red Knobbed Coot As we strolled across the reserve to visit a couple of hides, we had views of Great Reed Warbler and Little Ringed Plover. A Cuckoo was calling in the distance. The hides gave us…