Birding in the mountains of Valencia - Page 2 of 4 - Valencia Birding

2-Day Trip : Albufera & Mountains

Earlier this month I had the pleasure of meeting Martin and Jessica again. Both very keen and well travelled birders, they spend a large part of their lives in Spain. Martin is also an author of various works relating to birding. Our first day was to be spent at Albufera where we began our trip in a hide from where we saw good numbers of Greater Flamingo, Teal and Shelduck as well as Stonechat and Kingfisher. The next hide gave views of shorebirds on a small island, including Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Avocet, Black-winged Stilt and Snipe. Greater Flamingo & Black Winged Stilt After a brief coffee stop, we drove across the ricefields to another reserve, where we enjoyed views of Wood Sandpiper, Great Egret, Glossy Ibis, Buzzard and Booted Eagle. Most of that was whilst having lunch in a hide! Meadow Pipit, Tree Sparrow, Cetti’s Warbler, Spotless Starling and Common Starling were soon added to the list. Booted Eagle – not a great shot but it clearly shows the “landing lights” The light was fading a little so we headed back towards the coast where we focussed some time…

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…

A spring day in the mountains

April 15th 2022 The busy month of April continued and on Good Friday I enjoyed a day in the mountains of Valencia with Frank from Ireland. He´s an experienced birder, as well as a pleasure to be with, so it was clear from the beginning that we were in for a good trip! As Valencia Birding traditions usually persist, we had a brief coffee stop in a small farming village before we headed into the hills in search of birds. As soon as we got out of the car, the air was full of the sound of Serins singing from the surrounding pines. We scanned some nearby crags in search of Black Wheatear and quickly located a pair that were obviously busy nesting. Having managed to get some good views, we headed into the woods. Stonechats, Sardinian Warblers and Chaffinches were around in good numbers, and then we were delighted to suddenly hear the unique song of Nightingale. A little patient searching gave us nice views of it too. Stonechat (male) As we approached a river, a Kingfisher darted downstream, and a small group of Long Tailed Tits passed by…

Returning Clients and Friends

8th & 9th April 2022 Since I established Valencia Birding over eleven and a half years ago, I’ve been blessed with many clients who have returned time and again, and have become friends. They all know who they are and it’s a privilege to know them and to design and provide trips for them. Last week I did just that for Andy and Saffia from the UK. I think it’s fair to say that they fell in love with the city of Valencia during their initial visits, and as their previous trip was cancelled as the Covid pandemic hit, it was even more special to see them this time. Andy had a list of target species which provided me with a welcome challenge, and something to design their two day birding trip around. Day 1 – Southern Wetlands. Andy was particularly keen to see Marbled Teal and Red-knobbed Coot, and this area is one of the best in Europe for these species. After a morning coffee we began our walk into a reserve, where we immediately saw Garganey, Redshank, Avocet and Glossy Ibis. Swifts, Barn Swallows, House Martins and Sand…

2-day Birding Trip from Valencia

4th & 5th April 2022 I recently had the pleasure of spending two days with Jim and Consuelo from the USA who were visiting their daughter in Valencia. As very keen birders, they were eager to include a couple of days of birding in their trip, and so we eventually opted to go for a day at the wetlands and a day in the mountains. Day 1 – Coastal Wetlands We were still suffering the after-effects of a freak weather system, and although the heavy rains had ceased, our first day was a little windy. We drove from their apartment in central Valencia and began our walk along the beach. We immediately had superb views of Audouin’s Gull, followed by Little Ringed Plover, Black-winged Stilt and a Purple Heron. Audouin’s Gull The strong winds had slowed down the previous few day’s heavy stream of Swallows, Swifts and Martins, but there were still a few around. Another recently arrived bird, Collared Pratincole were also seen in flight, as well as one that Jim spotted, sheltering from the wind behind a plant! Collared Pratincole We headed down the coast, stopping at our…

Two-day bird photography trip

At the end of last month, I had the pleasure of meeting Liu and Chung from Singapore who were travelling around Spain on a bird photography holiday. Prior to their departure, we´d had various email exchanges, after which they´d opted to include a few days in Valencia and specifically to do a two-day trip with me, one day in a photo-hide and the other day out in the field. Golden Eagle On Day 1, we had quite an early start as we had to drive to the mountains of the interior of Valencia to reach a photography hide designed to provide the opportunity to photograph the mighty Golden Eagle. Once inside the hide, we had to wait a few hours, but we remained hopeful. As we were waiting, we were treated to several visits by Dartford Warbler, Sardinian Warbler and Robin, all of which came very close to the hide, allowing for some great photo opportunities. More unexpectedly, after hearing her calling, a female Iberian Green Woodpecker came to perch in front of the hide too! Iberian Green Woodpecker Suddenly, a dark shape appeared low in the sky to the…