Birding in Valencia - Page 24 of 49 - Valencia Birding

A Birding Trip on a Rainy Day

A few weeks ago I provided a birding trip on a rainy day to Albufera de Valencia for two clients from England. They were staying at El Parador Golf & Resort at El Saler which is inside the natural park and they were keen to explore the birdlife of the different ecosystems of the area. Despite the forecast, we were looking forward to the day. First, we drove to a small reserve area in the south of the park, to look for one of the target species of the day… Purple Swamphen and we succeeded, we enjoyed awesome views of many birds. We agreed we were going to have a challenging day trying to escape from the rain and luckily we had begun well. We continued driving to our next stop when we had suddenly to stop.. an Osprey was perched on a pylon, giving magnificent views. Next stop was at the main reserve of the natural park, it was early autumn so a great time for waders! After a short walk through the forest, we arrived at an observatory where we had amazing views of Black-tailed Godwit, Black-winged Stilt,…

Birding trip to Albufera of Valencia

A few weeks ago, I was delighted to provide a birding trip to Albufera of Valencia Natural Park for two couples from England. One couple were experienced birders who wanted to introduce their friends to the pleasure of going birding during their holidays. They were keen to discover the birdlife of the Valencian wetlands, so after I collected them, we drove a few minutes to the main reserve area of the natural park. After visiting the centre to understand the different ecosystems and birdlife of the area, we went to the observatories which is where we saw the first species of interest… Black-winged Stilt, Red-crested Pochard as well as an Osprey that flew over Next stop was in a green filter and reserve area. It took us a few minutes to drive through the rice paddies and just before we entered the reserve, a flock of Spoonbills flew over and we enjoyed great views. We arrived to the observatory tower where we had amazing views of some of the target species of the day… Purple Swamphen, Great White Egret and Marsh Harrier. The day was going pretty well so they…

Birding trip to Albufera of Valencia

Last week I was delighted to provide a birding trip to Albufera of Valencia for a couple from England. Both experienced birders who were keen to discover and enjoy the birdlife of the wetlands close to Valencia City. After I collected them from their hotel in Valencia we drove straight to the main reserve area inside the Natural Park, although we stopped briefly in the pier of Albufera Lake to enjoy fantastic views of Booted Eagles and Sandwich Terns. A few minutes later we were visiting the information centre, a good way to start understanding why it´s so important to protect this area and why birds are present at the different times of the year. Then after a short walk we arrived at the observatory where we enjoyed fantastic views of Black-winged Stilt, Greenshank and many other waders wintering in the area as well as waterfowl… Teals, Shoveler, Shelduck, Red-crested Pochard, Pintail and more. Picnic lunch was at a springwater reserve area where we had nice sightings of Little Grebe and Booted Eagle. After a refreshing break and tasty meal we had a lot to do during the afternoon, so…

Guided birding trip in Valencia

Last week I was delighted to provide a guided birding trip in Valencia for a family group from USA. They were visiting one of their daughters who is studying in Valencia and they wanted a day in Albufera to discover the Mediterranean birdlife. It was their first time birding in Europe, so most of the bird species were new for them and the were very excited. The day was cloudy but not windy, promising good views of many bird species, Albufera in Autumn is always fantastic. After I collected them from their apartment in Valencia city, we arrived at our first stopping point within a protected reserve area and spent a good time in a hide watching Glossy Ibis, Black Tailed Godwit, Black-winged Stilt, Shelducks, Shovelers and Teals. On our way to the picnic lunch area we stopped in a bar in the village of El Palmar to buy a sandwich to take with us. We were heading to the picnic area when we stopped after a Marsh Harrier flew right in front of the car and landed in the rice fields. Once inside the green filter reserve area…

A wonderful 2 day birding break from Valencia

A few day ago I was delighted to provide a wonderful 2 day birding break from Valencia for three ladies from the USA. Fi had contacted us requesting 2 day trips, one to Albufera Natural Park and another one to the steppe for her and two more friends Lili and Elise. The first day of the trip had arrived and I went to collect them from their hotel in Valencia city. To my surprise, Elise was 93 years old, unbelievably fit and with a amazingly bright mind! She has been birding all over the world and as well as Lili and Fi, she wanted to enjoy the birdlife of Valencia. The plan was to spent a relaxing birding day in this important wetland area, so first we drove through the northern rice paddies where we spotted hundreds of Glossy Ibis, Gulls and Spotless Starlings. Before the next stop we had a coffee break, where Elise had the brilliant idea of taking a boat ride on the Albufera Lake. Indeed it was, because we got really close to thousands of Red-Crested Pochards as well as many Marsh Harriers. After a break…

Two Special Days in Albufera.

Mid October saw some freak weather along the east coast of Spain and on the Balearic islands. Intense rainfall caused quite severe flooding in places, resulting in many roads being underwater and a complete closure of schools and universities in Valencia for a day. In terms of birdlife, this sudden deluge resulted in very high water levels at the region´s wetlands, meaning that many waders moved elsewhere to feed. During these few days, despite the conditions, I was to enjoy two special days in Albufera – not just because of the birds, but largely due to the lovely people that I met. The first trip was for Saffia and Andy from London. Saffia had arranged the trip as a birthday gift for Andy, so I was hoping for some good sightings. I really enjoyed the day with them, such interesting people with a passion for life, birds and travel. This human side to guiding is exceptionally valueable, and provides for some wonderful experiences. The first stop gave us views of Greater Flamingo, Black Redstart, Marsh Harrier and Stonechat. We moved on to a coastal lagoon where we saw Black Necked…