Birding in Valencia - Page 34 of 49 - Valencia Birding

A stormy day on the steppe

Yesterday I spent a wonderful day birding the steppe and lagoons of our region with a client from Spain. A very experienced bird watcher, naturalist and conservationist, she was eager to discover this unique habitat and the birdlife that thrives here. After a comfortable and easy journey from Valencia, we stopped at our first spot to check out a small lagoon and area of floodwater. On the water we saw Shelduck, Flamingo, and Little Grebe. The reeds held a pair of Great Reed Warbler, which after a little patience we managed to see. Corn Buntings were calling from the nearby fenceline, and Tree Sparrows were active in the surrounding scrub. A pair of Little Ringed Plovers were scurrying around the mud on the shoreline. A Buzzard passed low overhead, whilst Swallows, House Martins and Swifts were all feeding above in the beautiful blue skies. Our next spot was nothing more than a “prospecting” site that overlooks the vast area of cereal fields that cover this region. We had a good view of Crested Lark and some scanning and effort gave us views of a pair of Stone Curlew. A little…

Birding the Steppe

Once more, we were recently delighted to welcome back a returning client. Gavin from UK had previously booked a trip to the wetlands of Valencia, and this time had returned for a birding trip to the steppe and lagoons of Eastern Spain. Birding the steppe can reveal some amazing species, and today was to prove no exception. Our journey from Valencia took us through a few heavy rain showers but once we´d arrived on site, it was dry although quite windy. Our first stop by an area of floodwater beside an old farming village gave views of Tree Sparrow. Spotted Flycatcher, Yellow Wagtail and Lapwing. Our next point was an area of pasture and scrub beside a farm. Here we enjoyed views of Corn Bunting, Iberian Grey Shrike, Skylark, Crested Lark and yet more Yellow Wagtail, one of which was thought to be of the UK sub-species. The wind was steadily increasing so for our next stop, beside a lake, we used the car as a hide and opted for comfort! This worked quite well, and we had views of Marsh Harrier, Greater Flamingo, Red Crested Pochard and Shelduck. Our…

Birding and nature photography trip

Last week, I provided a specially designed birding and nature photography trip for two experienced wildlife photographers from Sweden. At this time of the year the Valencian Coastal Wetlands, is an amazing birding destination, especially rewarding as many of the summer visitors are returning to their breeding grounds there. We met in central Valencia before making the short journey to the reserve. After a morning coffee, looking out across the calm waters of the Mediterranean, we began our walk along a coastal dune system. The first lagoon gave good views of Night Herons and waterfowl including Pochard, Red-crested Pochard and Little Grebe. As we walked further into the reserve, the second lagoon provided a spectacular sight of seven male White-headed Ducks, one of Europe´s rarest and arguably most attractive ducks. We also had great views of Flamingo, Purple Heron, Glossy Ibis and Marsh Harrier. We then took in an area of coastal scrub, and were treated to views of Wheatear, Stonechat, Whinchat, Sub-alpine Warbler and Spotless Starling. We also had a good view of Audouin´s Gull and the beautiful Collared Pratincole. After a picnic lunch on a pebble beach, we headed inland…

6-Day Winter Bird Watching Holiday

The huge habitat diversity of the Valencia region of Spain allows us to provide a superb 6 day birding holiday. In late February of this year, we were fortunate to deliver exactly that for Gourmet Birds, a well established specialist bird watching holiday provider from UK. We´d worked very closely with them to design a bespoke trip, taking in some of the region´s best birding venues and carefully selected accommodation to hopefully result in a memorable trip. Day 1 – Salt Marshes and Lagoons The group arrived relatively early into Alicante airport. Therefore, without wanting to make the first day too long, we did choose to spend a few hours birding at a couple of the salt marshes that are situated within very easy reach of the airport. The usual Flamingoes were feeding on the salt marshes in huge numbers, providing a striking welcome to Spain for our guests! As we strolled by the first lagoons, we also enjoyed views of Audouin´s Gull, Little Stint, Shelduck, Reed Bunting and Black Redstart. We were also treated to views of three Spoonbills in flight. We then moved on to another site that…

Bird watching in the wetlands of Valencia

Last week, I was delighted to provide a day of guided bird watching in the wetlands of Valencia for a couple from Canada. They were on vacation in the beautiful city of Valencia and had arranged a couple of days of guided birding with us. Today´s trip was to the coastal wetlands, a fabulous site at all times of year, but especially so in early Spring as the summer visitors are beginning to arrive. George and Marilyn were very interested in seeing some of the “classic” European species, that of course are very different to the species they have in Ottowa. The first coastal lagoon that we visited held Little Grebe, Red Crested Pochard and Teal. The surrounding reeds and scrub gave views of Sardinian Warbler, Reed Bunting and Black Redstart. A very pleasant walk along the beach gave us sightings of Crested Lark, Stonechat, Whinchat, Grey Wagtail and Serin, all in the low scrub near the dunes. House Martins and Swallows were passing through, and we also had good views of Audouin´s Gull. We then walked through an area of semi-wooded pasture land where we had a great…

Bird watching on the steppe of Spain

Last week, I enjoyed a fantastic day with a couple of returning clients from Canada. They had a trip with us few days ago, when we enjoyed a day in the coastal wetlands of Valencia. This time, they were keen to have a day of guided bird watching on the steppe of Spain. After a chat over morning coffee, we made the relatively short journey into the rolling plains of Castilla de la Mancha. One of our main target species was the Great Bustard, which would be a lifer for them both. We stopped in a favourite location where we often get views of these magnificent creatures, and patiently scanned the surrounding fields. After some 15 minutes, we were rewarded with some fantastic views of a group of male Great Bustards, strolling through the fields and feeding under a stand of trees. As we enjoyed the autumn sunshine, a Red Kite suddenly came into view, and circled overhead, giving some wonderful views. Crested Larks and Skylarks flitted around us, whilst we enjoyed views of Greater Flamingo and Avocet in a nearby area of flooded fields. Then a male Lesser Kestrel…