Birding in Valencia

This is Day 2 of the 4-Day trip that we recently provided for Charles from London. One of the biggest advantages of birding in Valencia is the close proximity to some wonderfully varied habitat. After yesterday´s trip to the steppe, today we visited the coastal wetlands followed by a visit to a highland forest overlooking the Gulf of Valencia. The day began with a short drive along the coast to one of the region´s superb wetlands. However, before we arrived at the usual starting point, something over the sea caught our eye. We found a safe place to stop, and quickly took our binoculars. We were greeted with the amazing sight of a huge flock of shearwaters, skimming low over the water. Closer inspection revealed that it was a mixed flock of Yelkouan and Balearic Shearwaters. Both species are frequently seen along the Valencian coast throughout the winter months – a superb start to the day! As we were watching the Shearwaters, dozens of Crag Martins were flying around us, picking off airborne insects. These resident martins breed on the high cliffs of the region´s mountains but each winter they…

Birding holiday in Valencia

This is one of a series of 4 reports that cover a 4-day birding holiday in Valencia that we recently designed and provided for a client from London, UK. Charles, a young but experienced and knowledgable birder had contacted us earlier in the year to explore the possibilities of designing a bespoke birding break. Together, we designed a trip for him. He opted to stay in Valencia city, but we put together a plan that included guided birding trips to diverse habitats including steppe, forest, mountains, coast and wetlands. This report covers “Day 1” which was a day on the steppe and lagoons of Castilla de la Mancha. We left Valencia city centre at around 8am and in less than 90 minutes drive we were up on the steppe. The weather was perfect for birding if not unseasonably warm for December. After the usual coffee stop, our first birding spot was a relatively high vantage point overlooking the rolling fields and wide open space of this wonderful region. At over 900 metres in altitude, it can be a harsh place in which to live and work, but its bird life…

Valencia Birding Receives its 50th 5-Star Trip Advisor Review

Thanks to the support of our clients, we´re delighted to report that we´ve just received our 50th 5-Star review on Trip Advisor. Sincere thanks to everyone who has taken the time to post such kind words. Best wishes, Dave & Yanina.

2 Day Birding Break in Valencia

Yanina and I have recently provided a couple of days of guided birding for clients from Paris. They had planned a winter break in this beautiful city and had previously contacted us to arrange a 2 day birding break in Valencia as part of their trip. We´d discussed the best options for this time of year, and had agreed upon a day in Albufera and the coastal wetlands, followed by a day exploring the steppe and lagoons of Castilla de la Mancha. They were well travelled and experienced birders and were eager to see what this area offers. The truth is that we had a couple of fabulous days…both of which held some amazing surprises! Day 1 – Albufera & Coastal Wetlands Having collected Christine and Alastair from central Valencia, we drove to Albufera where together with Yanina, we went into one of the park´s restricted reserve areas. Whilst driving through the flooded rice paddies, we had great views of Glossy Ibis, Great Egret and Southern Grey Shrike, indeed a good start to the day. Once in the reserve, we stopped to scan over a small lagoon and enjoyed views…

White Stork in Albufera de Valencia

Here´s a brief clip of a White Stork in Albufera de Valencia. The spring and autumn migration periods are fascinating here as the site is located right on a major fly-way. Each year, some fascinating species drop in to rest and feed on their journeys to and from Africa…

Birding with clients from USA.

In our work as birding guides, we´re very fortunate to meet some wonderful and interesting people. This trip was no exception. Bob and Mona are from Iowa, USA and had planned a day with us as part of their trip to Spain. Normally, when we go birding with clients from USA there´s almost always new species involved for them. However, that was going to prove a little more challenging today, as Bob has over 70 years of birding experience and has travelled throughout the World watching birds! Having collected them from their hotel close to the City of Arts & Sciences in Valencia, we made the short trip to Albufera de Valencia Natural Park. We met up with Yanina and then headed into a restricted reserve area. As we walked through a small Mediterranean pine wood, we saw Black Redstart, Fan-tailed Warbler, Short-toed Treecreeper and Red-legged Partridge. Once in the first hide, we enjoyed views of Black-tailed Godwit, Black Winged Stilt and Little Grebe. We then moved on to another protected nature reserve where we had great views of some “classic” Albufera species, including Glossy Ibis, Spoonbill, Purple Swamphen, Wood…