Latest Birding News and Sightings - Bird Watching in Spain

Black Headed Weaver in Valencia

I was recently fortunate enough to provide a day of guided birding for a couple from Germany. Although now living in western Germany, Rebecca was born in my home town of Sheffield so it was good to talk of adventures in the Peak District! As part of their holiday in Spain, they had booked a day of guided birding with us, and we´d opted for a trip to Albufera. In September, it´s always really interesting as the autumn migration is underway and Albufera is an important stopping and feeding area. We began the day at a special little reserve where we were treated to views of Glossy Ibis, Spoonbill, Osprey, Marsh Harrier, Purple Heron and Night Heron. We also visited a ringing station where we watched the ringers at work, recording the data of a Reed Warbler and a Bluethroat. The afternoon was spent in amongst some partially flooded rice paddies where we had great views of some super waders including Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper and Ruff. As we were thinking of wrapping up for the day, a bright yellow flash caught our eye. Close examination…

Bird watching trip to Albufera de Valencia

Earlier this month I enjoyed a super day´s birding with a couple of clients from UK. Brian and Sally are keen nature lovers and experienced birders, and were spending a few days in Valencia. They had previously contacted us and we´d arranged a bird watching trip to Albufera de Valencia as part of their break. After I´d collected them from their apartment in central Valencia, we made the short journey to Albufera where our first stop was in a protected reserve area. The reed beds, lagoons, canals and marshes of this reserve provide excellent habitat for an array of bird species throughout the year. Today was no exception, and we were fortunate enough to enjoy views of Purple Heron, Night Heron, Squacco Heron and Great Egret. September is always a fascinating month, as some of the summer visitors are still present, whilst some winter visitors are just beginning to arrive. Furthermore, many species that are on passage stop at Albufera to feed and rest. One such species is the Osprey, and we were treated to views of this superb raptor. The reeds held Fan-tailed Warbler, Reed Warbler and Chiffchaff whilst…

Birding trip to Albufera de Valencia

Last week I provided a guided birding trip to Albufera de Valencia for a client from the Netherlands. She was staying with her husband in a campsite near El Saler on the edge of this Natural Park, and was eager to see the classic species of this Valencian wetland. After I collected her we made a short drive along the local country lanes between the rice fields to arrive at our first stopping point, a protected reserve area. We were delighted to see a great variety of species including Flamingo, Great Egret, Glossy Ibis and many other waders. However, perhaps the most interesting species were Purple Swamphen and Great Reed Warbler. We then moved on to a different reserve area where we enjoyed views of Shelducks and Avocets, to name but a few. The last stop of the day was beside some rice paddies where the rice plants hadn´t grown this year, resulting in a partially flooded haven for birds! It proved to be a fantastic spot, and as we sat there enjoying the spectacle, we counted over 30 species, all feeding together in the same field. It was a…

Guided bird watching at Albufera de Valencia

Last Thursday I had pleasure of providing a day of guided bird watching at Albufera de Valencia for two clients from England. As nature lovers and experienced birders, they are members of The Wild Trust and also volunteers of the RSPB. Whilst here in Spain, they were keen to discover the bird life of the wetlands that surround Valencia. After I collected them from their holiday apartment, we went to a protected reserve area where we enjoyed great views of waterfowl species. We were also fortunate enough to watch 3 Booted Eagles soaring and hunting above the reserve. On the way to our next venue, we stopped in a car park where there had been reports of a Dotterel, obviously resting and feeding whilst on passage. Next stop was a very special restricted reserve area, where we spent most of the morning and had lunch in an stunning hide in front of a lagoon. We enjoyed views of a large flock of Greater Flamingo and Glossy Ibis. An Osprey, another species that often stops at Albufera whilst on passage, had appeared to “befriend” the Ibis and happily spent the afternoon with them!…

Bird Photography in Valencia

Last week, I had the pleasure of providing a birding break in Valencia for a client from Cambridge, England. Stephen is an experienced wildlife photographer and a keen birder and wanted to focus on bird photography in Valencia. He was visiting Valencia and wanted to discover the habitats and bird life of this extremely diverse region and to capture this on film. I planned a 2 day trip for him. One to the mountains and other to the wetlands. On day 1, I collected him from his hotel and after an hour´s drive we stopped for a morning coffee and a talk about the species that we were hoping to see. As soon we parked, Griffon Vultures appeared in abundance. Hundreds of House Martins were passing through on migration. Whilst we were walking through the mountain gorge, we enjoyed great views of Sub-alpine Warbler, Sardinian Warbler and Common Whitethroat. At the end of the walk, we were finally rewarded with views of Black Redstart and a brief view of Blue Rock Thrush. Lizards and spiders also formed part of the photographic interest. It had been a great day in…

2 Day Wetland Birding Trip to Valencia

Last week, I enjoyed two great birding days with a couple of clients from USA. They were well travelled birders and nature lovers, and as part of their trip through Spain and France they had booked a couple of days of guided birding in Valencia. We opted for a 2 day wetland birding trip to Valencia that would take in the internationally important Natural Park of Albufera de Valencia and a lesser known wetland also close to the city. On our first day, even before we´d arrived at our first stopping point in Albufera, we enjoyed a great view of a Purple Swamphen beside a pair of Night Herons. The day only got better, with good views of a Bittern in flight followed by an Osprey! Once inside the reserve, we enjoyed more views of Purple Swamphens, and of both male and female Marsh Harrier. Chiffchaffs were abundant in the reeds, as were Fan-Tailed Warblers and Cetti´s Warblers. Scanning across one of the reserve lagoons revealed Great Egret, Glossy Ibis, Spoonbill and Black-Winged Stilt. The surrounding wetland held Squacco Heron, Snipe and yet more Night Heron. The clients were very interested…