Latest Birding News and Sightings - Bird Watching in Spain

Guided bird watching at Albufera de Valencia

Last Friday I had pleasure of providing a day of guided bird watching at Albufera de Valencia for two clients from Poland. As nature lovers and experienced birders, they are members of a bird protection organisation, and they wanted to discover the species of Valencia and its wetlands. After I collected them from their hotel, we went to a reserve and restricted area where we spent most of the morning. At this time of the year this reserve is magnificent, and we enjoyed great views of a colony of Common and Sandwich Terns. We also enjoyed seeing the very rare Mabled Duck with 5 ducklings, together with a large group of Greater Flamingo, right in front of the hide. The second stop was in the forest, where Wren, Serin, Spotted Flycatcher, Sardinian Warbler and Firecrest welcomed us. To end the trip we went to the rice paddies. Now the fields have been planted, Glossy Ibis, Herons and Egrets where everywhere. We also enjoyed the display of the Hoopoe and finally one of the day´s highlights – the Purple Swamphen. It had been a classic Albufera day, with a species list that…

Bird watching in the mountains of Valencia

Last Monday I had pleasure of providing a guided trip for a couple from England. They were very keen to go bird watching in the mountains of Valencia, especially to see the raptors and “specialist” species that live in this habitat. Jan and Ossie are two experience birders who are involved in a conservation programme for Barn Owls. As they knew that I am also heavily involved in a similar project here in Spain, it was wonderful opportunity to share our experiences in working with these magnificent creatures. After the short journey from Valencia, we stopped for a coffee break and spoke about the plan for the day, and of the species that we were hoping to see. It was a fantastic sunny day and after a short drive through the mountains we arrived at the ravine where we began our walk. No sooner had we left the car when we immediately saw Griffon Vultures, Blue Rock Thrush, Serin and Sardinian Warbler. As we began our walk, we enjoyed views of Crag Martins, Ravens, Chough, Serin, Firecrest and Black Redstart. As we neared the end of the trail, the sky…

A fabulous species list and a mystery Tern

Last week, I provided a day of guided birding for a mother and daughter from Belguim. The daughter lives here in Spain and her mother was visiting for a week. Both were very keen and experienced birders and were eager to see the wetlands of Valencia, especially at this fabulous time of the year when the breeding season is well underway. The day turned out to be very interesting, and resulted in a fabulous species list and a mystery Tern! As they had made a big effort to drive to Valencia from the interior of Alicante, I opted to combine part of Albufera with another wetland area as a way of optimising the day. Our first stop was at a reserve area within the Albufera de Valencia Natural Park. As well as wanting to see the colony of Sandwich Terns, there had been reports of a mystery Tern, originally thought to be an Elegant Tern (a species usually found in Mexico and the Pacific). However, the bird had been successfully identified, by blood testing and DNA analysis as a hybrid. Its parent species were Lesser Crested Tern and Sandwich Tern….

Birding in the reserves of Albufera de Valencia

Last Friday I had pleasure to providing a trip for two clients, one from USA and the other from England. They were both extremely experienced birders and whilst at a congress in Valencia they were keen to fit in some guided birding in the reserves of Albufera de Valencia. As they were on a very tight schedule, I opted to take them to three of Albufera´s best reserve areas, as a way of maximising the species that they would see. The first stop was in an area of forest and lagoons, where we could had great views of a colony of Sandwich Terns and Common Terns. In the breeding season, this is one of the hotspots of Albufera. A hybrid Tern, very similar to an Elegant Tern was also nesting here. Another amazing sight was the endangered Marbled Duck and the ever popular Sardinian Warbler. Next stop was in a restricted reserve area within the marshes, where we were delighted to see Great Reed Warbler and Little Bittern, plus a rarity for Spain, the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, a bird normaly found in Siberia.On our way to the last spot, we made…

Birding and Conservation in Valencia

One of our key operating principles, and something that we never compromise on is that we always endeavour to tailor every trip exactly to the needs, interests and wishes of the client. It was therefore a great pleasure to provide a day of guided birding for a small group of clients from USA, who wanted to focus on bird watching, but who also wanted to learn something of the local conservation efforts, the local traditions and culture and to see the habiats and eco-systems of Albufera de Valencia. After the short drive from their hotel in the city centre of Valencia, we began our day with a brief explanation of the geography and topography of the Albufera Natural Park. We then visited one of the park´s best nature reserves, where we enjoyed some great views of species such as Purple Heron, Little Bittern and Glossy Ibis. We enjoyed a particularly good view of a Squacco Heron. This amazing bird appears to be a fairly indistinct creature from a distance, but upon closer viewing, reveals beautifully delicate tones and a stunning blue bill (in the breeding season). All very knowledgable nature…

Birding at the Wetlands of Valencia

Last week, Yanina and I teamed up to provide a day of guided birding at the wetlands of Valencia for a very experienced couple of birders from the Netherlands. They wanted to combine a short break in this magical Mediterranean city with a day of birding in the local costal marshes and lagoons. After the short drive from the city centre, and a morning coffee stop by the beach, we began to explore the coastal lagoons and surrounding reed beds. As one of the clients was a very knowledgable bird photographer, we concentrated our efforts on a relatively small area of the reserve, hoping for some key target species and aiming to obtain some quality photos. One of the highlights of the first lagoon was the extremely rare White-headed Duck. We also had good views of Little Bittern and Great Reed Warbler. As we headed along the coast, we were treated to some superb views of the fascinating Collared Pratincole. The coastal scrub also held Stonechat, Whinchat and Crested Lark. The next lagoon gave good views of waders including Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Curlew Sandpiper and Little Stint. After lunch…