birdwatching in valencia - Page 17 of 29 - Valencia Birding

Guided birding trip to Valencian Wetlands

Last week, I provided a day of guided birding trip to Valencian wetlands for a couple from England. 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 migration season is well underway. The day turned out to be very interesting, and resulted in a fabulous number of 63 species list. After I collected them from their apartment, first stop was in some rice paddies where the rice plants hadn´t grown this year. Therefore, the flooded fields provided ideal habitat for waders. Hundreds of birds of more than 20 different species where feeding all together. We also had a nice surprise when we saw a Marble duck and two Caspian Terns with so many others interesting species. After a brief stop for a coffee and a short review of the species list we went to the next stop in the reserve area and interpretation centre of the Natural Park, where Flamingos and Avocets where close enough for us to get amazing photographs. Next stop was in a restricted reserve and green filter area we were delighted…

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…

Birding at Albufera de Valencia

One of the most enjoyable aspects of being a birding guide is meeting some truly nice people, and spending time in fabulous surroundings, combining the bird life with great company. This certainly proved to be the case last week when I was fortunate enough to provide a day of guided birding at Albufera de Valencia for a family from Belgium. All experienced ornithologists, they were on holiday in Valencia and were keen to see the areas bird life and habitats. We began our day at one of my favourite reserves, and were immediately treated to views of a pair of Merlin. This was closely followed by Glossy Ibis, Purple Heron, Snipe and Black-winged Stilt. As we walked through the reserve, scanning the reed beds and lagoons, we had great views of Purple Swamphen, Marsh Harrier, Squacco Heron and Fan-tailed Warbler. Although not seen, we heard the calls and song of Cetti´s Warbler, Savi´s Warbler and Reed Warbler. Perhaps the highlight of the trip for our clients was a great view of an Osprey. These magnificent birds of prey regularly stop at Albufera de Valencia during their Spring and Autumn migration….

Birding trip to Albufera de Valencia Natural Park

Today I had pleasure of providing a birding trip to Albufera de Valencia Natural Park for a client from England. She is a keen birder who loves to travel and discover new species. She wanted to explore the wetland bird species near the city of Valencia where she was staying on a business trip. After I collected her from her apartment, we went to a protected reserve and “green filter” area of Albufera de Valencia which is an amazing hotspot for birding at this time of the year when rice fields are dry. At such times, most of the birdlife remains inside these very special places. We had a long but relaxing walk through the reserve and when we arrived at the management centre, we were delighted to discover that the reserve staff were ringing birds. It was a fascinating experience for Jo to see the ringing and recording process. After a morning in the wetlands, we spent the rest of the day at the Devesa Forest where we found many woodland species were alreay well into their breeding cycle. We´d enjoyed the day very much, with a species list…

Bird watching in restricted & protected areas of Valencia

As professional and licensed bird watching guides, we clearly work along guidelines and codes of practice to ensure that ethics are applied, and to minimise environmental impact. A special priviledge that we enjoy is that of access to restricted and protected areas of many nature reserves throughout the Valencian region. Last week, I had the pleasure of providing a bespoke birding trip to one of these highly protected areas, a “green filter” reserve within the Albufera de Valencia Natural Park. My client for the day was Oscar, a very experienced birder from Bilbao. We were warmly welcomed by the reserve manager, who outlined the recent sightings. We were very fortunate in that there had been sightings of a rarity – the Citrine Wagtail, so of course Oscar was very eager to see this unusual visitor. He was also keen to see the many wading birds that frequent this wetland reserve. So, we spent the morning very quietly exploring the reserve, and enjoying the spectacular bird life on display. Our patience eventually paid off, and rewarded us with great views of the Citrine Wagtail! The timing of our visit also coincided…