Guided Bird Watching Valencia - Page 17 of 26 - Valencia Birding

Bird Watching at Albufera de Valencia

Last week I provided a day of bird watching at Albufera de Valencia for a group of local birders. Some of them I knew well as they have regularly been on birding trips with me, but it was a pleasure to meet 4 of the group for the first time. After a short journey to Albufera, we stopped for a coffee and brief chat about the plans for the day before heading to one of the area´s best reserves. We had a leisurely walk through the reed beds and beside a couple of small lakes where we enjoyed great views of Flamingo, Avocet, Black Winged Stilt and Little Egrets. As we made our way through the reserve, we scanned an area of shallow water and spotted Redshank, Greenshank and Little Ringed Plover. In addition to the usual Grey Herons, we had some stunning views of the recently arrived Purple Herons and also Glossy Ibis, especially beautiful with the sunlight highlighting the green, purple and bronze tones of their plumage. Other highlights of the visit were Purple Swamphen, Gull-Billed Terns, Marsh Harrier and Red Crested Pochard. After a picnic lunch by…

Exploring the diversity of Albufera de Valencia

It was my pleasure to work with my friend and colleague Yanina of Visit Natura to provide this very special trip through the diverse habitats of the Albufera de Valencia Natural Park. A group of 7 local birders joined the trip and together we enjoyed not only some great bird species, but some fascinating insights into this dynamic environment and its eco-systems. The day began with a boat trip across the Albufera, Spain´s largest fresh water lake. Whilst on the boat we had views of Marsh Harrier, Great Crested Grebe, Glossy Ibis, Purple Swamphen, Audouin´s Gull and huge numbers of Grey Heron. We stopped by at one of the Park´s best reserves and immediatelty enjoyed extremely close views of Little Bittern. Ducks included Red Crested Pochard, Gadwall and Shoveler. The shoreline and shallow water held Black Winged Stilt, Little Ringed Plover and Greater Flamingo. Scanning the reed beds revealed Reed Bunting, Fan-Tailed Warbler, and Cetti´s Warbler. Whiskered Terns and Sandwich Terns were feeding on the lake. After our return boat journey we enjoyed lunch in the Devesa Forest, a unique habitat of native pine forest and coastal dunes. Much valuable…

Guided Birding in Valencia

Earlier this month I spent two days with Canadian birders Jean-Marc and Nathalie from Quebec. They were touring Spain and had chosen to incorporate into their plans one of our “Birding Short Breaks” at Villa Florencia. They had previously visited Barcelona, Madrid and Seville and were now spending a few days exploring the Valencia region. Our first day of birding was to the Steppe & Lagoons of Castilla de la Mancha. After the relatively short drive up onto the plains, we stopped at one of our usual spots where we had delightful views of Hoopoe, Crested Lark, Corn Bunting and Black Redstart. The first of the day´s lagoons gave views of Shelduck, Red Crested Pochard, and Greater Flamingo, soon to be followed by superb views of sizeable groups of Avocet. As we scanned the plains, we eventually found one of our main targets of the day, a large group of Great Bustards. These huge birds are always a favourite for visitors, and it´s always a pleasure to track them down! We then had lunch by the side of another, more sheltered lagoon and enjoyed views of White Headed Duck, Little Grebe,…

Birding Trip to L´Albufera de Valencia – Saturday 29th March

In collaboration with Visit Natura, we have pleasure in offering a full-day birding trip to Albufera on Saturday 29th March 2014. The day will include a visit to some of the best birding areas of Albufera, plus a private chartered boat trip and a walk in the Devesa forest to discover the wildlife of this unique environment. Ideal for beginners, or experienced birders, the trip will also provide the opportunity for bird photography. Places are limited so please book in advance. For more information or to reserve a place, please contact me by email at NatureTrailSpain@Gmail.com

Birding on the Steppe of Eastern Spain

By sheer coincidence I was fortunate enough to spend two days up on the steppe this week. The second day was with a group of local birders, some relative beginners, others experienced. The group worked superbly well, with knowledge being readily shared, and the more “eagle-eyed” being on hand to point out the birds! After the usual coffee stop, we drove across the fields of this vast wide open area of eastern Spain in our hunt for Great Bustards. Some of the group had never seen these birds before, so our quest had added value. After 10-15 minutes of searching, we were rewarded with magnificent views of a flock at least 25 birds. Whilst in the same spot we also had good views of Hoopoe, Linnet, Skylark and Spotless Starling. The wind was becoming quite severe so we opted to strategically park the van at the next lagoon and use it as shelter as we scanned the water and the shoreline! We were once again rewarded as the lagoon held Flamingo, Teal, Shelduck, Shoveler and Gadwall. The scrub by the shore gave fantastic views of a Southern Grey Shrike whilst…

Birding in Valencia

On Tuesday 4th February we enjoyed a trip to the Valencian Coastal Wetlands with a group of local birders. Mostly returning clients, the group had previously enjoyed many trips with us. The objective of the day was to enjoy a relaxed walk around the wetlands and to generally enjoy the birdlife that this great little area sustains. Despite a fairly strong breeze, we saw sizeable flocks of Crag Martins feeding on insects above the reedbeds, and a Buzzard circling overhead. Numerous Chiffchaffs were also flitting around the low scrub surrounding the lagoons. On the coastal lagoons we enjoyed views of Teal, Shoveler, Red Crested Pochard and Shelduck. We also had good views of Purple Swamphen throughout the day at various locations. The coastal scrub held Stonechat, Greenfinch and Hoopoe whilst the rocky shore gave views of Meadow Pipit, White Wagtail and Grey Wagtail. Marsh Harriers were, as always, around in good numbers and we all enjoyed some stunning views of these magnificent raptors, especially so in the low sunlight of the afternoon. We also had good views of a small gathering of Reed Buntings and a group of wintering Lapwings….