Category: Guided birding Valencia

Birding at Albufera de Valencia

On Wednesday 20th November, we arranged a trip to Albufera de Valencia for a group of local birders.  The day began with morning coffee at a bar beside one of Albufera´s traditional fishing ports.  We then visited one of the park´s prime nature reserves where we spent the morning enjoying the superb bird life that this reserve supports.   Despite a windy morning, we had good views of Black Winged Stilt, Snipe, Marsh Harrier, Great Egret and dozens of wintering Chiff Chaffs.  The highlight of the walk through the reserve was a stunning view of a Booted Eagle that passed overhead then came to land on the ground right in front of us. We then enjoyed a fascinating presentation on the history, ecology and various conservation projects of the reserve together with a visual display on how the reserve benefits the local environment and its wildlife.  We were especially fortunate to observe some bird ringing that was being done by the Sociedad Española de Ornitología.  A special treat was being able to see a Kingfisher at such close range, and for one of the group to be able to release…

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Special Offer Packages – Birding & Leisure Breaks in Valencia.

Last week, we had the pleasure of providing a bespoke birding package for a great couple from UK.  They had opted to take advantage of our 1 week accommodation package that includes 3 full days of guided bird watching and half-board accommodation at Villa Florencia. Day 1 Having arrived on the Saturday evening and enjoyed a leisurely dinner at Villa Florencia, we opted for a fairly early start on the Sunday to visit the Steppe & Lagoons of Castilla de la Mancha.  After a pleasant drive to this very special area, our first sighting of the day was indeed of one of the key target species, the Great Bustard.  As we enjoyed some great views of these huge birds strolling across the steppe in beautiful morning sunlight we were also fortunate enough to see a small flock of Calandra Larks, another classic bird of this area. The first lagoon gave views of Gadwall, Greater Flamingo, and Ruff.  A few Lapwings were also feeding close by.  We then moved onto another lagoon where we spent the rest of the morning.  As we relaxed by the water´s edge, we had good views…

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Bird Watching in Valencia Province

Last week, I had the pleasure of a arranging a day trip for a group of 5 experienced birders from Newcastle, UK.  They had spent some time touring around the provinces of Alicante and Valencia and after visiting various birding sites had managed to see 97 species.  They had opted to finish their holiday with a guided birding trip with us, and one of the group had made the claim that if their species list reached 100, then he would mark the occasion with a bottle of champagne! We made the journey up through the city of Valencia to the coastal wetlands and began our walk from there.  The day started well with good views of Moustached Warbler and Little Bittern.  The first sizeable lagoon held Red Crested Pochard, White Headed Duck and Great Crested Grebe.  The surrounding reed beds gave views of Great Reed Warbler, Fan Tailed Warbler and Reed Warbler.  We also enjoyed great views of Glossy Ibis, Turtle Dove and Audouin´s Gull.  Terns were very busy making continual fishing trips to feed their young.  We were fortunate enough to see Common Tern, Sandwich Tern, Little Tern and…

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Birding at the Valencian Coastal Wetlands.

On Tuesday 9th April, I was especially happy to provide a day of guided birding for a family from UK…especially happy as their young son came along on the trip and it´s always great to see children and young people getting involved and showing interest in nature. After meeting in Valencia city centre, we made the short trip to the coastal wetlands and after the obligatory morning coffee, we set out along the beach, behind which is a series of lagoons.  We were fortunate enough to start the day with a Buzzard overhead closely followed by a Sedge Warbler in the reeds.  The first large lagoon held Greater Flamingo, Red Crested Pochard, Shoveler and Common Pochard. A little further along the coast we were rewarded with super views of one of the classic Valencian species, the Collared Pratincole.  This beautiful bird breeds at various points along the Med and is always a pleasure to watch.   The same spot held Little Ringed Plovers, Black Winged Stilts, Yellow Wagtail and Little Grebe. As we headed inland, we enjoyed great views of sizeable flocks of Glossy Ibis.  Sand Martins, House Martins and…

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Great Bustards & Cranes.

On Friday 1st February, we provided a day of guided bird watching to the steppe and lagoons of Castilla de la Mancha in Eastern Spain for a couple from UK.  Andrew and June were well travelled birders and had visited Spain many times.  Their target species for this trip was the magnificent Great Bustard. We travelled from their hotel in the beautiful town of Xativa, heading up onto the high steppe.  Although there was a strong wind blowing across the plains, the light quality was excellent.  After a brief coffee stop in a farming village, we set out in the van across the fields.  We were exceptionally fortunate as not only did we come across a group of over 30 Great Bustards within the first 10 minutes, but some of the males were beginning their spectacular display.  The quality of the light coupled with the pristine condition of their plumage made for a wonderful spectacle.  It was a real pleasure to be able to observe this sight, and although they were a little too far away to capture any quality photographs, we had great views through the scope. We then…

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