Guided birding Valencia - Page 8 of 12 - Valencia Birding

Easter Birding in Valencia

On Easter Saturday, Yanina and I arranged a day of guided bird watching to the Valencian Coastal Wetlands. At Easter Birding in Valencia is especially rewarding as many of the summer visitors are returning to their breeding grounds in our local wetland reserves. We gathered in central Valencia before making the short journey to the reserve that we´d selected for today´s trip. After a morning coffee, looking out across the calm waters of the Mediterranean, we began our walk along a coastal dune system. The first lagoon gave good views of waterfowl including Pochard, Red-crested Pochard and Little Grebe. As we walked further into the reserve, the second lagoon provided a spectacular sight of seven male White-headed Ducks, one of Europe´s rarest and arguably most attractive ducks. We also had great views of Flamingo, Purple Heron, Glossy Ibis and Marsh Harrier. We then took in an area of coastal scrub, and were treated to views of Wheatear, Stonechat, Whinchat, Sub-alpine Warbler and Spotless Starling. We also had a good view of Audouin´s Gull and the beautiful Collared Pratincole. After a picnic lunch on a pebble beach, we headed inland to an area…

Guided wildlife and bird watching in Valencia

Last Saturday I was delighted to spend a wonderful day with two great clients from New York, USA. There were on a journey through the Costa del Sol, Spain and wanted a day of guided wildlife and bird watching in Valencia. It was a sunny and windless day, ideal for exploring the different eco-systems of the Albufera de Valencia Natural Park. Not only keen birders, they were also particularly interested in ecology and natural history in general. I designed a trip with this in mind, hoping to provide a bespoke day. I focussed on the history and ecology of the area, and also gave an insight into the ongoing efforts to promote conservation and specifically to improve the water quality of the Albufera. We enjoyed many of the classic and wintering species of l´Albufera in particular herons, egrets and ibis that are resident in the park. We enjoyed a fabulous day and were fortunate enough to see more than 40 species, including: Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard, Booted Eagle, Kestrel, Glossy Ibis, Grey Heron, Great Egret, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Purple Swamphen, Moorhen, Coot, Little Grebe, Back-necked Grebe, Great-Crested Grebe, Common Snipe, Black-winged…

Upland birds of Spain

Last week, I was very happy to welcome back a small group of returning clients from Scotland. They had previously been on a guided birding trip with me when we explored the wetlands of Valencia, but this time they were keen to see the upland birds of Spain. Therefore, the Steppe and Lagoons of Castilla de la Mancha seemed to be the ideal trip. Having met at a convenient village in the rolling hills of inland Valencia, we continued the journey up onto the plains of Castilla de la Mancha (just over an hour´s drive from Valencia). As we made our first stop to scan across the fields, we had good views of Crested Lark and Skylark. A Buzzard was perched nearby then a Hoopoe made a brief appearance. The first lagoon of the day provided a very interesting hour or so. In amongst a flock of Lapwing on the shoreline, we spotted Ruff, Little Ringed Plover and a Redshank. A small group of Flamingoes were feeding in the shallows, and flocks of Linnets were passing through the nearby pines. As we scanned some ruined farm buildings, we had a…

2 Day Birding Trip in Spain

Last week I had the pleasure of providing a couple of days of guided bird watching for a client from UK. He was staying close to the town of Xativa, a short drive from Valencia and had previously contacted me to arrange two specific trips. Day 1 His choice for the first of his 2 day birding trip in Spain was a day on the high steppe and plains of Castilla de la Mancha. A very keen and experienced birder, he was eager to see the species that this very special environment holds, especially the Great Bustard. He was accompanied by his wife on our first day, also a knowledgable birder and nature lover. After the obligatory morning coffee, we headed out across the plains and made our first stop to scan this vast area. The first sighting was of a Hoopoe and a small flock of Crested Lark. As yet…no Great Bustard! We then travelled to one of my favourite lagoons of this area, and opted for a lengthy stay here as it´s a spot where patience is often rewarded. Upon scanning the water, we enjoyed views of Black…

Valencia Birding Summer 2014 Bulletin

It´s hard to believe that we´re already in August! The year so far has been a very busy one and once more, I feel privileged to say that I have met some super clients with whom I´ve shared some very special birding moments. As always, it´s especially gratifying when people make return visits, and the year has seen some returning clients who over time have become friends. This year I´ve also been fortunate enough to welcome many clients from beyond Europe, mainly from USA and Canada. More importantly, I´d like to thank everyone for their support and for choosing to spend some time with us. It´s been an absolute pleasure. Special thanks to all those who have taken the time to leave reviews of your trips with us. Thanks to you, Valencia Birding is now officially “recommended” on Trip Advisor. You can see more here As for the birding highlights, these can differ greatly depending on the clients´wishes, and target species. For Northern European clients, species such as Collared Pratincole, Great Bustard, Bee Eater and Booted Eagle are often favourites. For clients from outside of Europe, most of our Mediterranean…

Bird watching in Valencia

Last week I provided a two day guided birding trip for a couple of great clients from Canada. They were touring Spain and had previously arranged some guided bird watching in Valencia with us. Day one was a trip to the steppe and lagoons. Having collected them from their hostal in the city of Valencia we made the short journey inland. After a morning coffee we ventured out across the plains in search of one of their target species, the Great Bustard. Our first stop did not reveal any bustards but the day did begin superbly with great views of a Great Spotted Cuckoo. As we were watching this, we enjoyed the song of nearby Skylarks and also had a great view of a Crested Lark and Corn Bunting. The first lagoon of the day gave views of Sandwich Tern, Greater Flamingo, Black-Winged Stilt and Little Ringed Plover. We moved on to the day’s next lagoon where we enjoyed views of Shelduck, Avocet, Gadwall and Reed Warbler. Then one of the day’s highlights, the extremely rare White Headed Duck. We also had views of Marsh Harrier and Black-Necked Grebe….