Category: Guided birding Valencia

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…

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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,…

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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….

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January 2014 Bulletin

As ever I would like to begin by wishing everyone a very happy, healthy and bird-filled New Year.  I hope that you´re all well, have had a good festive period and that the New Year lists are well underway! The purpose of this bulletin is to reflect briefly on the last year but more so to keep you informed of new developments here in Valencia. 2013 was a successful and busy year, and I was fortunate enough to share many a great day with some lovely and interesting people. Many thanks to you all for your support. Special thanks to those who made return visits, it´s especially gratifying when clients do so, often with family and friends. The year began with some cool but sunny days and we enjoyed great views of some classic species including Crane, Great Bustard, Brambling, Bluethroat and Purple Swamphen. As winter gave way to Spring, we were treated to views of huge flocks of Greater Flamingo, and then of course the excitement of the returning summer visitors. This season gave particularly good views of breeding wetland species such as Collared Pratincole, Night Heron, Squacco Heron, Little…

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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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