Holidays - Alicante - Valencia - Bird Watching Tours

A stormy day on the steppe

Yesterday I spent a wonderful day birding the steppe and lagoons of our region with a client from Spain. A very experienced bird watcher, naturalist and conservationist, she was eager to discover this unique habitat and the birdlife that thrives here. After a comfortable and easy journey from Valencia, we stopped at our first spot to check out a small lagoon and area of floodwater. On the water we saw Shelduck, Flamingo, and Little Grebe. The reeds held a pair of Great Reed Warbler, which after a little patience we managed to see. Corn Buntings were calling from the nearby fenceline, and Tree Sparrows were active in the surrounding scrub. A pair of Little Ringed Plovers were scurrying around the mud on the shoreline. A Buzzard passed low overhead, whilst Swallows, House Martins and Swifts were all feeding above in the beautiful blue skies. Our next spot was nothing more than a “prospecting” site that overlooks the vast area of cereal fields that cover this region. We had a good view of Crested Lark and some scanning and effort gave us views of a pair of Stone Curlew. A little…

Birding the Steppe

Once more, we were recently delighted to welcome back a returning client. Gavin from UK had previously booked a trip to the wetlands of Valencia, and this time had returned for a birding trip to the steppe and lagoons of Eastern Spain. Birding the steppe can reveal some amazing species, and today was to prove no exception. Our journey from Valencia took us through a few heavy rain showers but once we´d arrived on site, it was dry although quite windy. Our first stop by an area of floodwater beside an old farming village gave views of Tree Sparrow. Spotted Flycatcher, Yellow Wagtail and Lapwing. Our next point was an area of pasture and scrub beside a farm. Here we enjoyed views of Corn Bunting, Iberian Grey Shrike, Skylark, Crested Lark and yet more Yellow Wagtail, one of which was thought to be of the UK sub-species. The wind was steadily increasing so for our next stop, beside a lake, we used the car as a hide and opted for comfort! This worked quite well, and we had views of Marsh Harrier, Greater Flamingo, Red Crested Pochard and Shelduck. Our…

7-Day Twin Centre Birding Holiday

7-Day Twin Centre Birding Holiday Thanks to the diverse habitats of the Valencian region, we´re delighted to be able to offer a 7-day bird watching break. The itinerary has been carefully designed, focussing on : Diversity of habitats and species. Minimal travelling time. Authentic Spanish accommodation. The trip can easily be amended, depending on the clients´wishes and specific travel plans. It can also be adapted for clients choosing to fly into / out of either Valencia or Alicante airport. Likewise, when proposing a specific itinerary we can also take into account any specific target species and other related activities. For example, many clients opt to dedicate a day specifically to bird photography, and we can offer the use of specially designed hides in different habitats, according to their wishes. As a guide, here is an example of our most popular version… Day 1 – Salt Marshes. We will collect you from the airport, where we can discuss the plan for the week over a relaxing coffee. Depending on arrival time, we could then visit some local salt lagoons before travelling to the guest house. A very popular choice is the…

An amazing day at Valencia´s wetlands.

Last week, I was especially delighted to welcome back returning clients Steve, Melanie and their son Adam. We provided a day of guided birding for them at Albufera de Valencia last winter, and had discussed the options for a Spring trip. Their timing was perfect as many summer visitors were either passing through or had already settled in readiness to breed. The coastal wetlands of Valencia are spectacular in Spring, and today was to prove amazing. Numbers aren´t everything, but by the end of the day, we´d totalled over 70 species. Little Ringed Plover Our day began with a walk by some coastal lagoons where we had good views of wildfowl including Red Crested Pochard, Shoveler, and Gadwall. We heard a Water Rail although it didn´t show, but we did manage to see another two elusive species – Cetti´s Warbler and Nightingale. We then heard the call of Penduline Tit, so began to search for it. Within a couple of minutes, three of them appeared and sat out in the open giving superb views. Three Spoonbills then flew over. Scanning the flocks of passing Swallows revealed a few Red Rumped Swallows…

6-Day Winter Bird Watching Holiday

The huge habitat diversity of the Valencia region of Spain allows us to provide a superb 6 day birding holiday. In late February of this year, we were fortunate to deliver exactly that for Gourmet Birds, a well established specialist bird watching holiday provider from UK. We´d worked very closely with them to design a bespoke trip, taking in some of the region´s best birding venues and carefully selected accommodation to hopefully result in a memorable trip. Day 1 – Salt Marshes and Lagoons The group arrived relatively early into Alicante airport. Therefore, without wanting to make the first day too long, we did choose to spend a few hours birding at a couple of the salt marshes that are situated within very easy reach of the airport. The usual Flamingoes were feeding on the salt marshes in huge numbers, providing a striking welcome to Spain for our guests! As we strolled by the first lagoons, we also enjoyed views of Audouin´s Gull, Little Stint, Shelduck, Reed Bunting and Black Redstart. We were also treated to views of three Spoonbills in flight. We then moved on to another site that…

Fabulous Spring birding on the Steppe

Over the Easter weekend, I enjoyed a super day on the steppe with two returning clients from Belgium. Both very keen birders, they were eager to see the fabulous species that this unique habitat holds. Within just over an hour´s drive from Valencia, the high steppe and lagoons provide a completely different habitat from those found at the coast or the mountains. Our first stop beside an area of floodwater gave views of Avocet, Little Ringed Plover, Snipe and a huge flock of Yellow Wagtail. The day had started well, and although quite windy, the next stop gave views of Rock Sparrow, Corn Bunting and one of the highlight species Little Bustard! The next lagoon provided us with views of the very rare Red Knobbed Coot. Water Pipits were feeding by the shore. Lunch time was approaching, so we parked in a sheltered spot by a favourite lake and whilst we enjoyed a picnic, we saw White Headed Duck, Gadwall, Black Necked Grebe, Marsh Harrier and Flamingo. The rest of the day was to be spent exploring the high steppe, visiting some favourite spots and hoping for a little good…