Holidays - Alicante - Valencia - Bird Watching Tours

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…

A Christmas Birding Trip to the Steppe & Lagoons of Eastern Spain

On 22nd December, we provided a guided bird watching trip to the steppe and lagoons for a client from the Netherlands. Norbert, a very well travelled and experienced birder was holidaying in the Valencia area and was keen to see the bird life that this superb region has to offer. The morning had dawned bright and clear but as we climbed up onto the steppe, it became quite cloudy with a little light drizzle in the air. After a coffee in a local farming village, we set out across the fields towards the day´s first lagoon. Something caught our eye way off to the left so we stopped to take a closer look…indeed, it was a pair of Great Bustards – one of the day´s target species. After a few minutes they took flight, remarkably elegantly for such huge birds. The first lagoon gave good views of Shoveler, Shelduck, Greater Flamingo, Golden Plover and Teal. Although quite far off, we also had views of a Merlin. The nearby telephone cables were occupied by a large flock of Corn Buntings whilst flocks of Serin were flitting around the trees at the…

Guided Bird Watching on the Steppe of Castilla de la Mancha

On 11th October I had the pleasure of providing a guided bird watching trip for a couple from Ringwood, UK. They were staying in Valencia and wanted a day´s birding as part of their holiday. Both very experienced birders they had been visiting Spain for many years and had travelled throughout the world on other birding expeditions. They had specifically requested a day out on the steppe to see the distinct bird life this unique habitat holds. Unfortunately, conditions were not ideal as the water levels in the area´s lagoons were very low, and coupled with a strong wind, this meant that we had to work hard in order to find the birds. Our first stopping point gave views of Skylark, Crested Lark and Wheatear. There wasn´t much flying thanks to the stiff breeze so we headed off to spend some time beside a lake. There we enjoyed views of Teal, Greater Flamingo and Marsh Harrier. By now it was becoming clear that conditions were against us so we decided upon a strategy of driving across the high steppe and making periodic stops to scan the vast landscape. After a…

Mid-Summer Birding

July and August are generally not the best months for birding here in Spain. This summer has been especially hot, even by our standards so we´re all looking forward to the autumn when migration is underway and the weather is much more comfortable. The diary is already filling up so it looks like being a great season. However, whilst on holiday visiting family in our area in mid August, Nora asked for a day trip to see some typical Mediterranean species. A nature lover and general bird enthusiast, she was happy to see a few special target species rather than to maximise a tick list. With that in mind, and the summer heat, we decided upon a slightly modified “Mountains & Marshes” trip. We began the day with a couple of hours in a spectacular mountain gorge and although the path was a little steep in places, the cliffs did provide some welcome shade. We were soon enjoying great views of Griffon Vultues, both in flight and on the high ledges of their breeding cliffs. Closer inspection of the cliffs revealed Crag Martin, Black Redstart, and eventually another of the…

Guided Birding in Valencia

On 17th May I provided a guided bird watching trip for a couple from Belgium who were holidaying in Valencia. They opted for our Mountain Bird Life trip which involves a short but beautiful walk into a spectacular mountain gorge. We were soon enjoying great views of Griffon Vulture, both in flight and at rest on the high mountain crags. The bushes and trees in the valley bottom held Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Sardinian Warbler and Serin. After a short while we took a rest in the shade and watched a colony of Crag Martins and enjoyed a great view of a male Linnet in a nearby tree. Our return walk gave good views of Blue Rock Thrush, Raven, Chough and Black Redstart. After lunch we headed a little further down the valley as my clients were keen to see a Bee-Eater and I knew of a great location from which to see these stunningly colourful birds. Having parked the van, we walked quietly up a lane, keeping low behind the bushes. Our luck was in, and we were able to get close to one that was perched on a wire…

Guided Bird Watching in Valencia

On Easter Sunday I provided a guided bird watching trip to the Valencian Coastal Wetlands for a lovely couple from Essex, UK. Experienced travellers and naturalists they were spending the long weekend in the city of Valencia and chose to make a guided bird watching trip a part of their holiday plans. Having collected them from their hotel in the city centre, we made our way to the coastal wetlands, parked the van and after a brief introductory discussion, made our way along the dunes. We were soon enjoying good views Glossy Ibis, Marsh Harrier and Reed Warbler. The first lagoon provided superb views of White Headed Duck, Red Crested Pochard and Flamingo. As we walked along the dunes we also had good views of Yellow Wagtail, Chiffchaff, Corn Bunting and Fan Tailed Warbler. Other local specialities included Audouin´s Gull, Whiskered Tern and Purple Heron. Our next stopping point was a smaller coastal lagoon and that gave good, close views of Kentish Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Redshank and the beautifully marked Collared Pratincole. After a relaxed picnic lunch in the spring sunshine we continued our walk and were soon enjoying…