Albufera de Valencia - Page 7 of 14 - Valencia Birding

A superb day at Albufera de Valencia.

A couple of weeks ago, just before the much needed rain storms that we´re currently enjoying, I provided a trip to Albufera de Valencia for a couple of regular clients. As they are frequent clients, we opted to spend the morning in just one reserve area and focus on what we could see there. The day began with a treat as hundreds of Greater Flamingoes passed low overhead, providing a real spectacle. They were soon followed by a Buzzard and then a small group of Booted Eagles, both pale and dark phase. The lagoons held Purple Swamphens in good numbers, as well as Glossy Ibis and Great Egret. Despite it being late November, we also watched a few Barn Swallows feeding with House Martins over the water. The reeds contained Zitting Cisticola, Reed Bunting, Kingfisher and Chiffchaff. Then as we were approaching the edge of another lagoon, we were delighted to enjoy great views of a Bittern, perhaps the highlight of the day! After lunch by a small canal where we had views of Little Bittern, we moved to the south side of the park, where we´d heard of reports of…

2-Day Bird Watching Trip from Valencia

I recently provided a 2-day bird watching trip from Valencia for an experienced birder from UK. Colin wanted to discover the birdlife of the region, but only had two available days. So, we designed a trip that would maximise his time and enjoyment. Day 1 – Albufera Natural Park After a brief coffee stop, we visited a number of natural reserves, where we had great views of Booted Eagle, Flamingos, Purple Swamphen, Spoonbill, Whiskered Tern and a huge diversity of waders. Albufera is an excellent site for waders in autumn. After an interesting drive through the rice paddies where we had fantastic views of thousands of egrets and herons, we finished the day with a brief visit to a sports field where we had great views of Hoopoe, Crested Lark and Serin. The species list for the day included… Booted Eagle, Marsh Harrier, Kestrel, Flamingo, Glossy Ibis, Spoonbill, Purple Swamphen, Moorhen, Coot, Little Bittern, Squacco Heron, Great Egret, Grey Heron, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Great-crested Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Little Grebe, Mallard, Teal, Shoveler, Red-crested Pochard, Gadwall, Shelduck, Great Cormorant, Black-winged Stilt, Avocet, Ruff, Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit,…

Birding and nature photography trip

Last week I provided a birding and nature photography trip for a family from Maine, USA. They were visiting Valencia for the first time and they also wanted to discover the nature and birdlife close to Valencia and photograph some of the fabulous bird species of the Albufera de Valencia Natural Park. At this time of the year, the bird life in l´Albufera is distributed in different areas of the park, depending on which rice fields have been ploughed, thus influencing food availability. So, our first stop was in the western part of the Natural Park, where we found an amazing sight – over 2,000 flamingos, plus thousands of gulls, egrets, herons and glossy ibis. After this wonderful spectacle, we kept driving through the rice paddies where we found a magnificent biodiversity with spectacular species such as Little Stint, Black-tailed Godwit and Peregrine Falcon. Next stop was in a high road that has great views to a ravine where we enjoyed fantastic views of Purple Swamphens and Marsh Harriers. Next stop was in the Devesa forest, a natural native Mediterranean pine forest. We watched and photographed many passerines…

White Stork in Albufera de Valencia

Here´s a brief clip of a White Stork in Albufera de Valencia. The spring and autumn migration periods are fascinating here as the site is located right on a major fly-way. Each year, some fascinating species drop in to rest and feed on their journeys to and from Africa…

Black Headed Weaver in Valencia

I was recently fortunate enough to provide a day of guided birding for a couple from Germany. Although now living in western Germany, Rebecca was born in my home town of Sheffield so it was good to talk of adventures in the Peak District! As part of their holiday in Spain, they had booked a day of guided birding with us, and we´d opted for a trip to Albufera. In September, it´s always really interesting as the autumn migration is underway and Albufera is an important stopping and feeding area. We began the day at a special little reserve where we were treated to views of Glossy Ibis, Spoonbill, Osprey, Marsh Harrier, Purple Heron and Night Heron. We also visited a ringing station where we watched the ringers at work, recording the data of a Reed Warbler and a Bluethroat. The afternoon was spent in amongst some partially flooded rice paddies where we had great views of some super waders including Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper and Ruff. As we were thinking of wrapping up for the day, a bright yellow flash caught our eye. Close examination…

Bird watching trip to Albufera de Valencia

Earlier this month I enjoyed a super day´s birding with a couple of clients from UK. Brian and Sally are keen nature lovers and experienced birders, and were spending a few days in Valencia. They had previously contacted us and we´d arranged a bird watching trip to Albufera de Valencia as part of their break. After I´d collected them from their apartment in central Valencia, we made the short journey to Albufera where our first stop was in a protected reserve area. The reed beds, lagoons, canals and marshes of this reserve provide excellent habitat for an array of bird species throughout the year. Today was no exception, and we were fortunate enough to enjoy views of Purple Heron, Night Heron, Squacco Heron and Great Egret. September is always a fascinating month, as some of the summer visitors are still present, whilst some winter visitors are just beginning to arrive. Furthermore, many species that are on passage stop at Albufera to feed and rest. One such species is the Osprey, and we were treated to views of this superb raptor. The reeds held Fan-tailed Warbler, Reed Warbler and Chiffchaff whilst…