Bird Watching - Valencia Birding - Guided Bird Watching in Spain

Mountain birding trip in early spring

A few days ago, I was delighted to provide a mountain birding trip for two of clients from Scotland. They were experienced birders and after few days visiting Valencia City, they wanted a day out in the mountains to discover the birdlife of the area. After I collected them from their hotel, we drove less than an hour to this beautiful mountain area. On the way, we had to speed down to enjoy a flock of Glossy Ibis and a pair of Short-toed Eagles displaying. Ones in the area, our first stop a family of Serins catch our attention, suddenly the first Griffon Vultures started to show up with the background’s call of Sardinian Warbler. In the Second stop, the distinctive call of the frogs didn’t take our concentration on spotting the majestic Egyphtian Vultures, we were extremely luck to see them mating and displaying. Further on the gorge, we had nice views of Firecrest and Crag Martins flying everywhere. It took us some time to arrive to the Griffon Vultures’ colony, an amazing spot at the end of the gorge where also Peregrine Falcon and Egyphtian Vulture use for…

Bird Watching in Valencia

On Sunday 15th April I spent a very enjoyable day with a lady from Austria who was visiting the area and wanted a day of guided bird watching in Valencia. Having met her at her accommodation in the city centre, we made the short journey to the Valencian Coastal Wetlands. This area is superb at any time of year but is especially interesting in April as summer visitors are arriving and migrants are passing through. We set off along the coast, scanning the reeds for warblers. A stiff breeze seemed to be keeping the smaller birds down but we did enjoy spectacular views of Swallows and Swifts swooping and diving as they hoovered up a swarm of mosquitos. The first lagoon provided excellent views of the very rare White Headed Duck together with Red Crested Pochard, Yellow Wagtail and Greater Flamingo. We then heard the distinctive call of a Great Reed Warbler so began our search which within a few minutes revealed this bold and charismatic bird sitting up in the reeds. We continued our walk along the coast where a few bushes were holding a small flock of passing…

Guided Bird Watching Trip to Albufera de Valencia

On Tuesday 6th March I had the pleasure of providing a guided bird watching trip to Albufera de Valencia for two clients from Finland. Both very experienced and knowledgeable birders, they were taking a short break in Valencia and wanted to spend a day bird watching as part of their other plans. Having collected my clients from the city centre, we headed out across the natural park. The day´s first bird was an Iberian Grey Shrike that was perched on a telephone line close to the track. Our plan was to visit a highly protected reserve where some superb conservation work takes place. As we drove across the park we were treated to a spectacular sight as over 200 Glossy Ibis settled in a field beside us, the low morning sun illuminating the bronze and green sheen of their plumage. As we started our walk, a small flock of Black Winged Stilt passed over, flying low and showing very well against the blue sky. We scanned across a small lake and picked out Lesser Black Backed Gull, Red Crested Pochard, Wigeon and 8 Great White Egrets plus the usual Albufera…

Half Day Trip to the Mountains of Valencia

On Tuesday, I took two local British birders on a half-day trip to the mountains of Valencia. Before we set off on the short walk, we stopped for a coffee and were entertained by a pair of Short Toed Treecreepers and a group of Long Tailed Tits in the pine trees by the road. We parked the van and set off into a beautiful rocky gorge. Within just a few minutes, we spotted a Black Wheatear, a special bird for today as it was a “life tick” for both of my guests. It sat around long enough for a few photos although it was quite a long way off. It was soon joined by at least 6 Black Redstarts and similar numbers of Blackcaps. As we made our way up the valley we were treated to stunning views of Griffon Vultures. It´s always incredible to see how such a huge bird can soar on the thermals seemingly without any effort whatsoever. We were fortunate enough to find a few at rest on the high cliffs so were able to get a few photographs. Whilst we were scanning the cliffs for…

Combine Guided Bird Watching in Spain with a City Break or Beach Holiday

As it´s the time of year when thoughts are turning to the warmer months ahead and of holidays in the sun, we´re all thinking of how we can maximise our precious free time and of course value for our hard earned cash. These days, more people are opting for a vacation that provides the opportunity to enjoy outdoor activities rather than just a beach holiday or sight-seeing trip. However, it´s often the case that to indulge in a favourite hobby whilst away, one has to opt for a specifically organised activity holiday. Here at Valencia Birding, we recognise that such a holiday may not suit all members of a family or party and therefore aim to provide our clients with absolute flexibility and superb value for money. We offer anything from a full week of Guided Bird Watching for groups of up to 8 people, inclusive of accommodation to a day trip that can be arranged for a couple or individual who happen to be holidaying in Spain and quite fancy a Guided Bird Watching trip as part of their other plans. Increasingly, we´re finding that our clients are opting to…

Alpine Accentors!

Today´s outing was not specifically a birding trip and more of a walk to the top of one of our local mountain peaks. Such is the beauty of the route, it´s one that we enjoy two or three times per year and today´s trip was timed to coincide with the visit of one of my favourite and most character-full of mountain birds, the Alpine Accentor. The initial walk up through the steep forest gave good views of Chaffinch, Long Tailed Tit, Great Tit, Robin and the beautifully marked Firecrest. This area is also a frequent haunt of Blue Rock Thrush although we didn´t see any today. As we emerged from the tree line we rested in the sunshine on a shoulder just below the summit ridge. Within minutes, we were rewarded with views of 3 Alpine Accentors perched on a rock on the skyline. As we watched, further individuals flew in, apparently interested in whether they could share our lunch! As we sat there, we were joined by up to 20 of these stocky little birds, their red-brown flanks and white throat patches flecked with black showing clearly. After the…