Bird Watching Eastern Spain - Valencia Birding - Guided Bird Watching in Spain

Bird watching trip to the steppe

A few days ago I was delighted to provide a bird watching trip for a couple from England. It was great to be able to do so as Dave and I had met them at Rutland Bird Fair and it was there that we originally discussed a trip to the steppe. As they were staying to the south of our region, we agreed a meeting point and headed for the birding area. The weather forecast was not the best but they were keen to discover the area and its birdlife. After a few minutes driving we arrived to the first stop at an irrigation pond where we enjoyed nice views of Marsh Harrier, Green Sandpiper and Zitting Cisticola. We kept moving looking for the target species of the day… Great Bustard! On the road to the high steppe we stopped at a farm and after few seconds scanning the area, we spotted the first flock of Great Bustards.. It was a stunning group of 36 males! Not far from the Great Bustards… we spotted a large flock of Calandra Larks and Crested Larks. The steppe is the ideal habitat to…

Birding trip to Albufera of Valencia

A few weeks ago, I was delighted to provide a birding trip to Albufera of Valencia Natural Park for two couples from England. One couple were experienced birders who wanted to introduce their friends to the pleasure of going birding during their holidays. They were keen to discover the birdlife of the Valencian wetlands, so after I collected them, we drove a few minutes to the main reserve area of the natural park. After visiting the centre to understand the different ecosystems and birdlife of the area, we went to the observatories which is where we saw the first species of interest… Black-winged Stilt, Red-crested Pochard as well as an Osprey that flew over Next stop was in a green filter and reserve area. It took us a few minutes to drive through the rice paddies and just before we entered the reserve, a flock of Spoonbills flew over and we enjoyed great views. We arrived to the observatory tower where we had amazing views of some of the target species of the day… Purple Swamphen, Great White Egret and Marsh Harrier. The day was going pretty well so they…

Guided birding trip to the steppe

A few day ago I was delighted to provide a guided birding trip to the steppe for Joppe from Holland. He is an experienced birder and was keen to see Great Bustards and some other target species of this area. He was staying in Albacete, so we agreed to meet at Almansa railway station. After I collected him, he told me that he´d seen a few Great Bustards from the train – the main goal of the day was already accomplished without my help!! So we decided as a new objective for the day, to get quality views of them. The first stop was at an irrigation pond where we had a few good sightings despite of the wind… Marsh Harrier, Zitting Cisticola and a flock of Linnet. We continued driving in search of the Great Bustard, it was a challenging day… most of the fields had been ploughed recently and the birds weren’t in their regular areas. Despite that, on the way to the next stop we had great view of Iberian Grey Shrike and a nice flock of Calandra Larks. Later we had to stop the car to…

Birding trip to Albufera of Valencia

Last week I was delighted to provide a birding trip to Albufera of Valencia for a couple from England. Both experienced birders who were keen to discover and enjoy the birdlife of the wetlands close to Valencia City. After I collected them from their hotel in Valencia we drove straight to the main reserve area inside the Natural Park, although we stopped briefly in the pier of Albufera Lake to enjoy fantastic views of Booted Eagles and Sandwich Terns. A few minutes later we were visiting the information centre, a good way to start understanding why it´s so important to protect this area and why birds are present at the different times of the year. Then after a short walk we arrived at the observatory where we enjoyed fantastic views of Black-winged Stilt, Greenshank and many other waders wintering in the area as well as waterfowl… Teals, Shoveler, Shelduck, Red-crested Pochard, Pintail and more. Picnic lunch was at a springwater reserve area where we had nice sightings of Little Grebe and Booted Eagle. After a refreshing break and tasty meal we had a lot to do during the afternoon, so…

Guided birding trip to Albufera de Valencia

I was recently delighted to provide a bird watching trip for a couple from England. They are good friends of a friend and regular client of Valencia Birding, so I was keen to meet them. Experienced birders, they were interested in a guided birding trip to Albufera de Valencia. The weather forecast was not too promising but we managed to escape the rain and enjoyed the birdlife of this fabulous wetland. After I collected them from their hotel in Valencia City, we drove straight to the Northern area of the park where there were some ploughed rice paddies, ideal for Flamingo, Whiskered Tern, Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint and many more waders. Next stop was to the main reserve area of the Natural Park, first we visited the information centre, a good way to start understanding why this area is so important for migrants. Then after a short walk we arrived at the observatory where we enjoyed great views of Black-winged Stilt, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Little Stint and waterfowl. On our way to the picnic lunch area we stopped in a bar of El Palmar to buy a sandwich to…

Autumn birding on the steppe

Last week, I enjoyed a super day of autumn birding on the steppe with two returning clients from England. Both very keen birders, they were keen 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 Black-necked Grebe, Little Grebe, Black-winged Stilt, and a huge flock of Spotless Starling. The day had started well and the weather was on our side too – sunny and thankfully not windy! The next stop was by some old farm buildings where we enjoyed views of Rock Sparrow, Corn Bunting and one of the highlight species Great Bustard! The next lagoon, provided us with views of Booted Eagle, Red Kite and White-headed Duck. 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…