Bird Watching Eastern Spain - Page 3 of 11 - Valencia Birding

Guided birding trip to the wetlands of Valencia

Last week, I had the pleasure of providing a guided birding trip to the wetlands of Valencia for a very experienced birder from the UK. She wanted to combine a short break in this magical Mediterranean city with a day of birding in the local coastal marshes and lagoons. After the short drive from the city centre, before we began to explore the coastal lagoons and surrounding reed beds, we stopped in a farming area where we spotted two lovely Hoopoes, a Little Owl and a Barn Owl. Once inside of the reserve, one of the highlights of the first lagoon were three Night Herons resting in a tree. After a short walk to the next lagoon we enjoyed seeing the extremely rare White-headed Duck. We also had good views of Little Bittern and Great Reed Warbler. As we headed along the coast, we were treated to some superb views of the fascinating Collared Pratincole. The coastal scrub also held Stonechat, Wheatear and Crested Lark. The next lagoon gave good views of Little Tern plus waders including Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover and Black-winged Stilt. After lunch on the pebble beach,…

Birding on the Steppe of Spain

Last week, Dave and I enjoyed a fantastic day with a couple of returning clients from UK. They had a trip with us in the Spring, when we enjoyed a day in the mountains of Valencia. This time, they were keen to have a day of guided birding on the steppe of Spain. It was a pleasure to see Jan & Ossie again, and to catch up on our respective conservation projects, particularly with owls. After a chat over morning coffee, we made the relatively short journey into the rolling plains of Castilla de la Mancha. One of our main target species was the Great Bustard, which would be a lifer for them both. We stopped in a favourite location where we often get views of these magnificent creatures, and patiently scanned the surrounding fields. After some 15 minutes, we were rewarded with some fantastic views of a group of male Great Bustards, strolling through the fields and feeding under a stand of trees. As we enjoyed the autumn sunshine, a Red Kite suddenly came into view, and circled overhead, giving some wonderful views. Crested Larks and Skylarks flitted around…

Birding and Nature Photography Trip

Yesterday I provided a birding and nature photography trip for a client from Italy. It was his second trip to Valencia and he wanted to photograph some of the fabulous bird species of the Albufera de Valencia Natural Park. I collected him from his hotel in the city of Valencia where he´s spending a week´s holiday with his family. As he´s a keen wildlife photographer, he´d contacted Valencia Birding to arrange a day trip which would be close to the city whilst visiting some of the areas natural spaces. 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 visited a protected reserve area with a magnificent biodiversity. Species included Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit and Greenshank. Next stop was in the Devesa forest, a natural native Mediterranean pine forest. We watched and photographed…

Guided wildlife and bird watching in Valencia

Last Saturday I was delighted to spend a wonderful day with two great clients from New York, USA. There were on a journey through the Costa del Sol, Spain and wanted a day of guided wildlife and bird watching in Valencia. It was a sunny and windless day, ideal for exploring the different eco-systems of the Albufera de Valencia Natural Park. Not only keen birders, they were also particularly interested in ecology and natural history in general. I designed a trip with this in mind, hoping to provide a bespoke day. I focussed on the history and ecology of the area, and also gave an insight into the ongoing efforts to promote conservation and specifically to improve the water quality of the Albufera. We enjoyed many of the classic and wintering species of l´Albufera in particular herons, egrets and ibis that are resident in the park. We enjoyed a fabulous day and were fortunate enough to see more than 40 species, including: Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard, Booted Eagle, Kestrel, Glossy Ibis, Grey Heron, Great Egret, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Purple Swamphen, Moorhen, Coot, Little Grebe, Back-necked Grebe, Great-Crested Grebe, Common Snipe, Black-winged…

Wildlife and Bird Watching in Valencia

Last week I spent a wonderful day with two great clients from my native Yorkshire. There were on a journey through France and Spain and wanted a day of guided wildlife and bird watching in Valencia. Not only keen birders, they were also particularly interested in ecology and natural history in general. I designed a trip with this in mind, hoping to provide a bespoke day. After a short drive from their hotel in the city of Valencia, we stopped for a morning coffee and discussed plans for the day, before heading to one of Albufera´s best nature reserves. We walked through the reserve where we enjoyed views of Ruff, Little Ringed Plover, Snipe, Little Bittern and Marsh Harrier. The lagoons held Greater Flamingo, Great Egret, Purple Swamphen and Shoveler. Upon scanning some nearby pylons, we were fortunate to see not only an Iberian Grey Shrike but also an Osprey. This area is regularly used by Ospreys as a stopping-off and feeding point on their migration to and from their wintering grounds in Africa. We were then treated to a fascinating presentation by the reserve staff, which focussed on the…

Birding at Albufera de Valencia

On Wednesday 20th November, we arranged a trip to Albufera de Valencia for a group of local birders. The day began with morning coffee at a bar beside one of Albufera´s traditional fishing ports. We then visited one of the park´s prime nature reserves where we spent the morning enjoying the superb bird life that this reserve supports. Despite a windy morning, we had good views of Black Winged Stilt, Snipe, Marsh Harrier, Great Egret and dozens of wintering Chiff Chaffs. The highlight of the walk through the reserve was a stunning view of a Booted Eagle that passed overhead then came to land on the ground right in front of us. We then enjoyed a fascinating presentation on the history, ecology and various conservation projects of the reserve together with a visual display on how the reserve benefits the local environment and its wildlife. We were especially fortunate to observe some bird ringing that was being done by the Sociedad Española de Ornitología. A special treat was being able to see a Kingfisher at such close range, and for one of the group to be able to release…