bird watching holidays in Spain - Page 10 of 28 - Valencia Birding

3-Day Birding Trip from Xativa.

I’ve just come to the end of a 3-day birding trip with some extremely long-standing clients of Valencia Birding. It was even more special as this was the first time that I’d seen Rab & Jan since before the Covid pandemic, so it was even more special to be with these friends again. They have travelled extensively with me throughout the region, and this time opted to make the beautiful and historical town of Xativa their base for our trip. Day 1 – Alicante Wetlands We of course had a plan for our three days, but some sudden and fast moving wet weather fronts that were sweeping across the Iberian peninsula meant that we had to be flexible and dynamic in our choice of birding sites in order to maximise quality. For that reason, on our first day we visited a small wetland reserve close to Alicante. Having driven through some heavy rain, as we neared the coast, the skies cleared slightly and the rain stopped. We visited a couple of hides, happy to have a roof over our heads given the recent weather, and enjoyed some great views of…

Masses of Gulls & Glossy Ibis at Albufera de Valencia

As is often said, “a picture paints a thousand words”. But in this case, it’s a video that I hope portrays the sheer spectacle that I experienced at the huge wetland site of Albufera de Valencia yesterday morning. At this time of year, the flooded rice fields are drained and ploughed in readiness for the planting phase. This results in the earth and mud being churned up, revealing a rich food source for thousands of ibis, gulls and egrets. It’s hard to express what the sight of such vast numbers of birds is actually like – even still photos don’t really do justice. This is why I chose to shoot this short video and share it with you. On this occasion, the majority of gulls were Black-headed, although in amongst them there was a Common Gull too! But the Starling-like murmurations of Glossy Ibis are the key spectacle. I hope you enjoy it!

New Year Birding in Valencia

Valencia Birding kicked-off 2022 with our first clients of the year on 2nd January – Magdalena and Erik from Austria. They were on a short break in Valencia and wanted to include a birding trip in their plans. We opted to visit the wetlands close to the city, as a way of making the most of the relatively short days this month. After a short drive from the city, we began the walk along the beach, stopping to watch Audouin’s Gull, Chiffchaff, Serin, Kingfisher and what was my first bird of 2022 the previous day – Black Redstart! Black Redstart Whilst watching Marsh Harriers gliding low over the reeds, another raptor flew into view, albeit much higher – an Osprey, a bird which we’ve seen quite a lot of recently. We scanned over a lagoon where Shovelers were gathered in large numbers, and also found Teal, Purple Swamphen, Little Grebe and Yellow-legged Gull. We then chose to concentrate on an area of scrub that has been holding good numbers of passerines in recent weeks. Today was no exception ans we were soon watching Serin, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Reed Bunting, Tree…

Christmas Eve Birding in Alicante

What a better way to get Christmas underway than by birding with friends Jolien and Silvia in the wetlands of Alicante?! Just under an hour´s drive from our home in the mountains, the system of coastal wetlands is a birder´s paradise at any time of year, and today´s trip gave us some excellent sightings. After a quick morning coffee in a small village, we walked into the first reserve and scanned across a small lagoon. Shoveler and Teal were on the water in good numbers, and the shoreline held Snipe, Black-winged Stilt, Common Sandpiper, Glossy Ibis and Purple Swamphen. Crag Martins were feeding overhead and a Sardinian Warbler called from the bushes. A small flock (or “clattering”) of Jackdaws passed over, followed closely by a Booted Eagle. A Dutch birder asked what the raptor was, and then doubtfully asked if we knew the name in Dutch – Jolien was on hand to help thanks to her Flemish heritage! We then turned our attention to a group of Terns. Most of them were Whiskered Terns but closer attention revealed a White-winged Tern too. White-winged Tern with Whiskered Terns There then followed…

Pre-Christmas Birding in Valencia

This week I very much enjoyed a day´s birding around the wetlands of Valencia with Simon and Sarah from England. They were staying in the historical quarter of Valencia, combining the rich culture of the city with a guided birding trip to make an ideal pre-Christmas break. They were both keen birders and lovers of the outdoors, so we make a few tweaks to the wetlands trip to include a little more walking. The day began quite cloudy with a cold northerly breeze, so after the short drive from Valencia, we wrapped up and headed out along the beach. The first thing that caught our eye were the Marsh Harriers that were gliding over the huge reed beds, above which were great numbers of Crag Martins feeding on the wing. Stonechats and Chiffchaffs were more than abundant and a Black Redstart make a brief appearance too. Then we had quality views of one of the day’s target species – Audouin’s Gull. Audouin’s Gull Continuing along the beach, Sarah spotted a Cetti’s Warbler flitting around in the reeds as well as a small flock of Reed Buntings. The first lagoon held…

Sandgrouse, Bustards and Eagles – The steppe keeps on giving!

Last weekend I provided a trip for a couple of birders from Valencia. The trip was booked as a birthday present for Cristina by one of her friends, and after a few email exchanges, we opted to spend the day on the steppe. The weather on the day was perfect – very little wind, clear blue skies and no rain. The steppe area can be very cold in autumn and winter so comfortable, sunny days are a luxury! Having made the journey from Valencia, and enjoyed the obligatory morning coffee stop, we headed out across the fields in search of birds. Crested Larks were around in good numbers, and were Spotless Starlings. A Marsh Harrier was flying low over an area of reeds and the scrub held Stonechat, Goldfinch and Black Redstart. The first target bird was soon found – Rock Sparrow, a resident bird in this area. A pair of Buzzards circled overhead and a Hoopoe flew quickly past. Not a bad start to the day. Rock Sparrow As we drove off-road, heading across the vast cereal fields, we were on the look-out for Sandgrouse and Great Bustard. A…