bird watching holidays in Spain - Page 19 of 27 - Valencia Birding

Guided Bird Watching in Eastern Spain.

Last week, we provided two days of guided birding for a group of 4 clients from UK. To enjoy the diversity of habitat and bird life that this area offers, they had opted for a day at the Coastal Wetlands and a day on the Steppe and Lagoons in the interior of Eastern Spain. All well travelled nature lovers, the group was an absolute delight…knowledgeable and very good humoured. Owing to some unusually windy weather conditions we proposed a slight amendment to the itinerary for the first day, and following a short journey from their hotel, we were at the first birding site. Scanning across some rice fields near Valencia, we enjoyed good views of Cattle Egret, Audouin´s Gull and Reed Bunting. The resident Spotless Starlings had been joined by sizeable flocks of wintering Common Starling, a regular visitor to the Valencia area. The second site was a sheltered lake close to the coast where we had views of wildfowl including Pintail, Pochard, Red Crested Pochard, Shoveler and Teal. We also had great views of numerous Marsh Harriers (including a female that was lunching on a Teal!). Other species included…

Birding at the Valencian Coastal Wetlands

On 16th October I enjoyed a day of guided birding with a couple of clients from Canada. Ingo and Kiran were keen to see the classic species of the Valencian coastal wetlands. Having met them at their hotel in the city centre we made the short journey to the natural park of Albufera de Valencia. The first bird of the day was a Sandwich Tern perched on a pole on the main Albufera Lake. We then headed for one of the reserves where we had superb views of Marsh Harrier, and interestingly noted flocks of European Starlings arriving for the winter. Wildfowl included Shoveler, Gadwall, Pochard, Red Crested Pochard, Pintail and Shelduck. We enjoyed an all too brief view of a flock of Spoonbill passing overhead before returning to the van. Further exploration of Albufera gave views of Iberian Grey Shrike, Kingfisher, Black Winged Stilt, and Booted Eagle. We then headed a little further north to visit another wetland site where we were fortunate enough to enjoy close views of three of the classic albeit rare species of the area – White Headed Duck, Purple Gallinule and Audouin´s Gull. We…

Guided Bird Watching on the Steppe of Castilla de la Mancha

On 11th October I had the pleasure of providing a guided bird watching trip for a couple from Ringwood, UK. They were staying in Valencia and wanted a day´s birding as part of their holiday. Both very experienced birders they had been visiting Spain for many years and had travelled throughout the world on other birding expeditions. They had specifically requested a day out on the steppe to see the distinct bird life this unique habitat holds. Unfortunately, conditions were not ideal as the water levels in the area´s lagoons were very low, and coupled with a strong wind, this meant that we had to work hard in order to find the birds. Our first stopping point gave views of Skylark, Crested Lark and Wheatear. There wasn´t much flying thanks to the stiff breeze so we headed off to spend some time beside a lake. There we enjoyed views of Teal, Greater Flamingo and Marsh Harrier. By now it was becoming clear that conditions were against us so we decided upon a strategy of driving across the high steppe and making periodic stops to scan the vast landscape. After a…

Guided Birding in Valencia.

After an interesting drive around the narrow streets of the historic quarter of Valencia, I met up with today´s clients Hannah and Alex. They were on a short break in Valencia and had previously arranged a day of guided bird watching with us. Both keen birders, and obviously well-travelled they were keen to see some of the key species that the Valencian wetlands hold. We took a short drive along the coast and after the obligatory morning coffee we began our walk along the coast to visit some small lagoons. The day started very well, with good views of Little Ringed Plover, Black Winged Stilt and Marsh Harrier. Hannah´s keen eye sight soon picked out a Water Rail in the reeds by the shore. We also spotted a few small flocks of Grey Wagtail heading south along the coast. Then one of those great moments occurred…whilst watching the Water Rail a Kingfisher flew in and perched beside it! Then within a further 5 minutes we saw two more of the day´s target species – Purple Gallinule and White Headed Duck. The Purple Gallinule has made real progress over the past…

Albufera de Valencia

On Wednesday 19th September we provided a “tailor made” trip to the natural park of Albufera de Valencia. The group comprised experienced birders and general nature lovers so the trip was designed to offer something for everyone. The day began with a visit to a reserve that not only provides a superb habitat but also serves as an open-air laboratory in which a great deal of valuable conservation work takes place. The reserve staff gave a fascinating presentation on the ongoing projects at the reserve and the history of the area. Following that, we spent some time in and around the reserve and immediately were able to enjoy good views of a flock of Spoonbill. We also had great views of Marsh Harrier, Greater Flamingo, Great White Egret and Purple Gallinule. We then moved across to the other side of Albufera where we stopped at another reserve and had views of Black Winged Stilt, Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover and Ruff. We made a brief stop along the way to watch an Iberian Grey Shrike that was perched quite close to the road. As Albufera de Valencia is the “birth…

Birding in Valencia

On Tuesday 18th September, we provided a trip to the Valencian Coastal Wetlands. After a long and very dry summer, water levels are generally dramatically low throughout the region, although some of the smaller lakes and lagoons do still hold water and therefore birds. The day got off to a good start as soon as we parked the van, with good views of an Iberian Grey Shrike perched on a wire. The first lake along the usual route normally holds one or two good birds, despite it´s somewhat scruffy appearance. As it was one of the few places with significant water, there was a good selection of species all present in the same place. Within ten minutes of arrival we´d seen Wood Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, a juvenile White Headed Duck, Purple Gallinule and a Little Bittern. We continued our walk to a larger coastal lagoon where we enjoyed unusually close and prolonged views of Water Rail. We also watched Little Ringed Plover, Black Winged Stilt and a further three White Headed Ducks. After a pleasant walk along the coast we arrived at another lagoon, whilst although relatively dry held a…