bird watching holidays in Spain - Page 9 of 27 - Valencia Birding

Returning Clients and Friends

8th & 9th April 2022 Since I established Valencia Birding over eleven and a half years ago, I’ve been blessed with many clients who have returned time and again, and have become friends. They all know who they are and it’s a privilege to know them and to design and provide trips for them. Last week I did just that for Andy and Saffia from the UK. I think it’s fair to say that they fell in love with the city of Valencia during their initial visits, and as their previous trip was cancelled as the Covid pandemic hit, it was even more special to see them this time. Andy had a list of target species which provided me with a welcome challenge, and something to design their two day birding trip around. Day 1 – Southern Wetlands. Andy was particularly keen to see Marbled Teal and Red-knobbed Coot, and this area is one of the best in Europe for these species. After a morning coffee we began our walk into a reserve, where we immediately saw Garganey, Redshank, Avocet and Glossy Ibis. Swifts, Barn Swallows, House Martins and Sand…

2-day Birding Trip from Valencia

4th & 5th April 2022 I recently had the pleasure of spending two days with Jim and Consuelo from the USA who were visiting their daughter in Valencia. As very keen birders, they were eager to include a couple of days of birding in their trip, and so we eventually opted to go for a day at the wetlands and a day in the mountains. Day 1 – Coastal Wetlands We were still suffering the after-effects of a freak weather system, and although the heavy rains had ceased, our first day was a little windy. We drove from their apartment in central Valencia and began our walk along the beach. We immediately had superb views of Audouin’s Gull, followed by Little Ringed Plover, Black-winged Stilt and a Purple Heron. Audouin’s Gull The strong winds had slowed down the previous few day’s heavy stream of Swallows, Swifts and Martins, but there were still a few around. Another recently arrived bird, Collared Pratincole were also seen in flight, as well as one that Jim spotted, sheltering from the wind behind a plant! Collared Pratincole We headed down the coast, stopping at our…

The day the rain stopped we went to the wetlands!

2nd April 2022 March 2022 was the wettest on record for over 60 years, which in some ways was a positive point as the mountains and hills of our region were previously very dry and its reservoirs were unusually low. That all changed very quickly! The prolonged wet weather had a delaying effect on migratory bird movement, so as soon as the rain stopped and the sun broke through, we were expecting a migration explosion! With perfect timing, I was delighted to meet Abhishek and Shweta from India and to spend the day with them at the Valencian Coastal Wetlands. Having collected them from Valencia city, we made the short trip to the coast and began our walk. The skies were absolutely full of Barn Swallows and House Martins, amongst which were some Common and Pallid Swifts. As we walked by a few bushes on the way to the beach, we saw Serin, Stonechat and Spotless Starling, but upon reaching the shore, we had our first “target” species, Audouin’s Gull. This very elegant gull has an established breeding population in the Valencia region. Audouin’s Gull We spent a little time…

Migration time at the wetlands of Valencia!

This time of year is always really exciting, as the spring migration is getting underway, so new arrivals are always popping up – be they summer visitors or birds on passage. There are still a few winter visitors hanging around too, which always add to the enjoyment of birding here in March. Audouin’s Gull Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting Suzanne, a very well travelled and keen American birder, and of spending a day exploring one of Valencia’s many coastal wetlands with her. We made the short trip from the city and were soon on the beach, watching Audouin’s Gulls, a passing Hoopoe and a Black Redstart. As we strolled up the coast, watching over a lagoon we had views of Shoveler, Gadwall, Common Pochard, Red Crested Pochard, Teal and a Garganey. Cetti’s Warblers were calling from all around us, and squabbling with each other for territory. A Kingfisher made a brief appearance, and Reed Buntings and Zitting Cisticolas were plentiful. Zitting Cisticola We made a stop at an observatory, again overlooking a lagoon, and set up the scope. This gave us great views of White Headed Duck…

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!