bird watching in rural Spain - Page 3 of 4 - Valencia Birding

Steppe & Lagoon Tour – 6th October 2011

Having enjoyed the Valencian Coastal Wetlands Trip, Christine & Nick were keen to spend another day´s birding. Their preferred option was the Steppe & Lagoon Trip as Great Bustard and Little Bustard were targets for their Life List. We arrived on the plains of Castilla de la Mancha in glorious sunshine despite a cooling early morning breeze. Having enjoyed a breakfast of coffee and toast in a local café we explored an area of reed bed and marsh adjoining some cereal fields. Our first bird of the morning was a Corn Bunting, which was followed by an Iberian Grey Shrike and then a Whinchat. Having spent a while scanning the fields, we saw Crested Lark in good numbers plus a steady stream of passing Swallows. We then set off across the plains in search of the target birds of the day. Kestrels were plentiful as were Wheatear. Patience was eventually rewarded with close-up views of a female Little Bustard. However, despite our optimism, we failed to find the Great Bustards. Lunch time was approaching so we decided to picnic by a favourite lagoon. During a leisurely lunch we were able to…

Valencia Birding

valenciabirding.com is a small but specialist active tourism company based in Valencia, Spain. We provide guided Bird Watching Tours throughout Eastern Spain, encompassing Valencia, Alicante and Castilla de la Mancha. This area is blessed with an incredibly diverse range of habitats and excellent birding sites, many of which are virtually unknown! We cater for all levels of bird enthusiasts and provide a bespoke guiding service at very reasonable cost. Our local knowledge can ensure that our clients can make the absolute most of their time in Spain by depending on us to take them to the very best sites. We offer our services to those holidaying throughout the La Safor region, and beyond to Xativa, Valencia, Costa Blanca and the interior of the Valencian Community. Our objective is simple…to provide our clients with a value-for-money service that is exactly tailored to their wishes and requirements. Whilst being able to provide a wealth of specialist knowledge, our style is first of all to listen to what the client actually wants, then to tailor our services to suit. Our approach is what makes us different…Our business model is unlike that of most professional Bird Watching companies. Our approach…

Albacete in August

We were very fortunate to select of of the coolest days of the month to visit several sites around Albacete. The day started with a somewhat bizarre sighting of a Little Owl sitting in the middle of a field in broad daylight! Despite August not been the best month for watching waders, we managed to find good numbers of Black Winged Stilt plus Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plovers and a Greenshank. Our patience and searching rewarded us eventually with good views of Great Bustard out on the plains. Kestrels were out hunting in good numbers, and other raptor highlights included Booted Eagle and Buzzard. Greater Flamingoes were present at a number of sites, as were large flocks of Bee Eaters. Other sightings included Woodchat Shrike, Lapwing, Black Necked Grebe, Little Grebe, Red Legged Partridge and Crested Lark.

Death Valley

It was with a little trepidation that Dave and I decided to check out an area about 1 hours drive from La Drova that is home to a Griffon Vulture re-introduction project. Luckily the heat was bearable with a light breeze. Before we entered the valley we stopped for a coffee at one of the local bars and were witness to the antics of at least 6 Red Squirrels. As we entered the valley the site that we witnessed made us rename the valley (hence ‘Death Valley’) with at least 30 Griffon Vultures soaring above us. It wasn’t long before we started to add more ticks to our trip list with Rock Pipit, Serin, Red-rumped Swallow and Whinchat. As we climbed higher into the valley we came across large numbers of Black Redstart and a few Blue Rock Thrush plus several Raven. Sardinian Warbler were another bird that seem to thrive in the area. Barn Swallow, Crag Martin and House Martin were numerous as were the Goldfinch. Dave found a single Linnet and we both spotted an Orphean Warbler (another good find for the day) Definitely a good mornings…

Delta del Ebro – 1st July 2011

Another day exploring the East coast birding sites. This time, we spent a very hot day on the south side of the Ebro Delta. Despite the heat, there was plenty of bird activity, and within a couple of hours we managed a tick list of some 29 species. The Greater Flamingoes were as ever spectacular in full breeding plumage. Other highlights of the day included Night Heron, Great Egret, Purple Gallinule, Little Bittern and Squacco Herons in huge numbers.

Coastal Wetlands of Castellon – 30th June 2011

This was largely an experimental trip as late June / July is never the best time for birding, but our efforts were rewarded by some good birds, for some of which we enjoyed excellent views. The weather was of course hot and humid, but before we retreated to a bar for a cold beer, we´d totted up a list of 26 species. Highlights included Bee Eater, Audouin´s Gull, Ringed Plover, Collared Pratincole and superb views of a male Montagu´s Harrier.