bird watching in Valencia - Page 24 of 29 - Valencia Birding

Spotted Crake in Valencia

The spring migration period is fascinating here in Valencia. There are currently so many fabulous species arriving for the breeding season or just passing through on their journey north. This week we´re seeing Purple Heron, Collared Pratincole, Reed Warbler, Alpine Swift, Red Rumped Swallow all arriving at our local sites. Passage migrants seen this week include Osprey, Garganey and this beautiful Spotted Crake. …and here´s a brief video clip of the same bird : [wpdevart_youtube]cVlA3Hx58go[/wpdevart_youtube]

Birding trips for families

I recently had the pleasure to design a special birding trip for a family from Canada. The most enthusiastic birder of the family was an eight year old girl who wanted to discover the bird life of our wetlands. It´s always a treat to see such interest from children and young people. They were staying in the rural interior of Castellón at the Eco-Lodge Mar de Fulles, so after I collected them we made the short drive to the coastal wetlands. On route we stopped by at a local farming area where we enjoyed views of Hoopoe, Little Owl, Southern Grey Shrike and lots of Serins. When we arrived at the reserve, we started the walk beside the beach and several coastal lagoons. The scrub gave views of Dartford Warbler and Crested Lark whilst out to sea we saw Razorbill and Gannet. In one of the hides we had fantastic views of Booted Eagles and Marsh Harriers. Lapwings and Black-winged Stilts where sharing the scrape with Teal and Shoveler. Next stop was at an observation platform from where we had great views of Purple Swamphens, Red-crested Pochards and Little Grebe….

2 Day Birding Trip in the Wetlands of Valencia

Last week Dave and I had the pleasure of providing a 2-day trip for a couple of clients who have returned to Valencia each year to go birding with us. We´ve since become firm friends and have enjoyed some great trips together. This time they had planned an autumn trip and wanted to see the wetlands of this fabulous region. Day 1 – Albufera de Valencia Natural Park Having collected Jan and Ossie from central Valencia, we drove to Albufera to one of the park´s restricted reserve areas. Whilst driving through the harvested rice paddies, we had great views of Glossy Ibis, Great Egret and Southern Grey Shrike, indeed a good start to the day. Once in the reserve, we stopped to scan over a small lagoon and enjoyed views of Snipe, Little Stint, Wood Sandpiper and Purple Swamphen. The next lagoon and its surroundings gave views of Bluethroat, Spoonbill, Kingfisher, Reed Bunting and Redshank. After lunch, we visited another reserve where we enjoyed watching wildfowl, including Red-Crested Pochard, Pintail, Gadwall, Shelduck and Shoveler. The species list for the day included : Mallard, Shoveler, Red-crested Pochard, Common Pochard, Shelduck, Teal, Great-crested Grebe,…

Autumn birding in Valencia

I recently enjoyed a great day´s autumn birding in Valencia with a couple from Holland. Both experienced and well travelled birders, they were interested in seeing the region´s bird life, and especially wanted to photograph the Hoopoe. After collecting them from their hotel in the city, we made the short drive to Albufera de Valencia where we began the day in a protected reserve area. We saw both Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwit, Black-winged Stilt and Dunlin. The next hide gave quite brief but excellent views of Kingfisher. We then moved onto another restricted reserve where we spent more time, enjoying great views of waders and aquatic birds including Little Stint, Ringed Plover, Spoonbill, Glossy Ibis, Purple Swamphen and Great Egret. After lunch we travelled to a favourite spot for Hoopoe, hoping to get good enough views to allow for photographs. After a little patience and searching, we succeeded. This spectacular bird is always very popular with visitors from northern Europe. The day was brought to an end with a visit to a small coastal lagoon where we had great views of Kentish Plover, Sanderling, Greenshank, Curlew Sandpiper, Audouin´s Gull and…

2-Day Bird Photography Trip

Last week I was delighted to provide a 2-day bird photography trip for a Dutch client who lives in Madrid. We had communicated at length and had designed a bespoke trip for him, taking in some very specific locations, in search of some key target species. His priority was wading birds, gulls and Water Rail. On day-1 we made the short trip from the beautiful city of Valencia to the internationally important wetland of Albufera. We made a brief stop to admire a family of Booted Eagles that were flying low overhead, searching a nearby rice field for prey. We then moved on to visit a special, restricted reserve which in autumn is excellent for waders. It was quite a windy morning, so we spent a little time thinking of how we could best position the vehicle to afford maximum shelter and best light conditions whilst not risking any disturbance of the birds. We enjoyed some fabulous views of some great wading birds including Bar-Tailed Godwit, Black-Tailed Godwit, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Greenshank and Dunlin. Having spent a good while at the first lagoon we then took shelter in a…

Bespoke Birding Trip to Albufera de Valencia

Last week I had the pleasure of providing a bespoke trip to Albufera de Valencia for a couple from Wales. They wanted to spend a day visiting the different ecosystems of this internationally important Natural Park. After I collected from their hotel in Valencia we visited a number of different reserve areas. At the first stop, after a pleasant walk by the forest we arrived at a hide where we had great views of Avocet, Kingfisher, different waterfowl species and plenty of waders. At the next stop, we enjoyed a picnic lunch in a hide looking over a lagoon where Whiskered Tern, Great Egret, Booted Eagle and Marsh Harrier put on a wonderful display for us. Inside the reserve we also had amazing views of Spoonbill, Glossy Ibis, Curlew Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper and Little Stint. The day ended with great views of Hoopoe, Crested Lark, Spotless Starling and Serin. It had been an interseting day with a lovely couple, who I hope to welcome back soon. Species list: Marsh Harrier, Booted Eagle, Kestrel, Flamingo, Spoonbill, Glossy Ibis, Purple Swamphen, Moorhen, Coot, Great-crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Mallard, Teal, Shoveler, Shelduck,…