Tag: Bird Watching Spain

Upland birds of Spain

Last week, I was very happy to welcome back a small group of returning clients from Scotland.  They had previously been on a guided birding trip with me when we explored the wetlands of Valencia, but this time they were keen to see the upland birds of Spain.  Therefore, the Steppe and Lagoons of Castilla de la Mancha seemed to be the ideal trip. Having met at a convenient village in the rolling hills of inland Valencia, we continued the journey up onto the plains of Castilla de la Mancha (just over an hour´s drive from Valencia). As we made our first stop to scan across the fields, we had good views of Crested Lark and Skylark.  A Buzzard was perched nearby then a Hoopoe made a brief appearance. The first lagoon of the day provided a very interesting hour or so.  In amongst a flock of Lapwing on the shoreline, we spotted Ruff, Little Ringed Plover and a Redshank.  A small group of Flamingoes were feeding in the shallows, and flocks of Linnets were passing through the nearby pines.  As we scanned some ruined farm buildings, we had a…

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Bird watching in Valencia

Last week I provided a two day guided birding trip for a couple of great clients from Canada.  They were touring Spain and had previously arranged some guided bird watching in Valencia with us. Day one was a trip to the steppe and lagoons.  Having collected them from their hostal in the city of Valencia we made the short journey inland.  After a morning coffee we ventured out across the plains in search of one of their target species, the Great Bustard.  Our first stop did not reveal any bustards but the day did begin superbly with great views of a Great Spotted Cuckoo.  As we were watching  this, we enjoyed the song of nearby Skylarks and also had a great view of a Crested Lark and Corn Bunting. The first lagoon of the day gave views of Sandwich Tern, Greater Flamingo, Black-Winged Stilt and Little Ringed Plover.    We moved on to the day’s next lagoon where we enjoyed views of Shelduck, Avocet, Gadwall and Reed Warbler.  Then one of the day’s highlights, the extremely rare White Headed Duck.  We also had views of Marsh Harrier and Black-Necked Grebe….

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Guided Birding in Valencia

Earlier this month I spent two days with Canadian birders Jean-Marc and Nathalie from Quebec.  They were touring Spain and had chosen to incorporate into their plans one of our “Birding Short Breaks” at Villa Florencia. They had previously visited Barcelona, Madrid and Seville and were now spending a few days exploring the Valencia region. Our first day of birding was to the Steppe & Lagoons of Castilla de la Mancha.  After the relatively short drive up onto the plains, we stopped at one of our usual spots where we had delightful views of Hoopoe, Crested Lark, Corn Bunting and Black Redstart.  The first of the day´s lagoons gave views of Shelduck, Red Crested Pochard, and Greater Flamingo, soon to be followed by superb views of sizeable groups of Avocet. As we scanned the plains, we eventually found one of our main targets of the day, a large group of Great Bustards.  These huge birds are always a favourite for visitors, and it´s always a pleasure to track them down!  We then had lunch by the side of another, more sheltered lagoon and enjoyed views of White Headed Duck, Little Grebe,…

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Special Offer Packages – Birding & Leisure Breaks in Valencia.

Last week, we had the pleasure of providing a bespoke birding package for a great couple from UK.  They had opted to take advantage of our 1 week accommodation package that includes 3 full days of guided bird watching and half-board accommodation at Villa Florencia. Day 1 Having arrived on the Saturday evening and enjoyed a leisurely dinner at Villa Florencia, we opted for a fairly early start on the Sunday to visit the Steppe & Lagoons of Castilla de la Mancha.  After a pleasant drive to this very special area, our first sighting of the day was indeed of one of the key target species, the Great Bustard.  As we enjoyed some great views of these huge birds strolling across the steppe in beautiful morning sunlight we were also fortunate enough to see a small flock of Calandra Larks, another classic bird of this area. The first lagoon gave views of Gadwall, Greater Flamingo, and Ruff.  A few Lapwings were also feeding close by.  We then moved onto another lagoon where we spent the rest of the morning.  As we relaxed by the water´s edge, we had good views…

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Bird Watching in Valencia Province

Last week, I had the pleasure of a arranging a day trip for a group of 5 experienced birders from Newcastle, UK.  They had spent some time touring around the provinces of Alicante and Valencia and after visiting various birding sites had managed to see 97 species.  They had opted to finish their holiday with a guided birding trip with us, and one of the group had made the claim that if their species list reached 100, then he would mark the occasion with a bottle of champagne! We made the journey up through the city of Valencia to the coastal wetlands and began our walk from there.  The day started well with good views of Moustached Warbler and Little Bittern.  The first sizeable lagoon held Red Crested Pochard, White Headed Duck and Great Crested Grebe.  The surrounding reed beds gave views of Great Reed Warbler, Fan Tailed Warbler and Reed Warbler.  We also enjoyed great views of Glossy Ibis, Turtle Dove and Audouin´s Gull.  Terns were very busy making continual fishing trips to feed their young.  We were fortunate enough to see Common Tern, Sandwich Tern, Little Tern and…

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