Bird Watching Tours Castilla de la Mancha - Page 2 of 4 - Valencia Birding

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…

Birding on the Steppe & Lagoons of Castilla de la Mancha

Last Friday was one of those days when work really didn´t feel like work. Despite being a fairly long day, the weather was perfect, the birds were great and the company of my clients for the day was excellent. Both were scientists who had spent the week at a conference in Valencia and wanted to escape for a days birding. Tony, a very experienced, accomplished but refreshingly “down to earth” birder had travelled extensively and had a superb knowledge of the birds of Australia in particular. His own website can be seen at tonykeenebirds.co.uk Jason, a nature lover and birder was also an experienced wildlife photographer. Having met at their hotel in the city of Valencia, we made the journey west, out of the city and up onto the plains of Castilla de la Mancha. Our first stop was at a vantage point that I usually use as it affords far-ranging views across the steppe. Within just a few moments we´d seen Skylark and Crested Lark in the fields, Spotless Starlings on some farm buildings and a Buzzard on a pylon. The first of many of the day´s Wheatears…

Birding on the Steppe.

Following a long, hot and very dry summer a few of us spent last Thursday (6th Sept) up on the steppe of Castilla de la Mancha. It was clear that the recent prolonged dry conditions had left water levels much lower than usual, and some of the smaller lagoons had dried up completely. This of course meant less birds, but as always with this area, if you put in the effort there are always some interesting species to see. After a brief road-side stop to watch Crested Lark, Skylark, Hoopoe and Woodchat Shrike, we began at one of the larger lagoons that holds water throughout the year. The Coots were there in good numbers as always but scanning across the water revealed a lone juvenile Shelduck, Black Winged Stilts, Little Grebe and a Greater Flamingo. The shoreline held a few Little Ringed Plovers and a Common Sandpiper. A little more time spent waiting and watching resulted in good views of Barn Swallow, Red Rumped Swallow, House Martins and Sand Martins. A male Marsh Harrier then appeared and spent a good 15 minutes hunting over the reed beds in front of…

Bird Watching Trip to Castilla de la Mancha

On Tuesday 3rd April, we arranged a guided bird watching trip toCastilla de la Mancha for a group of 7 people. The weather forecast was for sunshine and showers and as we arrived at our first viewing point, atop a small hill overlooking the plains, there was a cool wind blowing. Despite this we were treated to immediate views of what was the target bird for many of the group, the Great Bustard. Skylarks were singing in the fields and a Kestrel battled to hover in the wind. Having enjoyed the Great Bustards we set out across the plains to our next viewing point where we enjoyed superb views of Calandra Lark, Skylark and Crested Lark. We also found more Great Bustards roaming across the steppe. After a welcome coffee break at a village bar, we stopped at our first lagoon where we had views of Black Winged Stilt, Little Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Gadwall, Shelduck and Flamingoes. The next lagoon held more Flamingoes, Red Crested Pochard, and one of the day´s highlights the White Headed Duck. As we watched the lagoon we were also enjoyed sudden views of a…

Combine Guided Bird Watching in Spain with a City Break or Beach Holiday

As it´s the time of year when thoughts are turning to the warmer months ahead and of holidays in the sun, we´re all thinking of how we can maximise our precious free time and of course value for our hard earned cash. These days, more people are opting for a vacation that provides the opportunity to enjoy outdoor activities rather than just a beach holiday or sight-seeing trip. However, it´s often the case that to indulge in a favourite hobby whilst away, one has to opt for a specifically organised activity holiday. Here at Valencia Birding, we recognise that such a holiday may not suit all members of a family or party and therefore aim to provide our clients with absolute flexibility and superb value for money. We offer anything from a full week of Guided Bird Watching for groups of up to 8 people, inclusive of accommodation to a day trip that can be arranged for a couple or individual who happen to be holidaying in Spain and quite fancy a Guided Bird Watching trip as part of their other plans. Increasingly, we´re finding that our clients are opting to…

Winter Birding in Castilla de la Mancha

Today´s trip was a joint effort arranged by Valencia Birding and La Safor Ornithological Society, a Spanish group based in our local town of Gandia. The area visited was the same as that taken in on our “Steppe & Lagoons” trip and visits the high plains of Castilla de la Mancha, just over a hour´s drive from the Mediterranean coast. To make the most of the day and to have the best chance of seeing the target species we left our home base at 6.30am and after a couple of pick ups we were up on the steppe by 8.30am. The early start was rewarded by a stunningly beautiful and crisp morning. The temperature gauge was showing -6 degrees C and a sharp frost was evident although fortunately there was a complete lack of wind as we made our first stop. As we scanned across the vast plains we were fortunate enough to see a dozen Great Bustards resting in the early morning sunshine. Having enjoyed some super views we headed back to the van and drove along our usual track out over the fields. We made a few brief…