Bird Watching Tours Valencia - Page 9 of 11 - Valencia Birding

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…

Guided Bird Watching in Valencia

On Saturday 31st March, we provided a day of Guided Bird Watching to the Coastal Wetlands of Valencia. Our group of 6 people started the day with a coffee by the beach during which we discussed the target birds for the day. The plan for the day was to complete a circular walk of 7km, stopping at various observation points and hides. The weather was superb as we made our way to the first reedbed and lagoon. There are days when things immediately get off to a good start and today was fortunately one such day! Within minutes of our arrival we were watching 5 White Headed Ducks, right in front of us on open water. They were joined by Flamingo, Red Crested Pochard, Shoveler, Common Pochard and Coots. Common Terns were calling noisily overhead whilst the reedbeds held Reed Bunting, Moustached Warbler and Stonechat. The next lagoon on our route held further delights in the form of Collared Pratincole, Black Winged Stilt, Purple Gallinule, Redshank, Greenshank, Garganey, Kentish Plover and Little Ringed Plover. The bushes and trees in the surrounding fields provided good views of Corn Bunting, Fan…

Group Visit to Albufera de Valencia

On Wednesday 7th March I was fortunate enough to be back in Albufera de Valencia, this time providing a Guided Trip for a group of 8 people from the local area. Some were experienced birders whilst others were new to the hobby and were keen to learn more. After an introduction to the geography and habitats of Albufera we parked the van and entered a very special and protected area of the park. The Spring morning provided beautifully clear blue skies and as we watched House Martins and Swallows passing by, it really began to feel like summer was not so far away. The trip got off to a great start as whilst watching Glossy Ibis and the usual gatherings of Egrets and Herons, a large flock of Black Tailed Godwits arrived and started to feed in a nearby field. We were then treated to spectacular views of 8 Spoonbills flying low overhead in a V-formation. We would enjoy numerous views of these magnificent birds as they made several passes before coming to rest at a lake. The reedbeds provided views of Bluethroat, Cetti´s Warbler, Chiffchaff and Reed Bunting….

Guided Bird Watching Trip to Albufera de Valencia

On Tuesday 6th March I had the pleasure of providing a guided bird watching trip to Albufera de Valencia for two clients from Finland. Both very experienced and knowledgeable birders, they were taking a short break in Valencia and wanted to spend a day bird watching as part of their other plans. Having collected my clients from the city centre, we headed out across the natural park. The day´s first bird was an Iberian Grey Shrike that was perched on a telephone line close to the track. Our plan was to visit a highly protected reserve where some superb conservation work takes place. As we drove across the park we were treated to a spectacular sight as over 200 Glossy Ibis settled in a field beside us, the low morning sun illuminating the bronze and green sheen of their plumage. As we started our walk, a small flock of Black Winged Stilt passed over, flying low and showing very well against the blue sky. We scanned across a small lake and picked out Lesser Black Backed Gull, Red Crested Pochard, Wigeon and 8 Great White Egrets plus the usual Albufera…

Bird Watching at Albufera de Valencia.

On Tuesday I had the pleasure of providing a guided bird watching trip to Albufera de Valencia for clients William and Val from Cumbria. Both skilled birders, having enjoyed many overseas trips they were keen to explore the Natural Park of Albufera. Having provided a brief summary of the history and layout of the park, we drove across the northern rice fields where we saw hundreds of Little Egret and Grey Heron, and also picked out Reed Bunting and a Bluethroat. We then moved onto one of my favourite “hidden corners” of Albufera and were immediately struck by the sheer numbers of Chiffchaffs. The extremely cold weather that Europe is currently suffering has driven thousands of these tiny birds down the East coast of Spain, together with many Black Redstarts, Robins, and Siskins. We were then fortunate enough to enjoy close views of a Booted Eagle in flight, the sunlight showing off its colouration beautifully. Marsh Harriers were around in good numbers too. As we walked through the wetland habitat, we saw several Purple Gallinule and Snipe. We also had good views of a Cetti´s Warbler and a Kingfisher. Perhaps the…

A Guided Bird Watching Trip to Albufera de Valencia.

Today´s trip was provided for two British birders who wanted to learn more about the extensive Natural Park of Albufera de Valencia. Whilst the weather was dry, there was a very strong wind that limited what we would see, although a good days birding was enjoyed. Our first stop was to observe a recent controlled release of Crested Coot. This extremely rare bird has provided a challenge to conservationists so far but hopefully this season will see some breeding success. We enjoyed good views albeit from far enough away as not to cause a disturbance. We then walked across an area of reeds and small lakes where we enjoyed Reed Bunting, Purple Gallinule, Snipe, and a single Red Crested Pochard that has spent the entire winter with a flock of Common Coot. We were also fortunate enough to enjoy good views of Flamingo, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe and Kingfisher. We then made our way across the rice fields, in which we were happy to see hundreds of European Starlings. Valencia provides wintering grounds for many European Starlings that make the journey south each year to join their southern cousins the Spotless…