bird watching trips Valencia - Page 14 of 21 - Valencia Birding

Wildlife and Bird Watching in Valencia

Last week I spent a wonderful day with two great clients from my native Yorkshire. There were on a journey through France and Spain and wanted a day of guided wildlife and bird watching in Valencia. Not only keen birders, they were also particularly interested in ecology and natural history in general. I designed a trip with this in mind, hoping to provide a bespoke day. After a short drive from their hotel in the city of Valencia, we stopped for a morning coffee and discussed plans for the day, before heading to one of Albufera´s best nature reserves. We walked through the reserve where we enjoyed views of Ruff, Little Ringed Plover, Snipe, Little Bittern and Marsh Harrier. The lagoons held Greater Flamingo, Great Egret, Purple Swamphen and Shoveler. Upon scanning some nearby pylons, we were fortunate to see not only an Iberian Grey Shrike but also an Osprey. This area is regularly used by Ospreys as a stopping-off and feeding point on their migration to and from their wintering grounds in Africa. We were then treated to a fascinating presentation by the reserve staff, which focussed on the…

Birding from the city of Valencia

Last week, I had the pleasure of spending a day with a great couple from North Carolina. They were visiting Spain with friends and had previosuly contacted us to arrange a day of guided birding from the city of Valencia. Having met them in the beautiful historic quarter of Valencia, we made the short journey to a local coastal wetland reserve where we began the day with a coffee and a chat about our trip and the species that we were hoping to see. The first coastal lagoons held Pochard, Little Grebe and Coot, whilst the surrounding reed beds gave views of Fan-Tailed Warbler, Reed Warbler and Little Egret. After a short walk along the coast, we were fortunate enough to enjoy great views of Collared Pratincole, Black Winged Stilt, Avocet, Purple Heron and Little Ringed Plover. We began our walk through more reed beds and past another couple of lagoons where we stopped for a picnic lunch. This section of the walk gave us views of Glossy Ibis, Cattle Egret, Bee Eater and Iberian Grey Shrike. We were also treated to two superb raptors ; a Booted Eagle and…

Nature and Cultural Tourism in Valencia

Last week I had the pleasure of providing a trip for a group of local birders. We were joined by a guest from Canada who was spending some time in Valencia as a volunteer, working on various environmental and conservation projects. One of our key priorities is always to gear our trips to the wishes and needs of the client. As this was her first visit to our region of Spain, we modified the trip to provide a blend of nature and cultural tourism in Valencia. We began the day with a walk along the coast not far from the city of Valencia, and soon had our first views of Whiskered Tern and Little Tern. As we made our way through the reedbeds we enjoyed the song of Cetti´s Warbler, and had good views of Marsh Harrier, Great Reed Warbler, Fan-Tailed Warbler and Yellow Wagtail. We then visited one of the area´s most interesting centres, essentially a beautifully restored country house that was once run by monks from a local monestary. Although a monument in its own right, it also serves as a centre for environmental education and has…

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….

Guided Bird Watching in Valencia

Last week, I had the pleasure of providing a day of guided bird watching in Valencia for a group of clients from Scotland. We made the brief journey through this beautiful Mediterranean city, stopping by the beach for a morning coffee before heading out onto the reserve. The day got off to a fabulous start with views Great Reed Warbler and Little Bittern. As we began our walk, we had great views of Turtle Dove, Glossy Ibis and Marsh Harrier. The next lagoon and its shoreline held Fan-Tailed Warbler, Little Grebe and Red Crested Pochard. Terns were very active, and within just a few minutes we´d seen Little, Common, and Whiskered. We soon saw the first of the day´s Collared Pratincole, a “classic” Valencian breeding shorebird, and also enjoyed great views of Little Ringed Plover, Purple Heron, Squacco Heron and Avocet. As we continued our walk, now heading through an area of pastureland, we were treated to views of Woodchat Shrike, Hoopoe, Cetti´s Warbler, Whinchat, Spotted Flycatcher, Redstart and Bee Eater. To round off this spectacle, we then had great views of a Short Toad Eagle. The day´s final viewing…

Bird Watching from Valencia

On Wednesday of this week we provided a day of guided bird watching from Valencia for a client from Surrey, UK. After a drive through the city of Valencia, we headed for the coast and began our walk. Immediately we heard the calls of terns and warblers, all recently arrived and getting on with the business of nesting. Our first stop by a small lake gave excellent views of Little Bittern, both in flight and perched on reeds immediately in front of us. A short walk along the beach revealed a most unexpected bird for this time of year, a Turnstone. The next lake gave views of Great Crested Grebe, Black Winged Stilt and Pochard whilst the surrounding reeds provided views of Great Reed Warbler, Fan Tailed Warbler and Cetti´s Warbler. After a stroll further along the coast, we arrived at another of my favourite spots where we were treated to a spectacular display of activity…this lagoon is an important breeding area for many species and today we had great views of Collared Pratincole, Whiskered Tern, Little Tern, Common Tern and Purple Heron. We also spotted Little Ringed Plover and…