bird watching trips Valencia - Page 15 of 22 - Valencia Birding

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…

Bird Watching at Albufera de Valencia

Last week I provided a day of bird watching at Albufera de Valencia for a group of local birders. Some of them I knew well as they have regularly been on birding trips with me, but it was a pleasure to meet 4 of the group for the first time. After a short journey to Albufera, we stopped for a coffee and brief chat about the plans for the day before heading to one of the area´s best reserves. We had a leisurely walk through the reed beds and beside a couple of small lakes where we enjoyed great views of Flamingo, Avocet, Black Winged Stilt and Little Egrets. As we made our way through the reserve, we scanned an area of shallow water and spotted Redshank, Greenshank and Little Ringed Plover. In addition to the usual Grey Herons, we had some stunning views of the recently arrived Purple Herons and also Glossy Ibis, especially beautiful with the sunlight highlighting the green, purple and bronze tones of their plumage. Other highlights of the visit were Purple Swamphen, Gull-Billed Terns, Marsh Harrier and Red Crested Pochard. After a picnic lunch by…

Exploring the diversity of Albufera de Valencia

It was my pleasure to work with my friend and colleague Yanina of Visit Natura to provide this very special trip through the diverse habitats of the Albufera de Valencia Natural Park. A group of 7 local birders joined the trip and together we enjoyed not only some great bird species, but some fascinating insights into this dynamic environment and its eco-systems. The day began with a boat trip across the Albufera, Spain´s largest fresh water lake. Whilst on the boat we had views of Marsh Harrier, Great Crested Grebe, Glossy Ibis, Purple Swamphen, Audouin´s Gull and huge numbers of Grey Heron. We stopped by at one of the Park´s best reserves and immediatelty enjoyed extremely close views of Little Bittern. Ducks included Red Crested Pochard, Gadwall and Shoveler. The shoreline and shallow water held Black Winged Stilt, Little Ringed Plover and Greater Flamingo. Scanning the reed beds revealed Reed Bunting, Fan-Tailed Warbler, and Cetti´s Warbler. Whiskered Terns and Sandwich Terns were feeding on the lake. After our return boat journey we enjoyed lunch in the Devesa Forest, a unique habitat of native pine forest and coastal dunes. Much valuable…