Bird Watching Valencia - Page 23 of 33 - Valencia Birding

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…

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,…

Raising Awareness of the SEO (Sociedad Española de Ornotología)

As a professional bird watching guide and lover of the natural World, I am a member of the SEO (Sociedad Española de Ornitología). Essentially this is Spain´s equivalent and indeed partner of the UK´s RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds). During my travels as a guide, I see at first hand the extremely valueable work that the SEO undertakes and greatly admire their dedication to the protection of birds and conservation of their habitats. Unlike in the UK, the culture of bird watching and conservation in Spain is still in its infancy, although this is gradually changing as people are becoming increasingly aware of this country´s diverse birdlife and the need to protect and cherish it. The aim of this article is to generally raise awareness of the SEO and its work and activities in our area. The local Valencian branch of the SEO are very keen to reach out to the non-Spanish population that live in our region and to attract new members. This is not simply a plea for donations or membership fees…in addition to the conservation projects that are constantly ongoing, the SEO also arranges…

Birding on the Steppe of Eastern Spain

By sheer coincidence I was fortunate enough to spend two days up on the steppe this week. The second day was with a group of local birders, some relative beginners, others experienced. The group worked superbly well, with knowledge being readily shared, and the more “eagle-eyed” being on hand to point out the birds! After the usual coffee stop, we drove across the fields of this vast wide open area of eastern Spain in our hunt for Great Bustards. Some of the group had never seen these birds before, so our quest had added value. After 10-15 minutes of searching, we were rewarded with magnificent views of a flock at least 25 birds. Whilst in the same spot we also had good views of Hoopoe, Linnet, Skylark and Spotless Starling. The wind was becoming quite severe so we opted to strategically park the van at the next lagoon and use it as shelter as we scanned the water and the shoreline! We were once again rewarded as the lagoon held Flamingo, Teal, Shelduck, Shoveler and Gadwall. The scrub by the shore gave fantastic views of a Southern Grey Shrike whilst…