Birding Denia - Page 18 of 19 - Valencia Birding

Two fantastic days with clients from Sweden.

When clients return it´s always a special feeling, and in mid May, Alexia from Sweden did exactly that. She´d previously visited Valencia and we did a trip to Albufera together. Not long after her return home she contacted us and we arranged a 2 day birding break in Valencia, which she was to combine with a cultural break in the city. This time she came with a friend, Lena. I was delighted to see Alexia again, and to meet Lena. Both very friendly and great company. On our first day we visited one of Valencia´s coastal wetlands. A walk along the beach gave views of Audouin´s Gull and Whiskered Tern. We had great views of Turtle Dove, a bird that appears to have done very well here this year. The lagoons held White Headed Duck, Little Ringed Plover, Great Egret and a solitary lingering Dunlin. We also enjoyed watching the Tern colony which comprised Common, Little and Sandwich. We were delighted also to see the Elegant Terns that apper to be returning to Valencia each year to breed. On the walk back to the car we stopped to enjoy amazing…

3 day Spring birding break.

In late April I was delighted to welcome back Justin from Sheffield. We did a trip last summer whilst he was on holiday with his family and had discussed the possibilities for a return visit. This time he travelled alone on a short break that we´d designed together, his trip being timed to enjoy the Spring migration. Day 1 Easter this year was a complete wash-out on much of the Mediterranean coast, and in the Valencia region it was the wettest in 74 years! The first day of Justin´s trip was timed to perfection as it was the first dry day after 5 days of torrential rain. We were hoping to see plenty of birds on the move, and indeed we did. It was as if the migration “plug” had suddenly being pulled and the flow of birds was spectacular. We spent the first day at one of the region´s wetlands, which itself is on a flyway. The skies were full of House Martins, Barn Swallows and Swifts heading north. The first lagoon gave great views of White Headed Duck, Red Crested Pochard, Whiskered Tern, Great Reed Warbler and Zitting…

Spring birding at the wetlands with clients from Canada.

The month of April continued to be very busy, with high demand for trips to the wetlands. The Valencia region boasts a vast network of coastal wetland sites which not only serve as breeding grounds but are located right on a major migration flyway so in Spring and Autumn can make for some very interesting trips. Today I was delighted to provide such a trip – spring birding at the wetlands with clients from Canada. Blair and Anne had originally booked this trip but a little later Anne´s brother and his wife arranged to join them in Valencia so elected to come along too. The group was not only very friendly and a delight to be with, but collectively held a great deal of birding experience. After a morning coffee during which we discussed the key target species of the day, we headed out along the beach. A Marsh Harrier was quartering the reed beds and a pair of Red Crested Pochards were on the first lagoon. The sky was full of Barn Swallows, Swifts, House Martins and Sand Martins. We were soon enjoying quality views of White Headed Duck,…

A day on the steppe.

Last week, Yanina and I were privileged to provide a day of bird watching for Dominic Mitchell, founder and managing editor of Birdwatch Magazine and BirdGuides. He was in Valencia on a short break and wanted to include a day of birding. Having spoken about his target species, we decided upon a day on the steppe with a brief diversion at the end of the day to a coastal lagoon close to Albufera where we would look for Audouin´s Gull. We made the journey from central Valencia into the uplands of the interior where we made a brief stop at an area of scrub where Great Spotted Cuckoo had been seen during the previous days. Despite our efforts it didn´t show, but we did have views of Rock Sparrow, Crested Lark, Red Legged Partridge and Stonechat. After a coffee stop in a farming village, we stopped at a good vantage point to scan. Although quite a way off, we managed to see a small group of Great Bustards as well as a sizeable flock of Calandra Larks and a Thekla Lark. The next stop by an old farm gave views…

3 Day Birding Holiday

Last week, Yanina and I provided a 3 day birding holiday for returning clients and friends from the UK. Rab and Jan have been on numerous trips with us over the past years and this time they were accompanied by their friend Pete from my home town of Sheffield. Our main objective was to provide as much diversity as possible in the three days that we had together. So on day 1, I collected them from their holiday home in Javia and we drove south to visit the salt pans of Alicante. Here we were focussing on gulls, and soon had the two key species – Audouin´s and Slender Billed as well as Yellow Legged. After a morning coffee, we headed to one of the region´s premium wetland sites where we began by searching for Bluethroat. Eventually, our patience was rewarded and we enjoyed great views of this ever popular little bird. Having spent a little time watching Little Ringed Plover and Purple Swamphen, we then turned our attention to one of the region´s conservation success stories, the Red-knobbed Coot, and were treated to some excellent views. A visit to…

2 Day Birding Break in Valencia

I recently provided a 2 day birding break in Valencia for a couple of returning clients from my home town of Sheffield. It was fantastic to welcome Jonathan and Caroline back to Valencia and to spend these days together with them. They first came last autumn when they visited the wetlands of Albufera de Valencia and the mountains with us. They were keen to see Albufera again, but in winter and also wanted to visit the steppe, in particular to see Great Bustards. This time they were visiting with friends and were combining a cultural city break with a couple of days of birding. On day one, we made the short trip to Albufera, and started birding as soon as we began the journey by watching a Booted Eagle who has made Valencia port his winter home this year. We then visited a reserve area where we sat in a couple of hides for a while and enjoyed views of Shelduck, Teal, Marsh Harrier and more Booted Eagles. We then spent a little time watching a rice field that held plenty of Snipe and in the surrounding reeds we saw Tree…