birding holidays spain - Page 9 of 9 - Valencia Birding

Birding at Albufera de Valencia

The forth and final day of Charles´trip saw us birding at Albufera de Valencia. This internationally important wetland holds something of interest throughout the year, be it for its breeding habitats for summer visitors, its location as a stopping point for migrating birds or as a wintering ground for species that return each year from northern Europe and beyond. We started the day at a specially protected reserve area, where we visited a hide that looked onto a small lagoon. This gave views of Black Tailed Godwit, Spotted Redshank, Greenshank, Avocet and Black Winged Stilt. We then turned our attention to the wildfowl that over winter in Albufera in huge numbers. We enjoyed views of Shelduck, Pintail, Shoveler, Teal, Pochard and Red Crested Pochard. Charles was keen to see the famous egrets of Albufera so we then headed across the rice fields that provide critical feeding grounds for thousands of herons, egrets and waders. We parked by an irrigation channel and enjoyed close views of Little Egret, Cattle Egret and Great Egret. We had to push on as we´d been invited to attend a ringing session in another protected reserve,…

Birding in Valencia

This is Day 2 of the 4-Day trip that we recently provided for Charles from London. One of the biggest advantages of birding in Valencia is the close proximity to some wonderfully varied habitat. After yesterday´s trip to the steppe, today we visited the coastal wetlands followed by a visit to a highland forest overlooking the Gulf of Valencia. The day began with a short drive along the coast to one of the region´s superb wetlands. However, before we arrived at the usual starting point, something over the sea caught our eye. We found a safe place to stop, and quickly took our binoculars. We were greeted with the amazing sight of a huge flock of shearwaters, skimming low over the water. Closer inspection revealed that it was a mixed flock of Yelkouan and Balearic Shearwaters. Both species are frequently seen along the Valencian coast throughout the winter months – a superb start to the day! As we were watching the Shearwaters, dozens of Crag Martins were flying around us, picking off airborne insects. These resident martins breed on the high cliffs of the region´s mountains but each winter they…

A stormy day in Albufera de Valencia

Last Sunday, Yanina and I were pleased to provide a day of guided birding for a client from UK. Thomas was spending the weekend in Valencia and had arranged a trip with us. Despite it being a stormy day in Albufera de Valencia, we managed to adapt the trip to miss almost all of the heavy rain that fell that day! Having collected Thomas from his hotel in central Valencia, we made the short trip to Albufera, where we began the day in a protected reserve. We were welcomed by the explosive song of Cetti´s Warbler, and with a little patience we soon had views of this elusive little bird. The reed beds also gave views of Great Reed Warbler, Willow Warbler (we were fortunate as they are at the point of departure for their autumn migration) and Fan-tailed Warbler. A juvenile Night Heron passed overhead. The first lagoon gave good views of Marsh Harrier, Little Grebe, Garganey, and eventually a Green Sandpiper. As we walked through the reserve, we were treated to views of huge flocks of Glossy Ibis, well in excess of 100 birds. We then spent a…

Birding trip to l´Albufera of Valencia Natural Park

Last Wednesday I had the pleasure of providing a birding trip to l´Albufera of Valencia Natural Park for two clients from Switzerland. They are experience birders and they wanted to see and photograph the classic species of the Valencian wetlands. They were staying in the southern region of the Valencian Community, so we opted to meet at Cullera lighthouse, a popular sea-watching spot. We then made the short road trip through an orchard region and on to the first stop which was at a protected reserve and green filter area. A little patience was rewarded with views of several Purple Swamphens and Little Bitterns. Second stop was in some rice paddies where the rice plants hadn´t grown this year. Therefore, the flooded fields provided ideal habitat for waders. Hundreds of birds of more than 18 different species where feeding all together. After a brief stop for a coffee and a short review of the species list we went to the next stop in the reserve area and interpretation centre of the Natural Park, where Avocets and Shelducks where close enough for us to get amazing photographs. Driving by the…

Birding at the Wetlands of Valencia

Last week, Yanina and I teamed up to provide a day of guided birding at the wetlands of Valencia for a very experienced couple of birders from the Netherlands. They wanted to combine a short break in this magical Mediterranean city with a day of birding in the local costal marshes and lagoons. After the short drive from the city centre, and a morning coffee stop by the beach, we began to explore the coastal lagoons and surrounding reed beds. As one of the clients was a very knowledgable bird photographer, we concentrated our efforts on a relatively small area of the reserve, hoping for some key target species and aiming to obtain some quality photos. One of the highlights of the first lagoon was the extremely rare White-headed Duck. We also had good views of Little Bittern and Great Reed Warbler. As we headed along the coast, we were treated to some superb views of the fascinating Collared Pratincole. The coastal scrub also held Stonechat, Whinchat and Crested Lark. The next lagoon gave good views of waders including Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Curlew Sandpiper and Little Stint. After lunch…

Bird Watching in Valencia

I recently enjoyed a fabulous day with two wonderful clients from California, USA. They were visiting the city where they were performing in a music festival and had previously organised a day of guided bird watching in Valencia with me. Both very keen and experienced bird watchers and photographers, they were very eager to see some of the amazing species that our wetlands hold, especially during the breeding season. Having driven the short journey through the beautiful city of Valencia, we arrived at the reserve and began our walk. Almost immediately, we had views of a pair of Turtle Doves. As we began our walk along the dunes, we enjoyed views of Great Reed Warbler, Fan-Tailed Warbler and Little Grebe. Then one of the day´s target species appeared – the magnificent Bee Eater. Having enjoyed the amazing colours of this stunning creature, we continued our walk along the coast to a lagoon where we paused and watched nesting colonies of Common Tern, Little Tern, Whiskered Tern and the exceptionally pretty Collared Pratincole. We also added to our list Kentish Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Avocet, Purple Heron and Audouin´s Gull….