birding in Alicante - Page 18 of 22 - Valencia Birding

Two fabulous trips to the steppe and the wetlands with Margaret from Canada.

Last week, we enjoyed some beautiful weather here in the Valencia region. Clear skies, no wind and temperatures hovering around 22 degrees. Perfect conditions for birding on the steppe, which is a high and vastly open area that in more wintry conditions can be challenging! So, for my first trip with Margaret, a very keen Canadian birder, the steppe was our destination. She was very eager to see Great Bustards above all, but we also added Black Bellied Sandgrouse, Calandra Lark and Rock Sparrow to our target list. Having collected her from her accommodation close to Valencia´s fascinating Central Market, we drove up onto the steppe. Our first spot was a view point overlooking the surrounding cereal fields and vineyards. The usual passerines were around – Crested Lark, Stonechat, Corn Bunting and Goldfinch. A little effort of scanning the fields gave us good views of a flock of Calandra Lark, their dark underwing showing clearly against the blue sky. A favourite spot next to an old farm was our second stop, and today it proved positive. We spotted a lone Golden Plover, Rock Sparrows on a stone barn, an Iberian…

A winter weekend birding break in Valencia.

Last weekend I was pleased to welcome back returning client Norman to Valencia. He had previously spent two days with us last Spring when we visited the coastal wetlands and the mountains. We´d kept in touch and he subsequently arranged a winter weekend birding break in Valencia. This time we opted to visit the steppe on day one and the huge wetland site of Albufera on day two. Day 1 I collected him from his hotel close to the stunning City of Arts & Science complex in Valencia, and we made the comfortable journey south west to the high plains. Before starting our birding, we enjoyed a coffee break in a farming village where we discussed the target species of the day. We were blessed with blue skies, very mild temperatures and more importantly, no wind, and our first brief stop by a flooded field gave views of a Snipe, Lapwings and a Reed Bunting. We then moved to a vantage point where we set up the scope and began to look closely at the surrounding fields. Crested Larks were moving around on the ground very close to us, a…

A special time to be at Albufera

Last Friday, I provided a day trip for Andy and Lydia from the UK. They were spending a weekend in Valencia and wanted to include a day´s birding in their break. The vast wetland site of Albufera de Valencia is surrounded by rice fields, and the different phases of the rice cycle influence greatly the habitat and therefore bird life of the park. During the month of February, the flooded fields and gradually drained and ploughed, and the sight of huge flocks of gulls, egrets, herons and ibises that follow the tractors is one not to be missed. More on that later… We began our visit at one of the park´s protected reserve areas, where we started the day with perhaps one of the highlights, a Ferruginous Duck that was resting in amongst a group of Common Pochard. Other wildfowl included Shelduck, Red Crested Pochard and Teal. We then turned our attention to shorebirds, and enjoyed views of Black-winged Stilt, Ruff, Greenshank and both Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwits. Crag Martins were feeding in flights and Marsh Harriers passed over the reed beds. A Booted Eagle came to rest in a…

A day on the steppe.

Last week, I enjoyed a great trip with Ville from Finland. A very experienced birder and professional biologist, he was in Valencia for a conference and had extended his stay to include a day on the steppe. He was particularly keen to see Great Bustard as he´d never seen it before. We also added White Headed Duck to the list of target species as this would also be a “lifer” for him. Having made the comfortable drive from Valencia, I was happy to discover that Ville was keen to have a coffee before we began our birding! We did so and then started by making a couple of stops to scan the vast fields. Our first stop gave good views of Crested Lark and Iberian Grey Shrike. Some old farm buildings provided sightings of Rock Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Corn Bunting and Spotless Starling. We then stopped by a small lagoon to watch Gadwall, Shoveler, Black Necked Grebe and a few Lapwings. Then, as we scanned the surrounding fields again, we were delighted to see Great Bustard! There were 4 males quite some way off, but with the scope we could…

Autumn 2019 Newsletter.

Reflection. Following the summer holiday period, Autumn is always a time of reflection, thinking back over the year so far whilst at the same time looking ahead at what remains, particularly with migration in mind. We still have a few late summer visitors here, but in general the autumn migration is well underway. This week has seen huge mixed flocks of Swifts, Martins and Swallows passing through the region but what has been more noticeable has been the sheer numbers of Bee Eaters on the move this week and last. Waders are currently the big draw though, especially at our numerous coastal wetland sites. Recent sightings have included Terek Sandpiper. Looking back at the Spring of this year, we are delighted to say that Valencia Birding enjoyed its best ever period (in terms of number of clients) since we began back in 2011. In challenging times such as these, it´s fabulous to see such positive trends and we´re exceptionally grateful to all whose support has helped us to make this possible. The “star” species are too numerous to comprehensively list here but they have to include the returning Elegant Terns,…

A late summer´s day at the wetlands of Alicante.

As I tend to spend the hottest months of the year in the rural interior to the south of our region, we often provide trips towards the end of the summer to the extensive wetland systems of Alicante. In early September I was delighted to provide such a trip for Mark from UK. We met at the British Bird Fair in August and quickly arranged a date during Mark´s stay in our area. Recently retired from the RSPB, Mark is an experienced and knlowedgeable birder and a pleasure to be with. We met close to Alicante airport and made the short onward journey to the local salt marshes. Our first stop gave views of Greater Flamingo, Purple Swamphen and Squacco Heron. The reeds held Common Reed Warbler and a Kingfisher. We moved a little further into the marshes where we saw a couple of Turnstones, Gull-billed Tern, Little Tern, Slender-billed Gull, Audouin´s Gull and amongst the Common Swifts feeding overhead we were able to pick out a few Pallid Swifts. We then took a short drive across farmland towards the main reserve area of the day. This proved to be…