birding in Alicante - Page 21 of 21 - Valencia Birding

6-Day Winter Bird Watching Holiday

The huge habitat diversity of the Valencia region of Spain allows us to provide a superb 6 day birding holiday. In late February of this year, we were fortunate to deliver exactly that for Gourmet Birds, a well established specialist bird watching holiday provider from UK. We´d worked very closely with them to design a bespoke trip, taking in some of the region´s best birding venues and carefully selected accommodation to hopefully result in a memorable trip. Day 1 – Salt Marshes and Lagoons The group arrived relatively early into Alicante airport. Therefore, without wanting to make the first day too long, we did choose to spend a few hours birding at a couple of the salt marshes that are situated within very easy reach of the airport. The usual Flamingoes were feeding on the salt marshes in huge numbers, providing a striking welcome to Spain for our guests! As we strolled by the first lagoons, we also enjoyed views of Audouin´s Gull, Little Stint, Shelduck, Reed Bunting and Black Redstart. We were also treated to views of three Spoonbills in flight. We then moved on to another site that…

7 Day Guided Birding Trip – Day 2 (Mountains & High Forest)

Day 2 – Mountains & High Forest. Following yesterday´s long day and many hours of travelling for our clients, we designed the second day such that there would be very little time spent in the car. Within a very short drive of Banyeres de Mariola are some wonderful high forested hills and rocky peaks. They were to be our chosen habitats for today. At over 1000 metres above sea level, the high forests of the region have beautifully clean air and provide habitat for some very special birds. Strangely enough, in this area you´re more likely to see a Crested Tit than a Blue Tit! We began our walk up through a steep forested area, stopping to watch Great Tit, Coal Tit, Crested Tit and indeed a Blue Tit. A Hawfinch flew past, giving brief but clear views. Our walk took us past an area where there´s usually a pair of Bonelli´s Eagle but unfortunately we didn´t see them this time. We did however enjoy views of Siskin, Serin and Short Toed Treecreeper. We then drove across the valley to a spectacular rocky gorge where we parked the van and…

Birding in the mountains of Valencia

Day 3 of Charles´4-day birding trip to Valencia took us to the inland mountains of the province of Alicante. Birding in the mountains of Valencia doesn´t usually yield an extremely long species list, but with a little effort it can provide views of some very special species that thrive in the rocky peaks of the region. After the easy drive from the city, we stopped for a morning coffee in a small town, allowing sufficient time for the morning mist to clear from the peaks and valleys. We were already at a height of 600 metres, and the mist cover had brought the temperatures down to around 6 degrees C. However, the sun soon began to break through, allowing us to begin the short walk through a dramatic rocky gorge. The first species that we spotted included one of the day´s targets – the Blue Rock Thrush. Although the male is much brigher blue in the breeding season, even in it´s winter plumage it´s still a striking bird. We then spent a little time trying to get good views of the often illusive Sardinian Warbler, but were suddenly interupted…

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…

2 Day Birding Break in Valencia

Yanina and I have recently provided a couple of days of guided birding for clients from Paris. They had planned a winter break in this beautiful city and had previously contacted us to arrange a 2 day birding break in Valencia as part of their trip. We´d discussed the best options for this time of year, and had agreed upon a day in Albufera and the coastal wetlands, followed by a day exploring the steppe and lagoons of Castilla de la Mancha. They were well travelled and experienced birders and were eager to see what this area offers. The truth is that we had a couple of fabulous days…both of which held some amazing surprises! Day 1 – Albufera & Coastal Wetlands Having collected Christine and Alastair from central Valencia, we drove to Albufera where together with Yanina, we went into one of the park´s restricted reserve areas. Whilst driving through the flooded rice paddies, we had great views of Glossy Ibis, Great Egret and Southern Grey Shrike, indeed a good start to the day. Once in the reserve, we stopped to scan over a small lagoon and enjoyed views…

Bird Watching in Alicante

One vital aspect of our work as guides is to know intimately our area; what´s where and when. We´re operating constantly around the many sites that surround Valencia so we´re always “in touch”. However, we´ll soon be welcoming a small group who have booked a multi-day trip that will take in sites close to both Valencia and Alicante. Although the Alicante region is very familiar to us (we have a small operating base there), it´s been a few weeks since we were guiding there. So, in readiness for our next trip, last week Yanina and I spent a couple of days bird watching in Alicante, to update ourselves on what´s around, to chat to some of the rangers, and to check out a new hide. We´d also planned to drop in at a traditional guest house with whom we work to finalise plans for another group who are soon to stay there. It´s always a pleasure to operate in Alicante, especially in some of the region´s virtually unknown inland sites. Many of our clients opt for a bespoke multi-day trip that combines bird watching in Alicante followed by a few days…