birding in spain - Page 7 of 7 - Valencia Birding

Nature and Cultural Tourism in Valencia

Last week I had the pleasure of providing a trip for a group of local birders. We were joined by a guest from Canada who was spending some time in Valencia as a volunteer, working on various environmental and conservation projects. One of our key priorities is always to gear our trips to the wishes and needs of the client. As this was her first visit to our region of Spain, we modified the trip to provide a blend of nature and cultural tourism in Valencia. We began the day with a walk along the coast not far from the city of Valencia, and soon had our first views of Whiskered Tern and Little Tern. As we made our way through the reedbeds we enjoyed the song of Cetti´s Warbler, and had good views of Marsh Harrier, Great Reed Warbler, Fan-Tailed Warbler and Yellow Wagtail. We then visited one of the area´s most interesting centres, essentially a beautifully restored country house that was once run by monks from a local monestary. Although a monument in its own right, it also serves as a centre for environmental education and has…

Bird watching from the city of Valencia

Last week, I spent a great day with a client from the Netherlands. He was attending a medical conference and had arranged a day of bird watching from the city of Valencia with us. The close proximity to the city of some of the regions best birding sites makes such a trip very easy. Having collected him from his hotel in Valencia, we made the short journey to the Valencian Coastal Wetlands. Our day began with a pair of Turtle Doves, even before we´d closed the van doors! A short walk to the first small lake gave us good views of Night Heron, Reed Warbler and Fan Tailed Warbler. We continued along the beach to the next coastal lagoon where we enjoyed views of Audouin´s Gull, Whiskered Tern, Little Tern and Glossy Ibis. The coastal scrub held Yellow Wagtail and Stonechat whilst all the while we saw Barn Swallow, Red Rumped Swallow, House Martin and Swift passing overhead. The next lagoon gave superb views of Collared Pratincole, Kentish Plover, Avocet and Purple Swamphen. We also watched a breeding colony of Little Tern and Whiskered Tern. Our walk continued through reedbeds…