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2-Day Bird Watching Break : Mountains & Albufera

Day 1 – Mountains A few days ago, I was delighted to provide a 2-day bird watching break to the mountains and to Albufera de Valencia for two experienced birders from USA. They were keen to discover some of the habitats and birdlife of our region. Having collected them from their apartment in central Valencia, we drove for less than one hour to a great gorge in the mountains to search for some target species. As soon as we parked, we had an amazing welcome from a Blue Rock Thrush standing on top of a ruined building controlling its territory. A few minutes later, many Griffon Vultures were circling around. Walking through this amazing gorge we enjoyed great views of Black Wheatear, Sardinean Warbler, Crag Martin, Black Redstart and also a pair of Raven. It was a fantastic trip where we had good sightings of some target species. The list for the day included… Griffon Vulture, Peregrine Falcon, Raven, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Crag Martin, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Sardinian Warbler, Robin, Black Redstart, Black Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Stonechat, Song Thrush, Serin, House Sparrow. Day 2 – Albufera de Valencia The second day was designed such that we could see…

Guided Birding Trip to Albufera

A few days ago, I had the pleasure to organise a guided birding trip to Albufera de Valencia for a couple from the Netherlands. They were experienced birders, keen to discover new species from this region. After I collected them from their hotel in Valencia, we drove to the first stop in a reserve area, which right now is becoming a local “hotspot”. We were amazed with fantastic views of Booted Eagles and Marsh Harrier, also Little Grebe and Kingfisher displaying right in front of us. We also enjoyed good sightings of many waterfowl and wader species. Second stop was in a restricted reserve and green filter area where we were welcomed by Spoonbills flying overhead. Many Glossy Ibis and waders where feeding in the shallow water of the fields. Next stop was by a small lake, which by this time of the year becomes a great spot for wintering and migratory birds. Black-necked Grebes were among the target species here. It had been a special birding day with many great sightings. These included… Mallard, Shelduck, Gadwall, Shoveler, Pintail, Red-crested Pochard, Common Pochard, Teal, Great-crested Grebe, Black-necked Gribe, Little Grebe, Great Cormorant,…

Bird watching in Albufera de Valencia

Yesterday I was delighted to provide a day of guided bird watching in Albufera de Valencia for a client from Madrid. She´s a keen nature lover, especially interested in birdlife and she wanted to visit Valencia and to discover its biodiversity. I arranged a bespoke trip for her to Albufera de Valencia, where we visited many protected reserve areas. First stop was in the marshes and rice fields where we were amazed by the sheer size of the gatherings of egrets and herons. Next stop was in a reserve area that is a sightseeing hotspot for diverse ducks species. Also from the same observatory we saw how a Marsh Harrier and a Booted Eagle were trying to hunt Black-winged Stilts. What a sight! We then walked through an area of coastal Mediterranean forest, taking in dune systems and unspoilt beaches. We managed to visit a huge variety of habitats, all within the Albufera de Valencia Natural Park, and enjoyed a wonderfully diverse range of species. List of bird species: Marsh Harrier, Booted Eagle, Common Kestrel, Grey Heron, Great Egret, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Glossy Ibis, Common Crane, Mallard, Northern…

A Christmas Birding Trip to the Steppe & Lagoons of Eastern Spain

On 22nd December, we provided a guided bird watching trip to the steppe and lagoons for a client from the Netherlands. Norbert, a very well travelled and experienced birder was holidaying in the Valencia area and was keen to see the bird life that this superb region has to offer. The morning had dawned bright and clear but as we climbed up onto the steppe, it became quite cloudy with a little light drizzle in the air. After a coffee in a local farming village, we set out across the fields towards the day´s first lagoon. Something caught our eye way off to the left so we stopped to take a closer look…indeed, it was a pair of Great Bustards – one of the day´s target species. After a few minutes they took flight, remarkably elegantly for such huge birds. The first lagoon gave good views of Shoveler, Shelduck, Greater Flamingo, Golden Plover and Teal. Although quite far off, we also had views of a Merlin. The nearby telephone cables were occupied by a large flock of Corn Buntings whilst flocks of Serin were flitting around the trees at the…

Another amazing day at the Valencian Coastal Wetlands!

On 4th December, we arranged a trip to the Valencian Coastal Wetlands for a group of 8 local birders. After the obligatory morning coffee, we parked the van near the beach. The day got off to a fantastic start the moment we got out of the van with immediate views of a Kingfisher perched on a reed overhanging a small canal. Things then turned from the sublime to the ridiculous as a bright green bird flew by…one that we identified as a budgerigar!! After some discussion about whether we could include it on the list, we headed to the first lagoon. A chiffchaff, the first of many for the day was flitting around, soon to be joined by a Black Redstart. The lagoon held Shoveler and Teal and the surrounding reed beds were being patrolled by a Marsh Harrier. A stroll up the coast gave good views of Stonechat, Northern Wheatear, Hoopoe and Reed Bunting. Then another oddity…an unusual bird and one that we had clear views of for a good 10 minutes. The firm consensus of opinion within the group was that we were looking at a Desert Wheatear,…

Ladies´ Birding Group Trip to the Mountains of Valencia

On 11th May, I returned to the mountains, this time with a Ladies´Bird Watching Group. After the morning coffee stop we set out into a beautiful mountain gorge. The weather was hot and sunny but once in the gorge we soon found a shady spot from which to rest and watch the bird life. Griffon Vultures were around in good numbers, soaring effortlessly on the thermals. Some were resting on the cliffs which provided great opportunities to appreciate the sheer size of these magnificent creatures. We made steady progress up into the gorge before finding another comfortable stopping point from where we watched Raven, Chough, Crag Martin and eventually one of the target species, the Blue Rock Thrush. Serin were constantly singing, Goldfinch were flitting around and Swifts were swooping and soaring overhead. After lunch we drove down the mountain to a lake and reedbed. We had great views of a Great Crested Grebe feeding its young (with a frog!) and also saw Little Grebe, Corn Bunting, Stonechat and Reed Warbler. The species list included… Griffon Vulture, Chough, Raven, Blue Rock Thrush, Crag Martin, Serin, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Kestrel, Swift, Little…