Fan Tailed Warbler - Page 2 of 4 - Valencia Birding

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,…

Guided Birding in Valencia

On Sunday 21st October, I spent a very enjoyable day with some great clients from Kidderminster, UK. Stella and Richard are both keen nature lovers and in recent years have been particularly interested in birds. They were keen to explore the Valencian wetlands and to see the classic species of this diverse area. We started our day at one of the reserves within the natural park of Albufera de Valencia where we began by scanning the lake for wildfowl. We soon had good views of Red Crested Pochard, Shelduck and Teal. We also had great views of both male and female Marsh Harriers, a species that seems to be doing increasingly well in this area. We then moved on to another site within Albufera where we were very fortunate to see the endangered Red Crested Coot. We also had good views of Purple Swamphen, and Iberian Grey Shrike. The reed beds held many recently arrived Chiffchaffs plus Fan-Tailed Warbler and Cetti´s Warbler. We also had brief views of Kingfisher and Black Redstart. After a coffee stop, the next site of the day was a coastal lagoon where we enjoyed great…

Guided Birding in Valencia.

After an interesting drive around the narrow streets of the historic quarter of Valencia, I met up with today´s clients Hannah and Alex. They were on a short break in Valencia and had previously arranged a day of guided bird watching with us. Both keen birders, and obviously well-travelled they were keen to see some of the key species that the Valencian wetlands hold. We took a short drive along the coast and after the obligatory morning coffee we began our walk along the coast to visit some small lagoons. The day started very well, with good views of Little Ringed Plover, Black Winged Stilt and Marsh Harrier. Hannah´s keen eye sight soon picked out a Water Rail in the reeds by the shore. We also spotted a few small flocks of Grey Wagtail heading south along the coast. Then one of those great moments occurred…whilst watching the Water Rail a Kingfisher flew in and perched beside it! Then within a further 5 minutes we saw two more of the day´s target species – Purple Gallinule and White Headed Duck. The Purple Gallinule has made real progress over the past…

Birding at Tancat de la Pipa.

One of the venues that we often visit on our guided bird watching trips to Albufera de Valencia is the protected nature reserve Tancat de la Pipa. Much more than a reserve, Tancat de la Pipa is essentially an open air living laboratory where a huge amount of scientific research takes place, all of which is aimed at the conservation of plants, insects, reptiles, fish, amphibians and bird life. As a result of the ongoing work by the team at Tancat de la Pipa, not only have they created exceptional habitats that provide both breeding and wintering grounds for a vast range of birds, but the water quality and ecosystems of the entire Natural Park of Albufera de Valencia have benefitted enormously. The staff work tirelessly to constantly improve the habitat at the reserve and they´re always extremely helpful, welcoming and knowledgeable and have gladly provided fascinating presentations to many of our groups. With that in mind, Valencia Birding recently arranged a “Bird Walk” around our home valley, aimed at raising money for this extremely worthy cause. Rather than it being a sponsored event, each attendee made a voluntary…

Bird Watching at Albufera de Valencia.

On Saturday 23rd June, we provided a day trip to Albufera de Valencia for a group of four clients. All levels of abilities are made equally welcome and our trips are tailored to suit, so whilst today´s group were not “mad-keen” birders, all four were keen nature lovers so the trip was designed to provide a blend of birding, habitat and environment, and local culture. Our first stop was at a protected bird reserve within Albufera. We spent a little time watching Cattle Egrets, Little Egrets and Squacco Herons before walking into the reed beds. From there we had great views of Great Reed Warbler, Fan-Tailed Warbler then whilst looking across a lagoon we had views of Avocet, Black Winged Stilt and one of the day´s highlights, the Night Heron. A little later we had superb views of Marsh Harrier, Gull-Billed Tern, Purple Heron and another favourite, the Glossy Ibis. An informal presentation on the habitat and ecology of the Natural Park was followed by a short drive the village of El Palmar where we enjoyed a traditional Valencian Paella lunch. Once rested and refreshed we then took a…

Bird Watching in Valencia

On 27th April, we enjoyed a great day of birding at the Valencian Coastal Wetlands with a group of British birders. After the obligatory morning coffee by the sea, we set out along the dunes where we enjoyed good views of Moustached Warbler in the adjoining reeds and a Turtle Dove on a telephone wire. The first lagoon provided nice views of White Headed Duck and Little Bittern and a little further along the track we stopped to watch a Great Reed Warbler sat up in the reeds in full view. Our next stopping point beside another lagoon gave good views of Spotted Redshank, Dunlin, Little Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover and the beautiful Collared Pratincole. As we walked through more reedbeds we saw Common Reed Warbler, Savi´s Warbler, Fan Tailed Warbler and Marsh Harrier – all classic birds of this trip. We soon added Corn Bunting and Yellow Wagtail to the list too. The mosquitos were becoming a little annoying so we didn´t linger at the next lake for too long but we did have time to enjoy views of Shelduck, Wood Sandpiper, Purple Heron, Glossy Ibis and Spotted Flycatcher….