guided bird watching in Valencia - Valencia Birding

2 Day guided birding break from Valencia

A few days ago I had the pleasure to provide a 2 day guided birding trip for Norman from the UK and Urszula from Poland. Last year, Norman had visited the Valencia Region Stand at Rutland Bird Fair and after that he contacted us to book a trip. During the Bird Show we had the opportunity to talk about the different habitats and bird species , so it was easy to send him a proposal for the areas and species he was looking for. We planned to do Albufera de Valencia and the Steppe and Inland lagoons, but unfortunately they had a flight delay due to the storms that were affecting most of northern Europe. Therefore I collected them from the airport and we headed directly to Albufera! We were determined to have a fantastic day with many lifers… and that’s what we did!! First stop was in the main reserve area of the Natural Park where we enjoyed amazing views of Flamingos, Glossy Ibis and two stunning Booted Eagles Next stop was in an observatory tower which looks over the lake and to a small reserve area. After a…

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…

Yet another great day at Albufera.

Last week I was delighted to meet Albert, a scientist from Illinois, USA who had contacted us to arrange a day trip to the wetland site of Albufera de Valencia. He wasn´t an avid lister, but had a passion for birds and as this was his first birding trip to Spain, we chose to aim for quality views of the most “important” species. We began our trip at a reserve area where we had great views of a male Sardinian Warbler, Black Redstart and Marsh Harrier. We then moved to a different hide from where we watched Black Winged Stilt, Ruff, Teal and Crag Martins which were feeding in the air above us. Our walk back through the forest gave views of Long Tailed Tit and Firecrest. We then headed across the rice fields, generally exploring the park. This part of the trip included sightings of Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Great Egret, Glossy Ibis and a Green Sandpiper. After a coffee break, we drove further into the park and made a brief stop to explore a flooded area. From here we were really pleased to enjoy great views of a White…

Guided bird watching trip to Albufera of Valencia

A few months ago I was delighted to provide a guided bird watching trip to Albufera of Valencia for Rene from Denmark. He was on a business trip to Spain and he had a day off so wanted to spend it birding in one of the Valencian wetlands. He is an experienced birder who wanted to discover the diversity and ecosystems of Albufera Natural Park. After I collected him from a meeting point agreed in advance in Valencia city, we drove straight to the natural park. First stop was in the main pier of the Albufera Lake to enjoy good views of Sandwich Terns and Marsh Harrier. Next stop was in the main reserve area of the park, after a short visit to the visitor centre we headed into forest. Immediately we were stopped by the call of a Sardinian Warbler, after a few minutes trying to have a clean view we succeeded, it was a beautiful male. Also Cetti’s Warbler – a tricky bird to see in the open was happy to show up. Once we arrived to the restricted area, we spent a long time scanning with the…

Mountain birding trip in early spring

A few days ago, I was delighted to provide a mountain birding trip for two of clients from Scotland. They were experienced birders and after few days visiting Valencia City, they wanted a day out in the mountains to discover the birdlife of the area. After I collected them from their hotel, we drove less than an hour to this beautiful mountain area. On the way, we had to speed down to enjoy a flock of Glossy Ibis and a pair of Short-toed Eagles displaying. Ones in the area, our first stop a family of Serins catch our attention, suddenly the first Griffon Vultures started to show up with the background’s call of Sardinian Warbler. In the Second stop, the distinctive call of the frogs didn’t take our concentration on spotting the majestic Egyphtian Vultures, we were extremely luck to see them mating and displaying. Further on the gorge, we had nice views of Firecrest and Crag Martins flying everywhere. It took us some time to arrive to the Griffon Vultures’ colony, an amazing spot at the end of the gorge where also Peregrine Falcon and Egyphtian Vulture use for…

Early spring at Albufera Natural Park

A few days ago, I had the pleasure of providing day of guided bird watching for a great couple of clients from England who were visiting their son here in Spain. Both keen nature lovers, they were eager to see the diverse bird life that Albufera de Valencia Natural Park holds, especially at this time of year when summer migrants are beginning to arrive. Our first stop was at a protected reserve where we had fantastic views of Alpine Swifts, Booted Eagles and Red-legged Partridges. Wildfowl included Pintail, Gadwall, Red Crested Pochard, Shoveler and Pochard. Driving on the way to the second hotstop, we stopped the van to enjoy views of a beautiful Hoopoe. At the next stop, we had excellent views of Purple Swamphen, Jack Snipe and Avocet. Recently arrived summer visitors included two Short-toed Eagles soaring above the reserve and a Black Kite on passage. After a picnic lunch we stopped at a lake close to the sea where we enjoyed great views of Black-necked Grebe and Audouin’s Gull. To end the day we drove to the northern rice paddies where farmers were ploughing the land that provides habitat…