Guided bird watching trips Costa Blanca - Valencia Birding

7 Day Guided Birding Trip – Day 3 (Wetlands of Alicante)

7 Day Guided Birding Trip – Day 3 (Wetlands of Alicante) The plan for our third day was to drive to the coast at the southern end of the province of Alicante and visit one of the region´s premium wetland reserves. After a drive of around one hour from Banyeres de Mariola, we arrived at the reserve. Although a little breezy, the weather was fine. After a brief chat with the reserve warden we looked out onto the first small lagoon where we were fortunate to see some of the Red Knobbed Coots that are part of a release programme. This extremely rare bird has its European stronghold along the Valencian coast and much work has been done to protect it. We then walked along a boardwalk across another lagoon where we had great views of Purple Swamphen (another conservation success story for Valencia). The first hide of the day gave views of Black Necked Grebe, Little Grebe and another very rare species, the Marbled Teal. Cetti´s Warbler were singing in the surrounding scrub and Stonechats and Sardinian Warbler were also seen. The next hide gave views of Green Sandpiper,…

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 on the Steppe of Eastern Spain

By sheer coincidence I was fortunate enough to spend two days up on the steppe this week. The second day was with a group of local birders, some relative beginners, others experienced. The group worked superbly well, with knowledge being readily shared, and the more “eagle-eyed” being on hand to point out the birds! After the usual coffee stop, we drove across the fields of this vast wide open area of eastern Spain in our hunt for Great Bustards. Some of the group had never seen these birds before, so our quest had added value. After 10-15 minutes of searching, we were rewarded with magnificent views of a flock at least 25 birds. Whilst in the same spot we also had good views of Hoopoe, Linnet, Skylark and Spotless Starling. The wind was becoming quite severe so we opted to strategically park the van at the next lagoon and use it as shelter as we scanned the water and the shoreline! We were once again rewarded as the lagoon held Flamingo, Teal, Shelduck, Shoveler and Gadwall. The scrub by the shore gave fantastic views of a Southern Grey Shrike whilst…

Great Bustards & Calandra Larks

On Tuesday of this week I had the pleasure of providing a day of guided birding for a couple of clients from UK. Both experienced birders and outdoor enthusiasts, they were keen to visit the steppe and lagoons of Castilla de la Mancha, just over one hour´s drive from Valencia. Although a little early for most summer visitors, the key species that we were looking for were both residents…the Great Bustard and Calandra Lark. After a relaxed drive, we stopped for a coffee and prepared binoculars, telescopes and cameras and set out across the vast open fields. Luck was on our side as we found a flock of Great Bustards within the first 10 minutes of the trip. Despite a strong breeze, we were able to shelter beside the van and enjoy some great views of these magnificent creatures. As we were watching them, we also had views of Red Kite and Southern Grey Shrike. We moved on to the first lagoon of the day where we saw Greater Flamingo, Lapwing, Teal, Gadwall and Shelduck. After a short drive to the next lagoon, we were fortunate enough to be able…

Birding on the Steppe.

Following a long, hot and very dry summer a few of us spent last Thursday (6th Sept) up on the steppe of Castilla de la Mancha. It was clear that the recent prolonged dry conditions had left water levels much lower than usual, and some of the smaller lagoons had dried up completely. This of course meant less birds, but as always with this area, if you put in the effort there are always some interesting species to see. After a brief road-side stop to watch Crested Lark, Skylark, Hoopoe and Woodchat Shrike, we began at one of the larger lagoons that holds water throughout the year. The Coots were there in good numbers as always but scanning across the water revealed a lone juvenile Shelduck, Black Winged Stilts, Little Grebe and a Greater Flamingo. The shoreline held a few Little Ringed Plovers and a Common Sandpiper. A little more time spent waiting and watching resulted in good views of Barn Swallow, Red Rumped Swallow, House Martins and Sand Martins. A male Marsh Harrier then appeared and spent a good 15 minutes hunting over the reed beds in front of…