Mallard - Page 7 of 12 - Valencia Birding - Guided Bird Watching in Spain

Spring 2015 Bulletin

Birding at Albufera de Valencia and the Valencian Coastal Wetlands These two trips prove to be our most popular birding sites and we´ve had the pleasure of showing these amazing spaces and their rich bird life to clients from throughout the World. As they´re both such popular trips, we´re delighted to be able to improve them both even further.We´ve recently been granted special authorization to enter some wonderful restricted areas that are out of bounds for the general public. This provides our clients with the opportunity to enjoy some very special natural spaces that would otherwise be impossible to visit. For the Albufera de Valencia trip, we can now also offer a new and exciting additional element which is a trip in a traditional Albufera boat. These trips are exclusively for our clients, are allow us to pass quietly by some great areas of wetland and to enjoy a different perspective. New Venues – Mountain Ranges of Valencia & The Lakes and Highlands of Inland Spain The “Mountain Ranges of Valencia” trip is ideal for those who want enjoy a short walk in the mountains amongst stunning…

Birding in the mountains of Valencia

Last Sunday I was delighted to provide a day of guided birding in the mountains of Valencia for a pair of returning clients from England. Last year, we provided a trip to the Valencian Coastal Wetlands for them and they had such a great time that they promised to return for more guided birding. This year, they opted for a trip to the mountains of Valencia. Having collected them from their hotel in the centre of Valencia, we made the short drive to the Sierra Calderona Natural Park. An area of forested mountains in excess of 600 meters above sea level. Although sunny, it was quite a windy day. However, we were fortunate enough to enjoy views of a pair of resident Bonelli´s Eagles. After a short walk up to a spectacular viewing point, we were rewarded with views of a Peregrine Falcon. Passerines were also in plentiful supply, including Great Tit, Crested Tit, Coal Tit, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Serin, Robin, Black Redstart, Firecrest, Blue Rock Thrush, Dunnock, White Wagtail and Crag Martin. It had been an exciting day, made all the more special because of the company of such lovely…

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…

Nature and Wildlife of Valencia

Yesterday I had the pleasure of providing a trip for 2 clients from Holland. Both knowledgable naturalists, they are also involved in the project Natura 2000 Network in their home country. They were here on holiday and were very keen to see the nature and wildlife of Valencia. We spent the morning at one of Valencia´s coastal wetlands which is a protected area and is also included in the Natura 2000 Network. It was very interesting to compare how conservation and politics are extremely different depending on the European country´s regulation and how controls are developed and implemented. The bird species list for the day included.. Marsh Harriers, Booted Eagle, Common Kestrel, Greater Flamingo, Grey Heron, Great Egret, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Moorhen, Purple Swamphen, Coot, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Sandwich Tern, Great Cormorant, Common Snipe, Black-winged Stilt, Common Sandpiper, Red-crested Pochard, Northern Shoveler, Common Pochard, Mallard, Kingfisher, Black Redstart, Stonechat, Bluethroat, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Moustached Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, White Wagtail, Starling, Meadow Pipit.

Bird Watching at Albufera de Valencia

Last Saturday I was delighted to provide a day of guided bird watching at Albufera de Valencia for 4 clients from Granada, Spain. It was a sunny and windless day, ideal for exploring the different eco-systems of the Albufera de Valencia Natural Park. We enjoyed many of the classic Albufera species. in particular the herons, egrets and ibis that are resident in the park. We enjoyed a fabulous day and were fortunate enough to see 40 species, including : Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard, Booted Eagle, Kestrel, Glossy Ibis, Grey Heron, Great Egret, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Purple Swamphen, Moorhen, Coot, Little Grebe, Back-necked Grebe, Great-Crested Grebe, Common Snipe, Black-winged Stilt, Lapwing, Great Cormorant, Kingfisher, Black Redstart, Stonechat, Bluethroat, Robin, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Moustached Warbler, Cetti´s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Meadow Pipit, Yellow Wagtail, White Wagtail, Starling, Shelduck, Shoveler, Mallard, Common Pochard, Teal.

Bird Watching in Valencia

Last month I was privileged to be invited to speak at the First Congress on Nature Tourism in Valencia. The aim of the congress was to gather the various public and private sector entities that are involved in Nature Tourism in the Valencian Community and to share experiences as well as to discuss how we can promote this fabulous area. The Valencian Community (Comumidad de Valencia) comprises 3 provinces – Castellon, Valencian and Alicante. It is relatively well known as a holiday destination but largely for the beaches of the Costa Blanca and the avant-garde city of Valencia. What relatively few people are aware of are the stunningly rich natural environments and bird life of the region. Many of my clients are truly amazed by habitat diversity, the vast wild spaces and the wildlife that thrives here. The Valencian Community is home to no less than 21 Natural Parks. These areas of special scientific interest and / or outstanding natural beauty are officially designated and protected by law and include some of Europe´s most important habitats. They include mountains in excess of 1800 metres (5900 ft)…