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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…

Bird Watching in Valencia.

On Wednesday 18th April, I spent a day bird watching in Valencia with a group of 7 clients. The Valencian Coastal Wetlands are superb throughout the year, but are especially so in Spring when the breeding season is upon us. There was a cool breeze as we set out along the coastal path towards the first lagoon, and this seemed to be keeping most of the smaller birds down in the reeds. However, we soon had good views of White Headed Duck, Great Crested Grebe, and Red Crested Pochard. We also enjoyed views of Great Reed Warbler and Fan Tailed Warbler. A further stroll along the coast provided great views of a beautiful Collared Pratincole, it´s delicate facial markings showing clearly in the sunlight. Our next stopping point gave super views of Kentish Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Redshank and Curlew Sandpiper. As we continued our walk we could hear the iconic song of a Corn Bunting and soon found it sitting in the top of a nearby tree. As we progressed through the reed beds we could pick out the calls of Cetti´s Warbler, Savi´s Warbler and more Great Reed…

Winter Birding in Castilla de la Mancha

Today´s trip was a joint effort arranged by Valencia Birding and La Safor Ornithological Society, a Spanish group based in our local town of Gandia. The area visited was the same as that taken in on our “Steppe & Lagoons” trip and visits the high plains of Castilla de la Mancha, just over a hour´s drive from the Mediterranean coast. To make the most of the day and to have the best chance of seeing the target species we left our home base at 6.30am and after a couple of pick ups we were up on the steppe by 8.30am. The early start was rewarded by a stunningly beautiful and crisp morning. The temperature gauge was showing -6 degrees C and a sharp frost was evident although fortunately there was a complete lack of wind as we made our first stop. As we scanned across the vast plains we were fortunate enough to see a dozen Great Bustards resting in the early morning sunshine. Having enjoyed some super views we headed back to the van and drove along our usual track out over the fields. We made a few brief…

A Pre-Christmas Trip up onto the Steppe.

One of my important roles as a birding guide is to constantly visit my favoured sites as many times as possible throughout the year. This is essential in order to maintain and develop knowledge of an area and it´s changing characteristics and bird life throughout the seasons. That way, we ensure that our clients are taken to the sites that are “at their best” whenever their visit may take place. That today´s trip meant that I avoided having to go Christmas shopping only seemed to reinforce its value! Our destination was the vast upland Steppe of Castilla de la Mancha, some 90 minutes’ drive due west from our home base of La Drova. To make the most of the day we left home at 7am on a dark and windy morning. Having driven through a beautiful day-break we left the main road and headed out across the steppe. The morning provided a good omen from the outset as we immediately spotted a group of 23 Great Bustards strutting across the fields just 200 metres from the road. Having parked the van, we left the warm cab to be greeted by a…

An Afternoon at Albufera de Valencia

As we had business to attend to in Valencia today, the opportunity to spend a couple of hours looking what was around Albufera couldn´t be missed. We started at the main hide, where we were greeted by a group of school children on a day trip! Although not the quiet environment that we expected, it has to be remembered that this is where the future of conservation lies. We soon attracted a small group of kids who were curious to see what the telescope was and soon had a small queue forming to watch the Flamingoes that were resting at the far side of the lagoon. A few others were fascinated to see the beautifully coloured Teal through binoculars which at first glance to them, appeared to be just “boring brown ducks”! Once their teacher called time and moved them on and out of the hide, we settled down to see what else was around. As mentioned, Teal were present in good numbers. A group of 6 Black Winged Stilt did a good job of trying to conceal a lone Avocet amongst them. We spend a little time waiting and…